Assistant Psychologist | Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust


Company:	Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Salary:	£29,812 - £32,715 per annum, pro rata
Hours:	Part-time
Location:	Reading, RG6 6BZ
Job type:	Contract
Posting date:	4 Nov 2026
Closing date:	5 Dec 2026

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Summary

Have financial barriers prevented you from gaining the experience needed to pursue this career? Do caring responsibilities or other circumstances make unpaid work experience unrealistic? Have socioeconomic disadvantages limited your educational and career opportunities?

If you are a psychology graduate who has been unable to access the clinical psychology profession (e.g. through unpaid work opportunities) due to socioeconomic disadvantage, the NHS England-funded Aspiring Clinical Psychologist (ACP) Scheme at Berkshire Healthcare could be for you.

The post holder will support multidisciplinary work within the Learning Disabilities service in Berkshire, assisting psychological professionals to deliver assessments and evidence-based interventions for adults with a learning disability experiencing mental health difficulties and/or behaviour that puts themselves or others at risk of harm.

The scheme provides valuable clinical experience and preparation for a future career in Clinical Psychology. Alongside supervision from a Clinical Psychologist, the post holder will have access to professional development opportunities and the option to join the temporary staff Bank.

We strongly encourage all applicants to read the Application Guidance Notes before submitting their application. The guidance explains the scheme's eligibility criteria and provides detailed advice on how to evidence your experience and address the essential criteria within your supporting statement.

• You will act as an assistant to the work of the psychological professionals, contributing to multi-disciplinary service delivery.

• Supervised by a Clinical Psychologist, you will work jointly with psychological professionals to support the delivery of psychologically informed care through group working, individual work and/or work with families and carers.

• Under supervision, you will assist in the assessment and formulation of a service user’s difficulties, and where relevant assist with the delivery of psychologically informed treatment planning, including case consultation.

• You will have opportunities to enhance your skills in research, audit, data management and service development.

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated ‘outstanding’ by the CQC, we’re committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we’re committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.

Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:

• Caring for and about you is our top priority

• Committed to providing good quality, safe services

• Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions

Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:

• Flexible working options to support work-life balance

• 27 days’ annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell

• Generous NHS pension scheme

• Excellent learning and career development opportunities

• ‘Cycle to Work’ and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles

• Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services

• Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants

• Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality

• Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave

• Free parking across Trust sites

The “must haves” for this role:

1. An upper second class (2:1) honours degree or higher in psychology, or an equivalent qualification, which confers eligibility for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the British Psychological Society (BPS)

2. Demonstrable interest and/or learning in relevant areas of applied psychology and mental health practice

3. Experience that supports working with people with mental health difficulties, neurological difficulties or learning disability: This could have been obtained through employment, volunteering, lived experience or research or education

4. Ability to conduct service evaluation and research particularly within a clinical setting

5. Ability to travel independently between locations to fulfil the requirements and duties of the position, with minimal impact on daily productivity

6. Experience of socio-economic disadvantage that has caused barriers to access to unpaid work experience opportunities, relevant to pursuing a career in Clinical Psychology

For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.

Your application is your opportunity to demonstrate to us how you meet the requirements of the role. We recognise that AI tools can support accessibility, equity and confidence for applicants. However, it’s important that examples and responses given in your supporting statement genuinely reflect your own experience and abilities, as these will be explored further during the selection process. AI must not be used to provide misleading or false information during any stage of the application journey.

In addition to explaining how you meet the person specification, you must complete your employment history for at least the last five years. Any experience, skills or responsibilities referenced in your supporting statement should be evidenced within your employment history. Applications that do not include sufficient employment history to support the experience claimed may not be shortlisted.

We’re committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Stonewall Proud Employer, Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.

We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don’t hesitate to call: Sarah Walden on 01189047197 or email: sarah.walden@berkshire.nhs.uk who’ll be delighted to help.

Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

This advert closes on Wednesday 11 Nov 2026

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