The Role of Assistant Psychologists within Inpatient Units: A Clinical Audit

Objectives: Current guidelines for the employment of Assistant Psychologists (APs) and Honorary APs (HAPs) are unclear and lack contextual considerations. This leaves standards open to interpretation, and thus places psychology graduates in a vulnerable position risking exploitation. In anticipation of the release of new guidelines, this audit aimed to evaluate the role of the APs within inpatient units against the current standards. Methods: : All APs within a specialist mental health rehabilitation service in the North-West of England ( n = 5) were invited, and agreed, to participate in the audit. Findings: All standards were found to be unmet, with only a proportion of APs receiving the support stipulated and working within the parameters of their pay band. Conclusion: This audit highlighted the need for context-specific considerations in the new guidance and recommendations to ensure appropriate support is in place. A re-audit is suggested upon publication of new standards and the national implications of this audit are discussed.