About this role

The Eating Disorders Inpatient Unit is looking for an enthusiastic Assistant Psychologist to join our psychological therapies team full time. You will be joining an evidence generating service, with a diverse and passionate team committed to supporting people with eating disorders. The role involves supporting the psychological therapies team, maintaining audits, delivering some manualised individual interventions under close supervision and co-facilitating groups. The role also involves supporting research projects, helping to maintain and co-ordinate the PEACE pathway for our neuro-divergent patients and assisting in re-accreditation process with National Autism Service.

To assist practitioner psychologists in the delivery of a specialist applied psychology service at the adult inpatient eating disorder service at the Maudsley Hospital.
To provide clinical work as required by the service, under the direct guidance, close clinical and professional supervision of a qualified psychological therapist.
To assist in clinically related administration, conduct of audits, organising weekly psychology meetings, chairing community weekly meetings on rotation bases, collection of statistics, development of audit and/or research projects, assisting in teaching and project work.
To support the role of PEACE pathway champion; co-ordinating and chairing weekly PEACE huddles, focussing on adaptations for patients with neurodiversity (this includes conducting and scoring self-reported questionnaires, supporting team with case presentations (e.g preparing slides and circulating to multidisciplinary team); participating and supporting organisation of PEACE annual conference (for detailed information see www.peacepathway.org).
To support the service with reaccreditation process for National Autism Society, including completing paperwork
To work following clinical guidelines and the policies and procedures of the service, while closely supervised and regularly seeking help from clinical/professional supervisor or manager.

As part of the Psychological Medicine and Older Adults Directorate, the Eating Disorders Service is within the South London Partnership and provides inpatient treatment for local and national patients. The Gerald Russell Unit is an 18-bed, all-gender inpatient service based in the newly built Douglas Bennett House at the Maudsley Hospital. Patients may be admitted voluntarily or detained under the Mental Health Act.

The service supports individuals with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, ARFID, and OSFOED. Evidence-based treatment programmes are tailored to the needs of service users and their carers, with the service receiving a high volume of referrals each year.

We have developed innovative pathways to support people at different stages of illness and with varying comorbidities. These include FREED (early intervention), PEACE Plus (for neurodivergent patients), STRIDE ( trauma), a diabetes pathway for people with type 1 diabetes, a carers pathway supporting families and carers, and additional specialist support for people with personality disorders.

Our specialist tertiary service provides intensive treatment in inpatient, day patient, and outpatient settings, including for individuals with complex comorbidities. Interventions may include individual, group and family therapy, dietetic input, and comprehensive risk management for needs that cannot be safely or effectively managed within primary or secondary care services.

Key Responsibilities

KR 1 Clinical and Client Care

To provide psychological assessments for inpatients under the close supervision of a qualified psychological therapist including psychometrics, neuropsychological profiles and patient histories.
To provide protocol based (manualised) individual psychological interventions for inpatients including Cognitive Remediation Therapy (CRT) and Cognitive Remediation Therapy and Emotion Skills Training (CREST), under close supervision.
To arrange, schedule and co-facilitate protocol based group psychological interventions for inpatients on topics including flexibility, emotion regulation, positive communication, body image, self-esteem, perfectionism, sensory wellbeing, and to contribute to virtual Carers’ Workshops.
To assist the psychological therapy team in the development/preparation of individual or group clinical materials or training materials.
To support patients to gain confidence in eating meals/snacks in the community and with their loved ones.

KR 2 Contributing to team or service clinical functioning

To contribute to the effective working of the inpatient eating disorder service (creating databases to track processes or progress through pathways and keeping them up-to-date; contributing to the training and support of other staff in developing and providing psychological care of patients).
To act in a manner that supports a psychologically informed framework for the service.
To participate in the team or service’s delivery of accessible and acceptable services to diverse local communities.

KR 3 Policy and service development

To follow policies and procedures in own area of work
To participate in the consultation and engagement of service users in planning and delivering services which meet the needs of local communities.

KR 4 Care or management of resources

To take care of, and use carefully, the Trust’s equipment and physical resources.
To ensure that the post-holder has sufficient resources by estimating future needs and requesting supplies as needed.
To be responsible for the safe-keeping of databases of outcome data, SPSS licence update, preparing copies of outcome measures ready for admissions and discharges. The post holder will be responsible for informing the supervising psychologist or manager when stock requires replenishing (e.g. psychometric tests, specialised stationery etc.).

KR 5 Teaching and Training

To participate in demonstrating work methods to newly recruited Assistant Psychologists and to support their development of necessary skills.
To assist/disseminate research and service evaluation findings through presentations or published articles co-authored with other clinical/research colleagues.
To support the role of PEACE pathway champion, co-ordinating and chairing weekly PEACE huddle (our pathway for patients with comorbid autism or autism spectrum traits) and to contribute case studies to discuss treatment adaptations within the team and wider ED service.

KR 6 Record-keeping and Information Governance

To ensure that all information generated by own work is recorded as required by Trust policies and local procedures.
Under the supervision of a qualified psychological therapy practitioner to maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, according to professional and Trust guidelines, including electronic data entry.
To maintain data bases and enter data and perform analyses and produce reports.

KR 7 Research and Development

To assist in the design and implementation of audit and research projects to inform the service, psychologist and others in the development of Trust psychology and other services, training provision and research activities.
To undertake data collection, analysis, the production of reports and summaries, using IT and statistical programmes.
To assist submitting forms for service innovation projects to clinical governance committee.
To support ongoing co production work with the patients and families. To undertake searches of evidence-based literature and research to assist in the development in the Trust of evidence-based practice.
Under guidance to conduct surveys with service users and carers to gather views on service provision

KR 8 Maintaining professional standards and continuing professional development

To receive regular clinical and professional supervision in accordance with professional practice guidelines
To gain wider experience of professional psychology within the NHS over and above that provided within the principal service area where the post-holder is employed.
To develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of current duties.
To undertake personal training relevant to the post in agreement with the supervising psychological therapist and the manager.

KR 9 General

To travel to Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London and Maudsley hospital as well as other clinics as appropriate and across the Trust when required.
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 emotionally distressing situations, in particular distress around eating and feeding, trauma, deliberate self-harm as well as the interpersonal difficulties demonstrated by patients and to support others involved in such situations.
To work flexibly which may include offering some regular commitment to late working if appropriate, within the overall Job Plan.

This advert closes on Monday 14 Sep 2026

Assistant Psychologist | South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Key information

About this role

Key Responsibilities