Assistant psychologist

Assistant psychologists do research and clerical work. They also take part in client assessments and interventions. They work in a team with psychologists and other health professionals.

Work activities

Assistant psychologists work with psychologists in different settings, such as the NHS, social services, forensics and private health care. Tasks range from clerical and research work to involvement with client assessments and interventions. In the NHS, assistant psychologists take part in client assessments. These take place in clinical settings, clients’ homes or community settings. The psychological needs of the client are assessed by interviewing them and looking into their history. When a client’s needs have been assessed, assistants work with psychologists to plan how these needs will be met by the service. This includes discussing clients’ experiences and offering interventions and advice, where appropriate. Support would usually be on a one-to-one basis but could also involve group work with other clients.

Assistants may also be responsible for monitoring progress. Assistants take part in research projects, such as clinical trials and desk-based research. While sometimes getting involved with the design of a research project, assistants are more likely to follow a plan put together by a psychologist. Tasks involve gathering and analysing research data and writing reports. Assistants sometimes provide administrative support to the department they work in. This could include taking notes during assessments, taking meeting minutes, sending appointment letters and keeping detailed records of the work done by the department. Assistant psychologists work as a team with psychologists, other health professionals and support staff. In some cases, they are involved with training and support of other staff. Where relevant, they also offer support to family members of clients. Assistant psychologists receive regular clinical supervision from their manager or supervisor.

Personal qualities and skills

As an assistant psychologist, you need:

An investigative mind.
A flexible approach to work.
A strong interest in the way people think and act.
A logical and methodical approach to problem solving.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
A calm, professional approach at all times.
The skills to conduct research and analyse results.
The ability to express your findings, including in reports.
Teamworking skills, to work with other professionals.
Strict respect for client confidentiality.
The psychological knowledge to understand behaviour in a scientific way.

You should also be:

A good listener.
Logical and systematic.
Patient, non-judgemental and objective.
Able to relate to people of all ages, from all walks of life.
Able to build a trusting, constructive relationship with clients.
Well organised and able to plan and prioritise your workload.
Resilient and able to avoid becoming burdened by the difficulties you encounter.

Pay and opportunities

In the NHS, assistant psychologists tend to start on band 4 of the Agenda for Change payscale, earning around £25,147. This rises with experience and seniority. In the private sector you may earn more.

Assistant psychologists in the NHS usually work a basic 37.5-hour week. Job-share and part-time work is also available. Some evening and weekend work may be required.

There is a lot of competition for assistant psychologist posts, as this is often a step on the ladder to becoming a qualified clinical psychologist.

Opportunities for assistant psychologists occur throughout the UK. About 15-20% of psychology graduates work as professional psychologists after further training. About a third enter employment with the NHS, Civil Service and local government, and armed forces. Another third enters industry or commerce in private companies and consultancies. Others work in university teaching and research, in schools or colleges or in private practice.

Where are vacancies advertised?

Vacancies are advertised in the following places:

Local/national newspapers.
Employers’ websites.
On the Government’s Find a Job service.
Job boards, such as ac.uk or Jobs in Psychology.

Entry routes and training

For most posts, you will need to have a degree in psychology, which is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). The BPS’s website has a list of all accredited courses. If your degree course is not accredited, or your degree is in a subject other than psychology, you will probably need to take an accredited postgraduate conversion course. Experience working with people, conducting research, report writing, psychological assessment or clinical work would also be an advantage.

Once in the job, training in relevant skills is likely to be provided.

Working as an assistant psychologist is usually seen as a step towards a position as a qualified psychologist.

Rehabilitation of Offenders Act: If working with clients, this career is an exception to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. This means that you must supply information to an employer about any spent or unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings, if they ask you to. This is different from other careers, where you only have to reveal information on unspent convictions if you are asked to.

Qualifications

For entry to an accredited degree course in psychology, the usual requirement is:

Two to three A-levels
GCSEs (grades 9-4) in two to three other subjects.

English, maths and science GCSE subjects are usually preferred, and a science subject at A-level is sometimes required. Psychology at A-level is not a requirement but may help. Other qualifications, such as an Edexcel (BTEC) level 3 National qualification or the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma could also be considered.

Adult opportunities

Age limits: It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

If you don’t have the qualifications needed to enter your chosen degree course, a college or university Access course (e.g., Access to Psychology) could be the way in. No formal qualifications are usually required, but you should check individual course details. There are accredited conversion courses open to graduates with degrees in subjects other than psychology (and those with non-accredited psychology degrees). You can find out more by looking on the British Psychological Society (BPS) website. Part-time degree study is available from a number of universities.

Funding for courses may be available from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and agencies such as the Nuffield Foundation and the Wellcome Trust. The British Psychological Society (BPS) makes a number of awards available each year to recognise excellence in research, practice teaching and education in psychology - some awards are for members only, but many are open to all psychologists working within the UK.

Related careers

Clinical psychologist
Educational psychologist
Psychologist