277-8367047-ALD | Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Important

Sponsorship Information for this post

We are currently unable to offer a certificate of sponsorship for this post.

An excellent opportunity has arisen to join the Oxleas Adult Autism Service as we seek to appoint an Assistant Psychologist to be part of the Autism Diagnostic Team.

The Oxleas Adult Autism Service supports adults with autism who either do not have a learning disability or have mild learning disabilities that do not meet the threshold for LD services.

The Diagnostic Assessment Service provides highly specialized diagnostic assessments for adults with suspected autism who may also present with complex mental health and psychiatric comorbidities.

In the Diagnostic Assessment Service, the post holder will be a member of our multidisciplinary team, assisting with the assessment and diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Responsibilities include assisting in the formulation and delivery of diagnostic assessments for individuals with suspected autism. This involves supporting the delivery of neurodevelopmental clinical interviews, developmental history interviews, structured and semi-structured diagnostic assessments, drafting specialist reports, and supporting formulation and outcome within the diagnostic process.

The position offers significant potential for the successful candidate to pursue specialist interests and develop highly specialized skills in discipline-specific assessments and support of adults with autism.

• To assist in the formulation and delivery of diagnostic assessments for people with suspected Autism without Learning Disabilities and with complex mental health and psychiatric disorders. This will involve support in the delivery of specialist neurodevelopmental clinical interviews, specialist developmental histories interviews, drafting specialist reports and supporting formulation and outcome within the diagnostic process
• Offer effective, person-centered, evidence-based assessment, support, and intervention to adults with autism at risk of acute care admission, under the guidance of a clinical psychologist and an MDT as part of the Autism Partnership Programme.
• To liaise with Community Mental Health and acute care teams to support the care of service users involving the systemic treatment and/or management of a client’s care, under the supervision of a qualified professional psychologist, in community settings.
• To assist the service within the referral pathway by screening referral information provided by clients and referrers in order to support the decision for clinical eligibility within the service.
• To assist in the coordination and running of Autism specialist training.
• To assist in the development of a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings where care takes place.

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children’s centres, schools and people’s homes.

We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

• We’re Kind
• We’re Fair
• We Listen
• We Care
• To assist in the formulation and delivery of diagnostic assessments for people with suspected Autism without Learning Disabilities and with complex mental health and psychiatric disorders. This will involve support in the delivery of specialist neurodevelopmental clinical interviews, specialist developmental histories interviews, drafting specialist reports and supporting formulation and outcome within the diagnostic process
• Offer effective, person-centered, evidence-based assessment, support, and intervention to adults with autism at risk of acute care admission, under the guidance of a clinical psychologist and an MDT as part of the Autism Partnership Programme.
• To liaise with Community Mental Health and acute care teams to support the care of service users involving the systemic treatment and/or management of a client’s care, under the supervision of a qualified professional psychologist, in community settings.
• To assist the service within the referral pathway by screening referral information provided by clients and referrers in order to support the decision for clinical eligibility within the service.
• To assist in the coordination and running of Autism specialist training.
• To assist in the development of a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings where care takes place.
• In common with all clinical psychologists, to receive regular clinical supervision in accordance with professional practice guidelines.
• To develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of current duties
• To contribute to the training and support of other staff and volunteers in the service.
• To contribute to implementation, monitoring and evaluation of projects/audit/research that develop the clinical effectiveness of provision for autistic adults, sharing findings and statistical information as required in a timely manner.
• To be flexible in the undertaking of any other duties as requested by line managers to meet the changing needs of the service

Leadership and Management responsibilities

• To assist in the design and implementation of service development projects within the service as required.
• To receive regular clinical supervision and act always in accordance with professional, service and Trust practice guidelines.

Clinical

• To assist in the formulation and delivery of diagnostic assessments for people with suspected Autism without Learning Disabilities and with complex mental health and psychiatric disorders. This will involve support in the delivery of specialist neurodevelopmental clinical interviews, specialist developmental histories interviews, drafting specialist reports and supporting formulation and outcome within the diagnostic process
• To provide clinically effective, person centred, evidence based assessment, support and intervention under guidance and supervision of a clinical psychologist and a wider MDT to Adults with Autism at risk of Acute Care admission as part of the Autism Partnership Programme.
• To assist the service within the referral pathway by screening referral information provided by clients and referrers in order to support the decision for clinical eligibility within the service
• To liaise with Community Mental Health and acute care teams to support the care of service users involving the systemic treatment and/or management of a client’s care, under the supervision of a qualified professional psychologist, in community settings
• To assist in the development of a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings where care takes place.
• To demonstrate theoretical knowledge of autism to inform implementation of specialist diagnostic assessment under the supervision of a clinical psychologist.
• To respect the individuality, values, cultural and religious diversity of service users and contribute to the provision of a service sensitive to these needs

This advert closes on Sunday 1 Nov 2026