Senior Psychologist Developmental post Band 7/8a
The closing date is 22 June 2026
Job overview
There is an excellent opportunity as Senior Clinical / Counselling Psychologist to lead the psychology service within the Barking & Dagenham Community Learning Disabilities Team (CLDT) within NELFT. The post is offered at band 8a, and a B7 developmental role which involves the transition to a band 8a psychologist, after the postholder has evidenced the competency requirements following a transitional period (12-18 months). The post is 0.50 wte (18.75 hours) in a multi-disciplinary team working closely with health and social services colleagues to provide a well-coordinated and high quality service for adults with learning disabilities. The post-holder will be supported by the Principal Psychologist and the Professional Lead of the Learning Disabilities Psychological Service in NELFT. Our psychological therapies provision within community learning disability teams compromises clinical psychologists, clinical behavioural specialists, art therapists, systemic/family therapists, Clinical Associate in Psychology (CAP), administrator and trainees from the Doctorate in Clinical or Counselling training courses based in London. Our service is developing trauma informed and culturally sensitive care for people with learning disabilities and their families. There are excellent opportunities for enhancing clinical skills through CPD.
Salary range for B8a: £57,528 to £64,750 per annum pro rata. Salary range for B7: £49,387 to £56,515 per annum pro rata.
Main duties of the job
The role provides local leadership to support the delivery of a high-quality learning disabilities psychological service for NELFT patients, their families and carers within a designated locality. Responsibilities include:
* Providing operational and professional management to the locality psychological practitioners, (Band 7 clinical behaviour specialist).
* Providing clinical leadership, monitoring service delivery, and ensuring appropriate caseload allocation and management.
* Performance management and clinical and professional supervision to relevant psychological practitioners.
Job responsibilities
Key responsibilities
* To be responsible for day-to-day management including managing caseloads, staffing and other resources.
* To work with the Principal Psychologist and Professional Lead for Learning Disabilities Psychological Professions on long term strategies to develop psychological services in line with national and local guidelines and priorities.
* To provide clinical leadership and specialist assessments and interventions within one or more areas of expertise relevant to people with learning disabilities and their families and carers.
* To provide clinical supervision to key psychologists, assistants, trainees or other professionals.
* To oversee research, audit and evaluation within the service.
* To provide line management to the psychological practitioners within the locality.
* To develop and maintain excellent relationships with other services in NELFT.
* To maintain professional relationships with other agencies, e.g. Neighbourhood Services, Police, Probation Service, Education, Advocacy, PALS, Benefits and Voluntary Services to ensure provision of a quality package of care and service delivery for the service users and their carers.
High Cost Area Supplement – Outer London (B&D, Redbridge, Havering and Waltham Forest, Goodmayes) This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (with a minimum of £4,870 to a maximum of £6,137 p.a. pro rata for part time).
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Doctoral level training in clinical/counselling psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS.
* HCPC registered Practitioner Psychologist.
* Formal training in supervision of other psychologists.
* Eligible for BPS Chartered Clinical /Counselling Psychology Status.
* Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice.
Experience
* Experience of working in learning disability psychological professionals service for at least 2 years.
* Experience of applying psychological interventions in culturally diverse contexts.
* Experience of working in Learning Disabilities community based settings.
* Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the life span & presenting with the full range of clinical severity across a wide range of care settings including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
* Experience of exercising clinical responsibility for clients psychological care and treatment within the context of a multi-disciplinary care plan.
* Experience of teaching, training and/or professional and clinical supervision.
* Experience of supervising qualified psychological professionals.
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 submission to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
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