Band 7 - Band 8a
Main area
Clinical/Counselling/Forensic Psychologist
Grade
Band 7 - Band 8a
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time hours per week
Job ref
Site
Penwith CMHT
Town
Penzance
Salary
£47,810 - £62,682 Per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
10/09/2025 23:59
Thank you for your interest in joining us at Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
We pride ourselves in striving to be an employer of choice.
Strategic Themes
Great Care
* Care based on what matters to people.
* Care provided at home or close to home.
* Improvement through learning, research and innovation.
* Prevention and alternatives to hospital.
Great Organisation
* Buildings that support health and wellbeing.
* Technology enabled care.
* Care teams are supported by responsive corporate services.
* Safe, efficient, effective and productive.
Great People
* A place people love to work and feel valued.
* Living our values with staff (all voices count).
* Attract, grow and develop talent.
* Leaders with compassion, who continuously learn and listen.
Great Partner
* Encourage and enable effective partnerships.
* Joined-up community services.
* Work with others to maximise workforce opportunities.
* Reduce our impact on the environment.
At the NHS, we are reminded every day of how important life is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that's job share, part time or another flexible pattern. In addition, although the role advertised may have a 'home' office base indicated, we remain committed to supporting flexibility around workplace locations. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
The successful applicant will be an NHS employee and may therefore have contact with vulnerable service users. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been necessary to take significant steps to protect the health and safety of our staff, service users and those attending our sites. Unless exempt, we encourage and support staff to be vaccinated as this remains the best line of defence against COVID-19.
Job overview
Are you a passionate, reflective and committed practitioner psychologist, dedicated to the application of empirical research to psychological practice?
Are you interested bringing your experience and creativity to a community-based psychologist role?
We are committed to developing our Clinical/Counselling/Forensic psychologists. Our posts are available at Band 7 (a developmental post) or 8A depending on experience. Relevant support and experience will be provided to ensure that successful newly qualified applicants will be able to transition into an 8A psychology post, after demonstrating significant post-qualifying experience and meeting the requirements.
Please note that, whilst working patterns will be flexible and include some remote working, there will be a requirement for the successful applicants to be physically based within team bases in Cornwall for most of the week.
This job is currently only open to people who already work for the NHS in Cornwall or the Isles of Scilly.
We are committed to supporting our dedicated staff, so only current employees of the following organisations can apply:
* Cornwall Foundation Trust
* Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
* Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board
If you do not currently work for one of these NHS organisations, your application will not be considered at this time.
Main duties of the job
This is a community-based role that requires frequent travel to various locations throughout the county including areas that may not be accessible by public transportation. Successful candidates will need to demonstrate how they will manage these travel requirements.
This role sits alongside other practitioner psychologists, psychological therapists, assistant psychologists, trainee psychologists, Clinical Associate Psychologists (CAPs) and Mental Health Wellbeing Practitioners (MHWPs) embedded in an experienced, compassionate, trauma informed and person-centred multidisciplinary team which welcomes psychological interventions and collaborative working.
The role is a varied one providing assessment (including neurodevelopmental), formulation, individual and group interventions, and consultation using a range of therapeutic approaches.
You will also support psychological practice within the team by contributing a psychological perspective to team working, treatment planning and supervising other psychological professionals.
There is a key focus on quality to enhance services. We encourage our psychologists to develop their skills and knowledge with CPD opportunities and have a track record of being able to provide ongoing training in CAT, CBT-P, DBT, EMDR, and FIP.
There will be opportunities to contribute to the development of a new model of integrated primary and community mental health services linking Community Mental Health Teams and Primary Care Networks.
Working for our organisation
We're an NHS community and mental health provider Trust based in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. We deliver community and hospital-based care to improve people's physical and mental health. We also provide specialist support to people with dementia or a learning disability.
We are a people organisation and people matter to us. As part of the team, you'll help support the health and wellbeing of the people who live and visit this beautiful part of the UK.
Over 4,000 people make up the Trust. This includes doctors, nurses, therapists, plus admin and support staff.
We work in people's homes, in community clinics and bases. Some staff work from one of our 13 community hospitals. Our aspiration is to have great people, provide great care, be a great place to work and a great partner.
Approximately 568,000 people live here. A third of people who live in Cornwall are supported by acute hospital services in Devon. As a result, we also work closely with our partners in Devon. In the summer, and during other holidays lots of people choose to visit the area. This increases the numbers of people who use out services.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To view a detailed job description and person specification including the main responsibilities of this role please see 'supporting documents'.
Person specification
Education / Qualifications and Relevant Experience
Essential criteria
* Has, or is soon to complete Doctoral level training in Clinical Psychology, as accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS); or Doctoral level training in Counselling Psychology; or Doctorate in Forensic Psychology / BPS doctoral-level Qualification in Forensic Psychology (Stage 2); AND meets the clinical competencies required by the post and the Essential Criteria of this Person Specification
* HCPC registered as a Practitioner Psychologist or expected to be so prior to commencing in post (for candidates still to complete training)
* Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across a range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and in patient settings
Skills and Aptitudes
Essential criteria
* Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, formulation, clinical interventions, and case management, frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration
* Well-developed skills in effectively communicating, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers, and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
* Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups
At Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust we are proud to prioritise the development of our people. To support this, the following opportunities are available:
* Career conversations and individual development plans for succession planning and talent management
* Protected CPD time for registered staff
* Access to a dedicated central development fund supporting CPD for all staff
* Leadership and Management development programmes
* Coaching and mentoring opportunities
* A full clinical induction programme for operational skills
* Access to a care certificate programme for our band 1-4 clinical staff
* A bespoke and robust preceptorship programme to support newly qualified staff
* Individual professional development programmes
Being part of a successful NHS Foundation Trust brings a portfolio of rewards and benefits for our staff. These include:
* Suite of health and wellbeing initiatives to support our colleagues physical and mental health
* Free access to individual HARP portfolios to support revalidation for nursing staff
* Free DBS checks where required
* Discounts available from retailers, UK hotels and main attractions
* NHS Pension Scheme
* Salary sacrifice car scheme
* Cycle to work scheme
* The Trust reimburses all application costs for staff eligible to apply for EU settlement status.
The Trust reserves the right to close this advert once a sufficient number of applications have been submitted. It is encouraged that you complete the application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.
If you are successful at the shortlisting stage of the recruitment process you will be contacted via email regarding interview details.
Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust welcomes and values individuals with lived experience of mental or physical ill health joining our workforce. We aspire to have a culture that develops, promotes and supports lived experience roles - throughout the organisation.
If you are successful, you agree to Occupational Health accessing your health records from your current or previous employer to check the status of your inoculations and screening tests. Appointments are subject to full three year satisfactory references therefore please ensure you include correct contact details for your nominated referees including email addresses.
Any general recruitment queries, please contact our recruitment team on