Band 5 Apprentice Clinical Associate Psychologist - Wiltshire

at  Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

We are recruiting x2 Clinical Associate Psychologist (CAPs) apprentices in Sarum Community Mental Health Team . Which is one of three of Wiltshire’s Recovery teams. Working as part of an expansion of services for people with serious mental health difficulties. This apprentice programme allows talented psychology graduates to access clinical roles where they can be trained on-the-job in psychological interventions. These highly competitive posts are a new initiative to England, and AWP has played a leading role in developing them in the south west. These roles create an opportunity to work psychologically with people suffering from severe and enduring mental health difficulties in a community setting.
You will be part of a multidisciplinary team, and will have support and direct supervision from a Clinical Psychologist. You will join a local university CAP training programme (MSc Level) and on successful completion of the CAP Apprenticeship become a band 6 CAP.
You will be a graduate Psychologist with experience of working with people with complex mental health problems. We are especially interested in increasing diversity in the psychology workforce and this post may be of particular interest to graduates who wish to join the psychology workforce but are not aspiring to become Clinical or Counselling Psychologists.
Interviews are planned between the 8th - 12th July 2024.
To undertake a structured programme of learning including personal study, academic work, placement learning and assessment leading to the award of an MSc in Clinical Associate Psychology and employment as Clinical Associate Psychologist (Band 6).
To undertake specialised psychological assessments, treatments and other types of clinical intervention appropriate to this level of training with individual & groups of service users.
The trainee will receive supervision within the job role to ensure that they meet the required levels of competence to complete the MSc course and the end point assessment.
To become able to work independently, initially under supervision, on a day-to-day basis. This work will be supervised and reviewed regularly with supervision usually being offered by a qualified Clinical Psychologist.
Trainee Clinical Associate Psychologists are required to abide by the BPS Code of Conduct and meet induction standards, and NHS employers are required to abide by the Code of Practice for employers.
MSc Trainees are required to fulfil both academic and clinical requirements, including the end point assessment in order to progress in training to qualify. Qualification will ordinarily be within 18 months of commencement of the course. Should it become clear that qualification is unlikely in a reasonable timeframe employment may be ended on notice following application of the Trust’s probationary period.
We are AWP (Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust): a diverse organisation with over 5,000 dedicated staff providing inpatient and community-based mental health care.
We provide services from a range of locations to approximately 1.8 million people living in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, across the county of Wiltshire and in parts of Dorset.
Our outstanding people promote mental health and wellbeing. The expertise and resources within AWP are dedicated to a person-centred approach for those who use our services and for all employees. We recognise that happy and fulfilled employees give better care.
At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.
Clinical
1. To undertake structured interviews, psychological assessments and observations of individuals
and groups.
2. To assist in the development of psychological formulations of complex clinical problems and the development and delivery of care plans, which include psychological treatment and/or management of the service user problems including risk assessments.
3. To determine appropriate psychological intervention, taking into account a range of potentially conflicting clinical information and dynamics under the supervision of a clinical psychologist.
4. To carry out psychological and psychometric tests, to develop interview and observation skills and to assess service user/patient needs.
5. To design, implement, modify an appropriate, bespoke psychological interventions with service users and groups under the supervision of a clinical psychologist.
6. To communicate confidential and personal information concerning psychological needs, obtained through assessments and interventions, to colleagues within and outside of the Trust and to the service user and their
7. To assist in the coordination and running of therapeutic groups.
8. To provide emotional support to service users and carers/family members.
9. To keep appropriate records of work and inform relevant others through letters or reports defined within the polices for AWP.
10. To work as a member of a multidisciplinary ward /or community team.
11. To follow a person-focused and evidence based approach with service users and their families/carers.
12. To work in a partnership with service users.
13. To work in accordance with National NHS and placement providers’ policies and regulations, as well as those of relevant professional bodies.
14. The post holder will be required to work in situations where there are barriers to acceptance and exposure to aggression

Please refer the Job description for details