Practitioner Assistant Psychologist

Job summary

We are seeking a compassionate, reflective, and recovery-focused Assistant Psychologist to support the delivery of evidence-based psychological interventions for individuals on the Adult Acute Inpatient Wards at Wedgwood House, Bury St Edmunds.

Preference will be given to candidates with a strong understanding of psychological models of therapy and recovery, particularly Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) approaches within inpatient settings. Confidence in facilitating therapeutic groups, alongside knowledge and skills in collaboratively developing and disseminating psychological formulations, are essential attributes for the successful post holder.

The successful candidate will contribute to the team's work by providing psychological assessments, as well as individual and group interventions, under the supervision of a qualified Clinical Psychologist. There will also be opportunities to participate in audit, service evaluation, and research projects within the ward environment. Strong report-writing skills are highly desirable.

This post is ideally suited to those considering applying for the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, and there is a strong commitment from the supervising Clinical Psychologist to support applicants in their preparation for this training route.

Please note that AI generated applications are unlikely to be effective in this process. We value personal views reflections and aspirations which AI historically is less effective at conveying effectively.

Main duties of the job

o Provide psychologically informed interventions to patients and their carerso Develop collaborative formulations with patients to understand their psychological distress and the reasons for their admissiono Support patients in completing guided self-help workbookso Participate in MDT meetings to share clinical work and contribute psychological perspectiveso Develop support plans and safety plans to assist with dischargeo Facilitate CBT- and DBT-informed therapeutic groups on the wardo Complete contemporaneous clinical notes to support MDT communicationo Write therapeutic letters to patients

About us

Here at NSFT we pride ourselves on being a welcoming, talented, friendly and supportive team who like nothing better than sharing experiences and learning from each other. In addition to ongoing training and development opportunities, we are committed to providing an environment in which you can thrive.

Why work for us? We have challenges as a Trust, but we have ambitious aspirations, are pushing ahead with exciting transformation work and we need dedicated individuals to support us on our journey. We have strong, established professional networks coupled with an exceptional leadership team who will ensure you are truly cared for and cared about.

Why Norfolk and Suffolk? The people here are warm and welcoming, you'll never be far from the beautiful coastline or Broads National Park. We're an hour and a half away from London and have an international airport in Norwich too. Our villages, towns and cities are packed full of history, independent cafes, shops and theatres. We have excellent shopping, eating out, top ranking schooling and affordable house prices too.

Details

Date posted

22 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£27,485 to £30,162 a year per annum

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

18 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

246-WSU7651922

Job locations

Wedgwood House

Hardwick lane

Bury St Edmunds

IP222QN

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please find attached our Job Description and Person Specification for more detail on your Key Accountabilities, then if you feel you have what it takes to make a difference in your local communities, click APPLY!

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please find attached our Job Description and Person Specification for more detail on your Key Accountabilities, then if you feel you have what it takes to make a difference in your local communities, click APPLY!

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• A BPS accredited degree in Psychology

Skills

Essential

• Skills using software for statistical analysis
• High standard of report writing

Desirable

• Ability to communicate sensitive information to service users and colleagues

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of quantitative research
• An understanding of psychology applied to health care

Desirable

• An ability to apply existing knowledge to a mental health context

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• A BPS accredited degree in Psychology

Skills

Essential

• Skills using software for statistical analysis
• High standard of report writing

Desirable

• Ability to communicate sensitive information to service users and colleagues

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of quantitative research
• An understanding of psychology applied to health care

Desirable

• An ability to apply existing knowledge to a mental health context

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Address

Wedgwood House

Hardwick lane

Bury St Edmunds

IP222QN

Employer's website

https://www.nsft.nhs.uk/Pages/Home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Address

Wedgwood House

Hardwick lane

Bury St Edmunds

IP222QN

Employer's website

https://www.nsft.nhs.uk/Pages/Home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)