CENTRAL and NORTH WEST LONDON MENTAL HEALTH NHS TRUST
JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title:
Clinical Psychologist Assistant Practitioner
Accountable to:
Term:
Head of Older Adult Psychology Services,
Westminster
12 months fixed term contract, full time
Band:
Agenda for Change Band 4
Base:
Westminster Older Adult Psychology Department, St
Charles Hospital, London W10 6DZ
Other psychology members of the team and other
disciplines and agencies responsible for clients’ care.
Liaises with: -
JOB SUMMARY
To support and enhance the professional psychological care of clients within the service, across
all sectors of care; providing psychological assessment and psychological interventions of a
routine nature, under the direct supervision of a qualified professional psychologist drawing on
their supervisor’s expertise and intervention as and when advised and directed. To work
according to a plan agreed with a qualified psychologist and within the overall framework of the
team’s policies and procedures. To assist in clinically related administration, conduct of audits,
collection of statistics, development of audit and/or research projects, teaching and project work.
WORKING ENVIRONMENT
The postholder will be based in the Chamberlain Nightingale Building, St Charles Hospital, which
includes outpatient consulting rooms, inpatient wards and a day hospital. The postholder will
undertake work in all of these clinical areas, and also in community settings in Westminster,
including clients’ homes and residential or day care facilities.
KEY RESULT AREAS
Clinical:
1. To undertake, under the direct supervision of a qualified professional psychologist, protocol
based psychological assessments of clients applying psychological, including
neuropsychological,tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured
observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved
in the client’s care.
2. To assist in the formulation and delivery of routine care plans involving the psychological
treatment and/or management of a client’s problems, under the direct supervision of a
qualified professional psychologist, in both community and in-patient/residential settings.
3. To assist, under the direct supervision of a qualified professional psychologist, in the coordination
and running of therapeutic groups.
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Clinical Psychologist Assistant Practitioner
4. To work with other staff to assess inpatients, day patients or residents and review their care in
preparation for multi-disciplinary reviews.
5. To assist, under the direct supervision of a qualified professional psychologist, in the development
of a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the
service, across all settings where care takes place.
6. To attend and contribute to appropriate multi-disciplinary meetings.
Teaching, training and supervision
1. In common with all clinical psychologists, to receive regular clinical supervision in accordance
with professional practice guidelines.
2. To gain wider experience of professional psychology within the NHS as agreed with the
psychologist to whom they are accountable.
3.
To develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of current duties
4. To contribute, under the direct supervision of a qualified professional psychologist, to the training
and support of other staff in psychological care.
Management, recruitment and service development
1. To assist in the design and implementation of service development projects within the service as
required.
2. To attend meetings in which service developments are planned and discussed.
3. The post holder will be required to attend and contribute, where appropriate, to the regular
professional meetings of the Older Adult Psychology Specialty and other Departmental meetings.
IT responsibilities
1. The post holder will input and maintain, appropriate computer and manual clinical records
and statistical data and provide this to the Service Manager/Head of Speciality when
necessary.
2. The postholder will engage in relevant computer and IT training as required.
3. To assist, under the direct supervision of a qualified professional psychologist, in the
development, design and implementation of relevant IT projects.
Research and service evaluation
1. As an element of the post, to assist, under the direct supervision of a qualified professional
psychologist, in the design and implementation of audit and research projects.
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2. To undertake data collection and, under the direct supervision of a qualified professional
psychologist, the analysis and production of reports and summaries, using IT and statistical
programmes.
3. To undertake searches of evidence-based literature and research to assist qualified clinical
psychologists in evidence based practice in individual work and work with other team members.
4. To familiarise themselves with, and to comply with, the Trust’s requirements on research
governance.
General
1. To contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of
practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development
programmes, in consultation with the postholder’s professional and team/operational
manager(s).
2. To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing in accordance
with professional codes of practice of the British Psychological Society and Trust policies and
procedures.
3. To prepare test materials and visual aids as required.
4. To undertake specific administrative duties as required.
5. To perform other duties of a similar kind appropriate to the grade, which may be required
from time to time by their Psychology Manager.
To be noted:
 This is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities, and the postholder may
be required to undertake other duties which fall within the grade of the job, in
discussion with the manager.

This job description will be reviewed regularly in the light of changing service
requirements and any such changes will be discussed with the post holder.

The post holder is expected to comply with all relevant Trust policies, procedures
and guidelines, including those relating to Equal Opportunities, Health and Safety
and Confidentiality of Information.
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Clinical Psychologist Assistant Practitioner
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