Job summary
Practitioner Psychologist - Adult Intensive Care
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a suitably qualified and experienced Practitioner Psychologist Band 8a to provide expert professional and clinical services to the Adult Critical Care Service. The Service is based at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff. The post is 0.8 wte, 30 hours per week.
This 8a post is an excellent opportunity for those looking to progress their career. It is also a great opportunity for established 8as who want to be part of our developing service, offering a chance to pursue special interests and actively contribute to service development.
It is essential for this post to hold a Postgraduate Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (or its equivalent), to be a HCPC Registered Practitioner Psychologist (Clinical or Counselling), and be eligible for Chartered Psychologist status with the BPS. Knowledge and experience of applying psychology in medical settings is highly desirable.
The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply.
Main duties of the job
The post-holder will be contribute to all elements of the Psychology Service related to Adult Critical Care. This will include direct clinical work with patients and families, be a key team member of outpatient and follow up clinics, engage in staff support/wellbeing/training, service development, close MDT working, supervision/consultancy, and research/audit/service evaluation.
The area of Critical Care is fast moving and there are currently a number of new developments in the planning stages which the postholder would be an integral part of. Our core remit is to actively develop and support initiatives to improve psychological care across Intensive Care, and to promote psychological wellbeing for patients, relatives and staff.
Working closely with the Critical Care Consultant Practitioner Psychologist and the other Clinical Psychologist within ICU, the post holder would be expected to collaborate with others to work within clear clinical pathways ensuring all involved have access to the highest quality psychological services. The post holder will also act as an advisor on psychological care in this medical area. The post holder may have a delegated role in supervising other psychology posts within the Critical Care Psychology team and also in the wider service in collaboration with the Consultant Lead and Head of Specialty.
This is an exciting time to join Cardiff & Vale UHB as there is a growing Clinical Health Psychology and Neuropsychology specialty.
About us
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is one of the largest Integrated Health Boards in the UK, employing over 17,000 staff, providing over 100 specialist services. Working across 6 hospital sites, we have a diverse range of career opportunities to offer. Serving over 500,000 people living in Cardiff and the Vale, we are focussed on the health and care needs of our local population whilst working with our partners to develop regional services. Together we are committed to improving health outcomes for everyone, delivering excellent care and support.
Our mission is "Living Well, Caring Well, Working Together", and our vision is that every person's chance of leading a healthy life should be equal. Our 10-year transformation and improvement strategy, Shaping Our Future Wellbeing, is our chance to work collaboratively with the public and our workforce to make our health board more sustainable for the future.
Details
Date posted
10 February 2026
Pay scheme
Agenda for change
Band
Band 8a
Salary
£56,514 to £63,623 a year pro rata
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Part-time
Reference number
001-PST
Job locations
University Hospital of Wales
Heath Park Way
Cardiff
CF14 4XW
Job description
Job responsibilities
You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click Apply now to view.
Job description
Job responsibilities
You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click Apply now to view.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
* Good Honours degree in Psychology with eligibility for Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC) with the BPS.
* Post-graduate Doctorate in Clinical/Counselling Psychology accredited by the HCPC (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996 as accredited by the BPS).
* HCPC registered as a practitioner psychologist.
Desirable
* Post doctoral training/ experience in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice, particularly clinical health psychology/medical settings.
* Evidence of peer reviewed publications, presentations at conferences, or similar contributions.
Experience
Essential
* Substantial and demonstrable post-qualification experience of working as a HCPC Registered Practitioner Psychologist within clinical health psychology/medical settings.
* Experience of working with a wide variety of patient groups presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the full range of care settings including outpatient, community, primary care, in-patient and residential care settings and maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems.
* Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment, both as a professionally qualified healthcare professional and also within the context of a multi-disciplinary care plan.
* Experience of teaching, training and professional and clinical supervision.
* Demonstrable evidence of significant specialist clinical supervision within a scientist-practitioner framework, including supervision, group supervision and case presentations.
Desirable
* Experience of working with service users as co-producers.
Skills
Essential
* Skills in the use of highly complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management, frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
* Communication & Relationship skills as described on person specification.
* Analytical and judgment skills as described on person specification.
* Planning and Organisational Skills as described on person specification.
Special Knowledge
Essential
* Formal Training and supervision of other psychologists.
* Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology.
* Evidence of significant post-qualification continuing professional development as recommended by the HCPC and BPS.
* Ability to identify and provide support to carers and staff.
* Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic presentations.
* Knowledge of relevant legislation.
* Well developed specialist knowledge of clinical/counselling psychology theory and practice, assessment, and the application of specialised psychological therapies related to the needs of people who are in intensive care or who have spent time in intensive care.
* Specialist knowledge of psychometric test construction, development, validation, administration and clinical interpretation of the results.
Desirable
* Awareness of ethnic diversity issues.
Personal Qualities
Essential
* Respect for users of services and their Carers.
* Willingness to supervise trainee clinical psychologists and other qualified clinical/counselling psychologists working in similar settings.
* Commitment to and interest in working with people within medical settings.
* Commitment to working collaboratively with adults and families who have experienced intensive care to develop and improve services.
* Willingness to work as part of a team.
* Ability to work independently.
* Ability to make effective use of clinical consultation and appraisal.
* Willingness to participate in continuing professional development.
Other
Essential
* Requirement to undertake frequent exposure to emotionally distressing and traumatic situations.
* Computer literate.
* Ability to travel between work sites in a timely manner.
* Physical skills as described in person specification.
* Freedom to act as described in person specification.
Desirable
* Ability to speak Welsh and willingness to use in a work context.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
* Good Honours degree in Psychology with eligibility for Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC) with the BPS.
* Post-graduate Doctorate in Clinical/Counselling Psychology accredited by the HCPC (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996 as accredited by the BPS).
* HCPC registered as a practitioner psychologist.
Desirable
* Post doctoral training/ experience in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice, particularly clinical health psychology/medical settings.
* Evidence of peer reviewed publications, presentations at conferences, or similar contributions.
Experience
Essential
* Substantial and demonstrable post-qualification experience of working as a HCPC Registered Practitioner Psychologist within clinical health psychology/medical settings.
* Experience of working with a wide variety of patient groups presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the full range of care settings including outpatient, community, primary care, in-patient and residential care settings and maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems.
* Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment, both as a professionally qualified healthcare professional and also within the context of a multi-disciplinary care plan.
* Experience of teaching, training and professional and clinical supervision.
* Demonstrable evidence of significant specialist clinical supervision within a scientist-practitioner framework, including supervision, group supervision and case presentations.
Desirable
* Experience of working with service users as co-producers.
Skills
Essential
* Skills in the use of highly complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management, frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
* Communication & Relationship skills as described on person specification.
* Analytical and judgment skills as described on person specification.
* Planning and Organisational Skills as described on person specification.
Special Knowledge
Essential
* Formal Training and supervision of other psychologists.
* Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology.
* Evidence of significant post-qualification continuing professional development as recommended by the HCPC and BPS.
* Ability to identify and provide support to carers and staff.
* Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic presentations.
* Knowledge of relevant legislation.
* Well developed specialist knowledge of clinical/counselling psychology theory and practice, assessment, and the application of specialised psychological therapies related to the needs of people who are in intensive care or who have spent time in intensive care.
* Specialist knowledge of psychometric test construction, development, validation, administration and clinical interpretation of the results.
Desirable
* Awareness of ethnic diversity issues.
Personal Qualities
Essential
* Respect for users of services and their Carers.
* Willingness to supervise trainee clinical psychologists and other qualified clinical/counselling psychologists working in similar settings.
* Commitment to and interest in working with people within medical settings.
* Commitment to working collaboratively with adults and families who have experienced intensive care to develop and improve services.
* Willingness to work as part of a team.
* Ability to work independently.
* Ability to make effective use of clinical consultation and appraisal.
* Willingness to participate in continuing professional development.
Other
Essential
* Requirement to undertake frequent exposure to emotionally distressing and traumatic situations.
* Computer literate.
* Ability to travel between work sites in a timely manner.
* Physical skills as described in person specification.
* Freedom to act as described in person specification.
Desirable
* Ability to speak Welsh and willingness to use in a work context.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Address
University Hospital of Wales
Heath Park Way
Cardiff
CF14 4XW
Employer's website
(Opens in a new tab)
Employer details
Employer name
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Address
University Hospital of Wales
Heath Park Way
Cardiff
CF14 4XW
Employer's website
(Opens in a new tab)