Clinical Psychologist
This is an exciting opportunity to play a pivotal role in delivering high-quality, patient-centred psychological care to adults experiencing acute mental health difficulties. You will provide specialist psychological assessment, formulation, and intervention, helping individuals during some of their most challenging times.
Working closely with psychiatrists, nurses, occupational therapists, and other professionals, you will contribute to a psychologically informed environment that prioritises recovery, safety, and compassion.
This is an opportunity to shape care at a critical point in a person's recovery Journey. You will help create a therapeutic inpatient environment where psychological understanding is at the heart of everything we do.
Main duties of the job
- Deliver specialist psychological assessments and evidence‑based interventions for adults with complex mental health needs.
- Lead on formulation‑driven care planning within the multidisciplinary team.
- Provide consultation, training, and supervision to ward staff.
- Support the development of trauma‑informed and psychologically informed care practices.
- Contribute to service development, quality improvement, and clinical governance initiatives.
- Supervise and support more junior psychology staff and trainees (where applicable).
Person specification
Qualifications
- Post‑graduate training (doctoral level equivalent) in clinical / counselling / forensic psychology (or its equivalent prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS.
- HCPC registration as a Practitioner Psychologist.
- Post‑doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice (Essential at Band 8a).
- Trained in clinical supervision and the supervision of doctoral trainees (Essential at Band 8a).
- Evidence of continuing professional development.
Experience
- Working as an applied psychologist within the designated service including a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and a range of clinical severity across the full range of care settings.
- Exercising full clinical responsibility for clients’ psychological care as a care co‑ordinator and leader of a multidisciplinary team (Essential at Band 8a).
- Liaison and joint working with statutory, voluntary and private sector agencies.
- Teaching, training, clinical supervision and field supervisor for doctoral theses (Essential at Band 8a).
- Research and development.
- Active participation in quality and service improvement initiatives.
Knowledge
- Evidence‑based practice relevant to the role.
- Risk assessment and risk management.
- Clinical governance.
- Knowledge of legislation and national agenda in relation to older people’s mental health and dementia.
- Audit and research methodology.
- Social inclusion agenda.
Skills
- Use complex methods of psychological assessment, formulation and intervention for older people.
- Undertake complex multi‑agency working and liaise with multiple systems.
- Identify, provide and promote appropriate interventions / means of support for carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations.
- Communicate highly complex and highly sensitive information effectively, to a wide range of people both within and outside the NHS.
- Utilise appropriate clinical governance mechanisms within own work.
- Provide effective teaching, training and clinical supervision for the multidisciplinary team.
- Work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team and undertake lead practitioner responsibilities.
Eligibility for sponsorship
**Eligibility for sponsorship – please read before submitting your application**
We welcome applications from individuals who may require sponsorship (if eligible) under the skilled worker or health & care visa route. Please note, not all vacancies or applications are eligible for sponsorship.
Before applying, you can make a self‑assessment of potential eligibility for sponsorship here: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa
**Please note, there have been some changes made to Home Office guidance including changes to salary thresholds for sponsorship applications and eligibility for dependent visas from 9 April 2025 and from 22 July 2025**
Employer certification / accreditation badges
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
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.
Contact information
For an informal chat or if you wish to learn more about the role please contact:
Gavin Lawton, Psychological Professional Lead – Acute Directorate Doncaster – 07811794460
Dr Susannah Parker – Director of Psychological Therapies Doncaster – susannah.parker4@nhs.net
