Job summary
This is an exciting opportunity to join a dedicated, creative, and innovative team of psychological practitioners across acute mental health inpatient settings in Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust.
We have three separate assistant psychologist posts detailed below. We will ask for your preference at point of interview if you are shortlisted:
Post 1 - this role will be based in Dartford and split equally ( 18.75 hours each) between Jasmine Ward, an older adult ward based on the Darent Valley Hospital site, and Littlebrook Hospital, which supports working-age adults. Please note: As Darent Valley Hospital and Littlebrook Hospital are geographically separate sites within Dartford, travel between both locations will be required.
Post 2 - this role will be based on the Priority House site in Maidstone and split 30 hours on the older adult wards and 7.5 hours on the working-age adult wards.
Post 3 - this role will be based on both the St Martins Hospital (Canterbury) and Thanet Mental Health Unit (Margate) sites, on the older adult wards only 37.5 hours. Please note: As St Martins Hospital and Thanet Mental Health Unit are geographically separate sites in East Kent, travel between both locations will be required.
Main duties of the job
Under the direct supervision of a qualified psychologist, you will:
- Direct Clinical Care: Conduct psychological assessments, develop clinical formulations, and co-create tailored, person-centred treatment plans.
- Therapeutic Interventions: Facilitate psychology groups, deliver brief individual interventions, and support Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) plans across both ward settings.
- Multidisciplinary Collaboration: Work collaboratively alongside ward-based teams to champion service users' therapeutic needs and promote a trauma-informed environment.
- Supervision & Practice: Actively engage in regular clinical supervision by preparing cases, reflecting on your practice, and embedding learning into daily patient care.
- Service Support & Development: Undertake clinically related administration, audit, research projects, staff training, and ongoing service improvement initiatives.
Details
- Date posted: 29 October 2026
- Closing date: 12 November 2026
- Pay scheme: Agenda for change
- Band: Band 4
- Salary: £28,392 to £31,157 a year per annum
- Contract: Permanent
- Working pattern: Full-time
- Reference number: 380-AC0858
- Job locations: St Martins Hospital (Maidstone or Dartford), Littlebourne Road, Canterbury, CT1 1TD, United Kingdom
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached job description for the full details on the responsibilities and person specification
You will deliver person-centred psychological support to individuals experiencing severe and enduring mental health difficulties, as well as adults with cognitive impairments (including dementia) and later-life mental health needs.
Working as an integral part of the multidisciplinary teams across both sites, you will bring a compassionate, trauma-informed perspective to patient care while supporting service users through their recovery journey.
Person Specification
Training, Qualifications and Registration
Essential
- An upper second-class honours degree or higher in psychology.
- Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society.
Desirable
- Further postgraduate training in relevant areas of professional Psychology
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with patients with mental health problems and/or dementia and /or other disabilities (minimum 6 months)
- Experience of applying psychological models to clinical/care settings
- Interest in working with both working age and older adults
Desirable
- Experience of working with acute distress, complex presentations and multiple needs including complex emotional needs, psychosis, substance misuse, health inequalities and issues of later life.
- Previous experience working in acute mental health inpatient settings.
- Experience of working with older people
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Ability to comprehend and communicate verbally and in writing highly complex and sensitive information in a manner appropriate to a range of settings and audiences, including complex highly emotive situations and those with significantly impaired communication capacities.
- Able to work in a multidisciplinary environment and within a multidisciplinary team setting.
Desirable
- Knowledge and skills in working with acute distress, complex presentations including complex emotional needs, psychosis, dual diagnoses and Knowledge and skills in working with acute distress, complex presentations including complex emotional needs, psychosis, dual diagnoses and cognitive impairment including dementia.
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.
About us
We are Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust. We care for the mental health and wellbeing of people across Kent and Medway.
Our teams support children, young people and adults with a wide range of mental health needs. We also provide specialist services, including all-age eating disorder services and neurodevelopmental assessments for children and young people, such as autism and ADHD.
Because we work across the whole county and across hospital and community settings, we can make care more joined up and easier to access for the people we serve.
Our vision is simple: we are here to help communities not just live with mental illness, but live well. It's why we're passionate about working with communities to make mental health care better for everyone. Everything we do is guided by our values: caring, inclusive, curious and confident.
Join us if you share our passion for better mental health care and want to be part of a team that's working well together.
Employer details
- Employer name: Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust
- Address: St Martins Hospital (Maidstone or Dartford), Littlebourne Road, Canterbury, CT1 1TD, United Kingdom
- Employer's website: https://www.kentmedwaymentalhealth.nhs.uk