AOT Assistant Psychologist

Job Overview

A new and exciting opportunity has arisen for a new Assistant Psychologist to join the Assertive Outreach Team at Bentley House.

The post holder will work with adults living in the community who have severe and enduring mental illness and are at risk of disengagement from services. This role offers the opportunity to work with individuals with dual diagnosis needs and will support the team in delivering targeted psychosocial interventions to this patient group.

Applicants should have good clinical and risk management skills. Applicants should be able to work flexibly and adhere to Lone Working Policies. You must have a strong commitment to teamwork, and to work sensitively within a culturally diverse environment.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will work as an AOT assistant psychologist with duties including:

• Manage a small complex caseload of patients with SMI and dual diagnosis
• To offer patients assertive and intensive time-limited support with the aim of building engagement, stabilising risk and preventing crisis.
• Work collaboratively with the AOT Team Leader and Band 6 clinicians, and medical staff.
• To regularly liaise with the consultants, CMHH MDT and Psychotropic Clinic.
• Participate in clinical and team meetings
• To comply with KPI tasks and update electronic records
  
  

With support from the psychology team, the post holder may support the delivery of individual and group, evidenced based trauma informed psychological interventions.

The post holder will support with the preparation and delivery of trauma-informed training and Team Formulation to multi-disciplinary professionals.

Working for our organisation

We are delighted that you are interested in working with us here at CNWL. At CNWL, we work in collaboration with our multidisciplinary colleagues and value the lived experiences of both our staff and service users.

CNWL is recognised locally, nationally and internationally for providing high quality, innovative healthcare. We aim to employ in line with our values, our experts are frequently called upon to contribute to national health strategy and policy, and many models of our care have been adapted for use in other countries.

With us, you will get:

• A Trust committed to staff personal development, with a trust wide culture change and leadership programme that has staff wellbeing at its core.
• Flexible working.
• Variety of work.
• Access to a variety of CPD opportunities.
  
  

Central and North West London (CNWL) Trust is pioneering in its Trauma-Informed Approach (TIA) which focuses on Power Threat Meaning Framework Team Formulation (PTMF), manualised stabilisation interventions and staff training. Over the last year, our CMHH has rolled-out TIA, and the Assistant Psychologists will play an important role in the ongoing development of this work. This project builds on Harrow’s innovative TIA work in its acute services over the last six years and is now also influencing National Policy (see NHSE Guidelines for Acute Inpatient Mental Health Care for Adults and Older Adults, 2023).

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Assertive Outreach Delivery
• Provide intensive outreach in line with the SOP:
• First 3 months: minimum 3 contact attempts per week, aiming for 1–2 successful contacts.
• Next 3 months: minimum 2 contact attempts per week.
• Deliver flexible contact through home visits, community meetings, phone calls, texts, and occasional evening/weekend availability.
• Maintain a “no discharge for DNA” approach, using persistent and creative engagement strategies.
• Build strong therapeutic relationships through empathy, reliability, and trauma‑informed practice.
• Provide continuity and consistency as the allocated Assertive Outreach named worker.
• Clinical Responsibilities
• Complete and update care plans, risk assessments, and safety plans in line with Trust policy.
• Conduct frequent dynamic risk assessments and escalate concerns promptly.
• Lead on transition planning back to routine CMHH care.
• Ensure timely documentation of all contact attempts, outcomes, and risk assessments.
• Work collaboratively with the Hub named worker where this is a separate role.
• Deliver meaningful intervention
• Use therapeutic engagement to support patients to engage.
• To hold a case load of 10-15 patients.
• Holistic Support & Multi‑Agency Working
• Address mental health and physical health
• Liaise with other partners regarding identified needs e.g. drug and alcohol services, social care, housing teams, and voluntary sector partners.
• Support individuals to access practical help such as housing applications, benefits, and community resources.
• Involve families and carers (with consent) to strengthen support networks.
• In‑Reach to Inpatient Wards
• Provide continuity of care during hospital admissions.
• Attend inpatient wards to maintain engagement and support discharge planning.
• Ensure safe and coordinated transition back to community services.
• MDT Working & Communication
• Participate in MDT meetings and AO huddles.
• Share updates, escalate concerns, and contribute to joint care planning.
• Maintain strong links with crisis services, inpatient teams, and external agencies.
• Promote reflective practice and collaborative working within the team.
• Training, Supervision & Professional Development
• Adhere to relevant legislation (MHA, MCA, Care Act).
• Participate in clinical supervision, reflective practice, and mandatory training.
• Contribute to team learning, including sharing specialist knowledge related to your profession.
• Support students or trainees where appropriate.
• To participate in training relevant to post.
• Management of Resources
• Work within CNWL policies including lone working, safeguarding, risk management, and health & safety.
• Ensure accurate and timely record‑keeping.
• Contribute to monitoring caseloads, contact frequency, and clinical review processes.
• Use Trust systems (e.g., Tableau disengagement dashboards) to support identification of risk patterns.
• Research, Audit & Service Development
• Contribute to audits, service evaluation, and quality improvement initiatives.
• Ensure practice is evidence‑based and aligned with the Assertive Outreach SOP.
• Participate in the development of the AO model and wider CMHH pathways.
• Recording caseload activity on system one and ensuring accurate recording
• To report on team performance in terms of patient feedback and productivity and DNA rates.
• To assist the psychologists in the development of individual or group clinical materials or training materials.
• Building and Maintaining Relationships with Local Community
• Work collaboratively with community organisations, primary care, and voluntary sector partners.
• Support individuals to access community resources that promote stability and recovery.
• Maintain strong links with other CNWL community and inpatient teams.
• General
  
