Assistant Psychologist

Transformationunitgm; Newport; On-site; GBP 31,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in Wales is seeking an Assistant Psychologist on a fixed-term contract. The successful candidate will collaborate with psychologist teams across two Community Mental Health Teams. Responsibilities include supporting therapy groups and managing a small caseload. This role is part-time but may have full-time potential. Applicants should have a psychology degree and may benefit from Welsh language skills. The position offers a supportive work environment focused on mental health care.

Benefits

Pension scheme

Generous leave

Flexible working options

Qualifications

• Graduate member eligibility of the British Psychological Society.
• Competence in research design and methodologies.
• High-level communication skills in spoken and written formats.

Responsibilities

• Assist psychologists in preparing and conducting therapy groups.
• Carry out audits and evaluations to support service development.
• Manage a small individual clinical caseload with supervision.

Skills

Communication skills

Research design competencies

Understanding mental health issues

Education

Upper second class honours degree in psychology

Tools

Word processing software

Job description

Main area Adult Mental Health Grade Band 5 Contract 12 months (Fixed term/secondment for 12 months from start date due to funding) Hours Part time - 30 hours per week (Working days to be agreed at interview stage. There may be provision to increase the posts to full time.) Job ref 110-ACS003-0126

Employer Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board Employer type NHS Site Ysbyty Cwm Cynon Town Mountain Ash Salary £31,516 - £38,364 per annum pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 15/01/2026 23:59

Assistant Psychologist

Band 5

Thank you for your interest in joining Cwm Taf Morgannwg (CTM) University Health Board.

Located in the heart of South Wales, we’re central to Cardiff, Newport, and Swansea. Deeply rooted in our community, as an NHS organisation we are dedicated to providing compassionate patient care and building healthier communities together.

At CTM, you’ll be part of a supportive, inclusive team from diverse nations, cultures, and backgrounds. Every role counts, every person matters, and together, we’re creating a space where everyone can thrive.

Discover more about working with us here:

This post is a fixed term/secondment for 12 months from start date due to funding

If you are interested applying for the secondment position, you must obtain permission from your current line manager prior to applying for this post.

We are pleased to be recruiting an Assistant Psychologist to join our psychology team, due to the current Assistant Psychologist gaining a place on the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. The roles are supported and supervised by a psychologist.

The post will be split across two Community Mental Health Teams (CMHTs) in Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB: Cynon and Merthyr CMHTs.

The role is advertised as 30 hours/week, but there may be scope to increase to full time. This could be discussed at interview.

Please note: we will not be closing applications earlier than the proposed date, so please take your time to write an application that reflects your experience and is specific to this role. Interviews will be in person unless exceptional circumstances apply.

Welsh Skills Desirable: This post is advertised as Welsh Desirable. This doesn’t mean essential; whilst the candidate doesn't need to have skills in Welsh, we'll consider it an advantage when short-listing and selecting candidates. This isn’t ‘fluency’, just speaking & listening skills at Level 3 (equivalent to CEFR B2) or above. Level 3 means basic conversations with patients about their everyday health. For more information, see ‘Welsh Language Guidance’ in the documents right at the bottom.

Main duties of the job

The role will involve helping the CMHT psychologists to prepare for and run therapy groups, conduct audits and evaluations, and carry out other tasks to support psychological working and service development in the CMHTs. You will also have a small individual caseload for clinical work which will be fully supported and supervised. You will be joining an innovative psychology service that is integrated into multi-disciplinary teams.

We have good links with the South Wales Doctoral Programme in Clinical Psychology.

Working for our organisation

Cwm Taf Morgannwg (CTM) University Health Board, part of NHS Wales, serves a large population across a diverse and beautiful region, steeped in history and heritage. With nearly 13,500 staff, our health board is one of Wales’s largest employers.

Together, we are Team CTM; a workforce dedicated to offering excellent patient care and support to the 450,000 people across our three regions, Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil, and Rhondda Cynon Taf. We operate three District General hospitals, several community hospitals, primary and community care facilities.

CTM’s location offers the best of South Wales, just 20 minutes from Cardiff’s vibrant city life, the natural beauty of the Brecon Beacons, and the serene coastline at Ogmore. Whether you enjoy lively urban amenities, peaceful countryside, or seaside escapes, our location makes an ideal setting for both work and personal life.

Our CTM 2030 Strategy—Our Health, Our Future—focuses on uniting our region around shared health and wellbeing goals. Our values guide us daily:

•We listen, learn, and improve

•We treat everyone with respect

•We work together as one team

CTM employees enjoy benefits including; a leading pension, generous leave, flexible work, career growth, and access to ongoing learning and development.

At CTM, you’ll find a welcoming, team-oriented workplace that values diversity and compassion, where you can take pride in your work and the difference it makes.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click “Apply now” to view in Trac

Person specification

Qualifications and knowledge

• An upper second class honours degree or higher in psychology. Eligibility for graduate membership of the British Psychological Society.
• Ability to use word processing and computer packages for both report writing, layout.

Experience

• Experience of working with adults with mental health difficulties.

Aptitude and abilities

• Competence in research design and methodologies.
• Possession of high level communication skills both in spoken and written communication, including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive.
• An ability to communicate complex, sensitive information to patients, carers and colleagues in a way that addresses psychological resistance.
• An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems. An ability to plan and prioritise own workload.
• An ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to an adult mental health context.
• Confidence in working with people with mental health problems and their families.
• Ability to work independently with clinical supervision.
• An ability to interact effectively with staff from all disciplines and be involved in training members of staff.
• An ability to manage emotional issues arising from working with clients in significant distress.
• Welsh language speaking/listening skills at a Level 3 or above.

We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce and welcome applications from individuals within protected groups as outlined in the Equality Act 2010. This includes, but is not limited to, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/reassignment, race/nationality, religion/belief, disability, pregnancy and maternity, and marriage and civil partnership. We also warmly welcome applications from members of the Armed Forces community.

Applicants who are not UK or Republic of Ireland nationals will require sponsorship to obtain either a Health and Care Visa or a Skilled Worker Visa unless they already hold permission to work via another route. Prospective applicants should self-assess their eligibility for sponsorship by visiting the UK Government’s Work in the UK guidance . For eligible candidates, the Health and Care Visa offers reduced application costs and exempts payment of the annual Immigration Health Surcharge.

Please ensure you check your email regularly, as all recruitment correspondence will be sent to the email address provided on your application form.

Applications are welcome in either Welsh or English, with no preference given to the language used.

We reserve the right to close a vacancy early or withdraw an advertisement to accommodate the redeployment of internal staff into suitable roles.

All posts are subject to relevant checks, including a Disclosure and Barring Service check and, where required, Professional Registration verification.

We are proud to be a Living Wage Employer.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.