Assistant Psychologist

Job summary
The North At Risk Mental State (ARMS) is advertising for an assistant psychologist (full time and 24 month fixed term contract) who will support the evaluation of the service, but will also be involved in assessment, monitoring of service users and some limited clinical work. The service will offer the systematic provision of multidisciplinary, and evidence-based bio-psychosocial interventions to those people who are at risk of developing psychosis. The postholder will work with colleagues and be under the supervision of the Principal Clinical Psychologist.

Main duties of the job
The ARMS service is an exciting and important service development that aims to provide interventions as early as possible to people who are help seeking and reporting symptoms that indicate a risk of transition to psychosis. Working alongside an experienced and highly motivated early intervention in psychosis team, you will be part of a relatively newly established ARMS service delivering the best possible practice in contemporary mental health care. Your job purpose will be to evaluate the impact of the service, including data collection and inputting, and interview service users. You will support the functioning of the service, including monitoring service users and alerting qualified clinicians if you think there has been a deterioration in their mental health. Some direct clinical work is likely, with you contributing to the assessment process and possibly supporting group work and other therapeutic work under the close supervision of the Principal Clinical Psychologist.

About us
We aim to attract and retain a diverse, talented and committed workforce, who are caring and compassionate, and therefore able to meet the demands of the modern NHS now and in the future. In return we can offer a dynamic working environment in which to build a career.

This post covers the Northumberland and North Tyneside Localities and you would be based at Benton View/Greenacre Ctr, working alongside the Early Intervention in Psychosis teams. The selection process involves formal interview and you will require Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced clearance before commencement of duties.

Job responsibilities
We are seeking someone motivated, and excited by the prospect of helping set up a new service. You will be flexible to help support the service and need good skills in managing data.

Please find attached job description for full details.

Advertising date : 18th August 2026
Closing date : 1st September 2026
We welcome your application.
Please note - this vacancy may close early once a suitable number of applications are received.

Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential

• Upper 2nd class honours degree, or higher, in psychology
• Eligibility for graduate membership of British Psychological Society

Desirable

• Further post graduate training in relevant areas of psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis.

Knowledge and Experience
Essential

• Paid or unpaid work with people with mental health problems and/or other disabilities.
• Knowledge of evidence based practice

Desirable

• Experience of paid work in direct care provision.
• Experience with client group relevant to post.
• Experience of psychometric test administration and interpretation.
• Experience of providing individual or group interventions.

Skills and Competencies
Essential

• High level of communication skills (written and oral), including an ability to communicate and work in highly emotive circumstances.
• Ability to communicate sensitive information to clients, carers and colleagues.
• An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems and other disabilities.
• Ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a mental health / cognitive impairment / disability context.
• Computer literate, including use of databases & data analysis, e.g. SPSS for Windows.
• Demonstrates graduate level knowledge and experience of research and research methodology.
• An understanding of psychology applied to healthcare.

Desirable

• A high standard of report writing.

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.

We are an equal opportunities employer.