  

General

• Your base will be at Bentley House, however travel will be required where appropriate to service users’ homes or Northwick Park Hospital.
• To be aware of risk relating to aggressive and challenging behaviour amongst the client group, and follow Trust policies relating to its management
• To respond appropriately and professionally to high levels of distress and to support others involved in such situations.
• Abide by legal requirements and the professional code of conduct for your discipline.
• Undertake any other duties relevant to the post as requested by senior managers.
• Promote equality, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of practice.
  
  

RIDING CLAUSE

This job description is an outline of the postholder’s duties and responsibilities. It is not exhaustive and may be amended to meet the changing needs of the service.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• A First-class or Upper-second-class Bachelor’s degree with Honours in Psychology that is accredited by the British Psychological Society and confers the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society.
  
  

Desirable criteria

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

Experience

Essential criteria

• Sufficient post-graduate experience of psychological assessment and treatment of adult clients with severe and enduring mental health difficulties with close direct supervision.
• Post-graduate experience of conducting research projects or audits.
• Experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities. This may have been gained through work, research, volunteering and / or lived experience.
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Applications from people with lived experience of mental health challenges. We see this as valuable and recognise the positive impact this experience can have on the work we do.
• Substantial paid post-graduate work with people with mental health problems and/or other disabilities
  
  

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Graduate level knowledge of psychological research methodology and statistical analysis.
• Good theoretical knowledge of the problems experienced by and the needs of Adults with severe and enduring mental health needs and of methods of assessment and treatment.
• Awareness of racial and diversity issues through attendance of relevant training.
  
  

Desirable criteria

• An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems or other disabilities.
• An understanding of Trauma Informed Approaches (TIA) and Power Threat Meaning Framework (PTMF).
  
  

Skills

Essential criteria

• Skills in relevant psychological assessment and interventions that enable working as a pre-qualified practitioner with close clinical supervision.
• Well-developed verbal and written communication skills including communicating complex, information to clients, families and colleagues.
• Skills in providing supporting teaching and training provided by psychologists or others to other professional groups.
• Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data.
  
  

Desirable criteria

• High standard of report writing.
  
  

Abilities

Essential criteria

• Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, participating in effective team functioning and holding team roles.
• Ability to identify and follow relevant clinical governance procedures.
• Ability to maintain concentration and to remain in restricted positions for long periods during observations, assessments and psychological interventions.
• Ability to manage occasional emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour.
• Ability to communicate complex, sensitive or contentious information to people who may have impediments to understanding.
• Ability to manage verbal abuse and hostility directed at self.
• Ability to manage physical aggression directed at self, including use of physical interventions as prescribed by Trust policies.
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Ability to accept and use supervision appropriately and effectively.
• Ability to communicate sensitive information to patients, carers and colleagues in a way that addresses psychological resistance.