Job Summary
Are you an experienced practitioner psychologist or psychotherapist ready to lead and shape the future of psychological services within West Suffolk? We are seeking an exceptional Associate Director of Psychology to join our team, focusing primarily on Specialist Services in West Suffolk which host the Eating Disorder services and ARFID services across Norfolk and Suffolk. In Suffolk there are the under 18s and adult Eating Disorder services and Norfolk there is the under 18s ED services.
Reporting to the Locality Director of Psychology, you will provide strategic and clinical leadership to ensure psychological approaches are embedded within multidisciplinary teams, delivering safe, effective, and compassionate care. This pivotal role supports the transformation of services aligned with the Trust's objectives, driving innovation, collaboration, and excellence in psychological care.
This is a unique opportunity to lead the development and implementation of specialist psychological pathways for people experiencing a range of difficulties requiring specialist services, while contributing to workforce development, supervision, and training.
You will be supported in this role and CPD relevant to the role will be available and encouraged.
Main duties
* Provide professional leadership for all psychology staff in the Clinical Network.
* Provide professional advice on psychological practice and assurance on delivery of psychological approaches.
* Develop psychological approaches and interventions to support care delivery across the clinical network.
* Contribute to the supervision of staff in the service, including professional appraisal and identification of CPD needs across the service.
* Lead on policy development and implementation of psychological service provision within the clinical network.
* Work with the multi-professional leadership team to embed NSFT shared culture and values.
* Undertake audit, teaching and research activities, and promote research activity within the clinical network.
* Ensure arrangements for the systematic governance of psychological practice within the clinical network.
* Provide a specialist clinical service directly to clients and through expert advice, consultancy and supervision to professional colleagues.
* Work closely with the director for psychology to ensure development and governance aims are met, within and across clinical networks and/or other functional departments of NSFT.
* Lead and participate in Trust-wide initiatives and projects.
About Us
Here at NSFT we pride ourselves on being a welcoming, talented, friendly and supportive team who like nothing better than sharing experiences and learning from each other. In addition to ongoing training and development opportunities, we are committed to providing an environment in which you can thrive.
Why work for us?
We have challenges as a Trust, but we have ambitious aspirations, are pushing ahead with exciting transformation work and we need dedicated individuals to support us on our journey. We have strong, established professional networks coupled with an exceptional leadership team who will ensure you are truly cared for and cared about.
Why Norfolk and Suffolk?
The people here are warm and welcoming, you'll never be far from the coastline or Broads National Park. We're an hour and a half away from London and have an international airport in Norwich. Our villages, towns and cities are packed full of history, independent cafes, shops and theatres. We have excellent shopping, eating out, top ranking schooling and affordable house prices.
Details
* Date posted: 14 October 2025
* Pay scheme: Agenda for change
* Band: 8c
* Salary: £76,965 to £88,682 a year pro-rata
* Contract: Permanent
* Working pattern: Part-time, Flexible working
* Reference: 246-WSU7394009
* Job locations: Hospital Road, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 3JU
Job Description and Person Specification
Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for a more detailed overview of your Key Accountabilities. If you believe you have the necessary qualities to make a positive impact in your local communities, please click APPLY!
Benefits
* NHS pension
* Comprehensive in-house and external training programmes
* Career progression
* Starting annual leave of 27 days per annum increasing to 33 days per annum (plus paid bank holidays)
* Staff physio service
* NHS discounts and many more
Qualifications and Experience
Qualifications – Essential
* Postgraduate doctoral level training that confers HCPC registration as a Practitioner Psychologist
* Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council as Practitioner Psychologist
Desirable
* Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice.
Experience – Essential
* Assessed experience of working as a qualified practitioner psychologist for a significant period, including post-qualification experience within the designated specialty where the post is located.
* Substantial experience of involving service users and carers in the development and improvement of services.
* Experience of providing consultation, supervision, and training to multidisciplinary staff.
Desirable
* Experience of working as a Consultant Psychologist and experience in managing staff.
Compliance
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and to Disclosure checks as required. Applications from job seekers who require Skilled Worker sponsorship to work in the UK will be considered alongside all other applications.
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