Consultant Applied Psychologist
The closing date is 19 June 2026.
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a full‑time 8c Psychological Professional. This post is suitable for an experienced psychological professional to join the Doncaster Acute Pathway Psychological Therapies team within our adult inpatients. The RDaSH values lie at the core of our work, alongside the wellbeing of staff, good working relationships and a focus on adults and their families/carers being at the heart of our care. This role is required to support the development, refinement and implementation of our clinical strategic vision for the services, which includes promoting best clinical practice, and working towards clear objectives for the service. You will provide clinical leadership with other senior clinicians and work closely with the Director and Lead of Psychological Professions and the Inpatient Matron. The role includes working alongside peers within RDaSH to ensure parity of provision for service users. You will require a post‑graduate psychological practitioner qualification and strategic understanding and excellent communication skills to develop effective relationships with key partners.
Main duties of the job
As an Inpatient Psychologist you will work embedded within one or two ward MDTs to support the delivery of high‑quality, trauma‑informed care to service users in acute distress. The role involves:
- Direct clinical work, such as assessment, formulation of complex cases, and contributing to care plans to support people’s smooth transition back to community care.
- Indirect psychological work, including facilitating complex case formulation groups for ward staff, providing consultation and training to the teams, and facilitating reflective practice groups to support staff with the impact of the work.
- Supervision of the clinical work of pre‑qualified professionals, including Trainee Practitioner Psychologists and Assistant Psychologists, who deliver psychological skills groups and positive behavioural support plans across the wards.
- Autonomous work with support and regular supervision from the Director of Psychological Therapies.
The psychologists and services value trauma‑informed care, co‑production, quality improvement, innovation, and equitable access for people in our diverse and rural communities.
Qualifications
- Post‑graduate training (doctoral level equivalent) in clinical, accredited by the BPS.
- HCPC registration as a Practitioner Psychologist.
- Evidence of continuing professional development.
- Training in clinical supervision and supervision of doctoral trainees.
- Post‑doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice.
- Training in care coordination.
- Registration with BPS / ACP.
Experience
- Working as a qualified applied psychologist within the designated service, including a wide variety of patient groups across the life course and care settings.
- Exercising full clinical responsibility for patients’ psychological care as a care coordinator and leader of a multidisciplinary team.
- Liaison and joint working with statutory, voluntary and private sector agencies.
- Teaching, training, clinical supervision and field supervision for doctoral theses.
- Research and development.
- Project management of quality and service improvement initiatives.
- Providing clinical and professional leadership to other qualified and non‑qualified members of the profession.
Knowledge
- Doctoral‑level knowledge of evidence‑based practice relevant to the role.
- Risk assessment and risk management.
- Clinical governance.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the patient group and mental health and its implications for clinical practice.
- Audit and research methodology.
- Social inclusion agenda.
- Highly developed knowledge of the care of difficult to treat groups, e.g. dual diagnoses, additional disabilities or severely challenging behaviour.
- The Trust’s Quality Improvement System.
Skills
- Provide effective clinical leadership and demonstrate senior‑level leadership competence.
- Communicate complex, sensitive and contentious information effectively to a wide range of people.
- Adapt the evidence‑based interventions in mental health for patients with communication difficulties/learning disabilities.
- Provide consultation to other professionals and non‑professional groups.
- Articulate the value added by applied psychology services within multidisciplinary mental healthcare provision.
- Undertake complex multi‑agency working and liaise with multiple systems.
- Utilise psychometric tests competently.
- Provide teaching, training and supervision for the multidisciplinary team.
- Identify, provide and promote appropriate interventions for carers and staff exposed to distressing situations and challenging behaviours.
- Utilise clinical governance mechanisms within own work and ensure adherence by the team.
- Lead on project management and quality improvement initiatives.
- Use multimedia materials for presentations in professional, academic and public settings.
We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if there are a high amount of applications.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires submission for Disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust
