Job Introduction

Full Time (Part Time Considered)

At Turning Point we provide services across the whole country which delivers end to end drug and alcohol treatment and support, family services, housing advice and support for those in contact with the criminal justice system, needle exchange system, and custody outreach. We are a specialist in delivering whole treatment system approaches across cities and county areas, which has led to the reduction in people falling through gaps between services and delivers improved outcomes.

In the Somerset Drug and Alcohol Service we also carry out Primary Care Mental Health treatment for clients within the National Community Sentence Treatment Requirement (CSTR) programme. This is a new initiative launched in 2017 by Ministry of Justice, Department of Health and Social care, NHS England, Public Health England and HM Prisons and Probation Service. The purpose of the initiative is to deliver mental health treatment to clients who have been sentenced by the courts to help them lead a fulfilling life in the future.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and highly motivated Senior Assistant Psychologist to join the Turning Point CSTR team within the SDAS service in Somerset. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a dynamic, creative and highly successful team, providing high quality evidence-based psycho-social interventions to clients.

Role Responsibility

The role of the Senior Assistant Psychologist is work closely with the Clinical Lead of the CSTR service to develop and implement the CSTR programme. This will involve supporting with the implementation of the service and contributing to the development of appropriate psycho-social interventions with clients. It will involve working under the supervision of the Clinical Lead to assess clients within a court setting, liaise with partner agencies, deliver psycho-social treatment to clients, complete post-treatment reports and contribute to the evaluation of the service.

The post holder will also assist in clinically related administration, administer questionnaires or standardised psychometric tests, conduct audits, collect data and statistics, and contribute to research projects, teaching and project work.

The Ideal Candidate

You will need at least a 2:1 degree in psychology and BPS Graduate Membership, an understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health and substance misuse problems.

You will have had previous experience of working in a health or social care setting and it is vital that you will have prior experience of delivering psycho-social interventions to clients within a mental health setting.

You will have good verbal and written communication skills, to enable you complete reports for partner agencies as well as deliver psycho-social interventions to clients on a daily basis.

Experience carrying out research and working with clients within a forensic field is desired, but not a necessity. Tailored induction and training will be provided to enable you to work effectively with this client group.

Following new legislation, all offers will be made subject to candidates providing satisfactory evidence of COVID-19 vaccination status (or relevant exemption). Details of what will amount to satisfactory evidence can be provided upon request.

About us

What Benefits Will I Receive?

We know reward looks different to each person and so whether its ways to make your money go further, a culture supporting recognition and celebration, or opportunities to boost your career – we want to support you in every way we can with our total reward package that includes:

• Comprehensive learning and development opportunities so we can invest in your future – we’re proud to have a silver accreditation from Investors in People. Choose from our range of courses to gain recognised qualifications
• 31 days’ paid holiday a year, increasing with each year of service up to 33 days. Plus the option to buy or sell additional holidays and spread the cost
• An exclusive discounts hub for TP colleagues, to help make your money go further – including high street shopping, pubs and restaurants, mobile phones, gym memberships, and much more. You’ll also have access to the Blue Light Card, for even more discounts and savings!
• Flexible working solutions to support your work-life balance
• Life Assurance of up to 3x annual salary and a competitive Pension Scheme to support your savings and security
• Access to our Rightsteps Therapy service – free, confidential telephone based counselling sessions, access to an online wellbeing platform, and a Financial Education hub to support your total wellbeing
• A 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme including a Digital GP, legal advice and more – all free to you and your immediate family
• Recognition awards to recognise colleagues’ inspirational work and dedication, as well as Long Service bonuses to celebrate your commitment to u
• Flexible benefit options including a Cycle to Work scheme and interest-free Season Ticket Loans
• A £300 bonus if you successfully refer a friend as a new colleague through our Refer a Friend scheme, as a thanks from us!

As part of the fight against COVID-19 here are some of the measures we have in place to keep our team members and the people we support safe:

• Enhanced Infection/Prevention Control Measures, including the use of PPE, social distancing and regular testing
• Following all government guidance applicable to our services as a minimum and ensuring our teams are trained effectively
• Strongly encouraging colleagues to receive a vaccination to keep themselves and those around them safe, enabling access through time off & covering transport costs
• Regular updates, FAQs, myth busting from Turning Point’s clinical team as well as wellbeing seminars which provide support on a variety of topics

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.

Turning Point