Job overview
The Medical Psychology service provides psychological assessment, support and treatment to medical patients within South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Within this, the neuropsychology service provides specialist neuropsychology input to the neurosciences service, including neurosurgery, neurology, neurophysiology, stroke and neurorehabilitation.
Please note that this vacancy will close when we receive sufficient completed applications.
Main duties of the job
We are looking for an enthusiastic Clinical Psychologist / Counselling Psychologist to provide specialist clinical services within the neuropsychology team. This post will involve working across inpatient and outpatient settings and into different services areas as required, which may include:
1. General neuropsychology
2. Neuro-oncology
3. Stroke
4. Neurorehabilitation
5. Functional neurological conditions
The post would suit applicants with prior experience working in an area of neuropsychology and those with an interest in advancing their neuropsychological practice. The post holder will be provided with training and supervision from the senior clinicians to support them in role. We actively encourage newly qualified psychologists to consider applying, and a development plan will be put in place to support the post holder's progress to the full role.
The post holder will be supported to pursue the post-qualification training route in clinical neuropsychology with a view to ultimately meeting the requirements for the Specialist Register in Clinical Neuropsychology (again, CPD and clinical supervision will be provided as required).
Working for our organisation
The Medical Psychology service is made up of Clinical Psychologists, Counselling Psychologists, Health Psychologists and CBT therapists. We deliver psychological assessment, intervention and support to patients with a range of medical conditions across the lifespan. We utilise third wave therapies (especially Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Compassion Focused Therapy, EMDR, Motivational Interviewing and Mindfulness) alongside CBT as the core therapeutic modalities, with training and supervision provided to support delivery of these approaches. We also carry out clinical audit, research and service evaluation. We have strong links with the Doctoral Training Programmes at the University of Teesside, and we provide teaching, placements and research projects for Clinical Psychology and Counselling Psychology trainees.
The Trust encourages innovation and service development, and we actively support this within the Medical Psychology service. All clinicians are expected to take on service development and service governance duties as part of their role, both within the Psychology service and within the wider MDTs in which we work. We provide mentoring and support to deliver this.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the full job description and person specification document(s) for main responsibilities of the role.
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust offers leadership and improvement training to all new staff. This training programme has been designed to support our leaders in developing their understanding of leadership and management skills. You will be expected to attend the following training sessions
Your Leadership Impact
Leading your Team to Success
Leading Into the Future
Service Improvement for Beginners
Developing your Service Improvement Skills
Lean Practitioner
The leadership and improvement programme aims to:
Explore leadership within the NHS
Promote Trust values and behaviours
Develop your leadership effectiveness and skills
Equip staff with the necessary knowledge and skills to lead and complete service improvements within the scope of your role.
After you complete these six and a half days of training you will be able to explore further leadership and improvement training opportunities. We also offer a range of additional in-house and externally provided courses and bitesize programmes through our Leadership and Improvement Team.
Person specification
Experience
Essential criteria
6. Experience of specialist psychological and neuropsychological assessment and treatments of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and inpatient settings
7. Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, (including children and young people with health conditions) across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity.
8. Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients psychological care and treatment, both as an individual practitioner and also within the context of multidisciplinary care.
9. Experience of teaching, training and/or professional and clinical supervision.
Desirable criteria
10. Post-doctoral experience in neuropsychology sufficient to satisfy the practice component of the Division of Neuropsychology standards required for eligibility to apply for the Specialist Register of Clinical Neuropsychologists
11. Experience of representing psychology within the context of multi-disciplinary care.
12. Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts.
13. Experience in one or more medical psychology settings
Qualifications and Training
Essential criteria
14. Post-graduate doctoral level training in Clinical Psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) or Counselling Psychology as accredited by the BPS &/or HCPC, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
15. Post-doctoral training in the supervision of trainee Clinical Psychologists or Counselling Psychologists
16. HCPC Registration as a Clinical Psychologist or Counselling Psychologist
17. Post-doctoral training in a therapeutic approach ( Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) relevant to the psychological needs of medical patients (at least level 1 training)
18. Actively working towards registration with the BPS Specialist Register of Clinical Neuropsychologists (SRCN).
Desirable criteria
19. Post-doctoral training in neuropsychology sufficient to satisfy the knowledge component of the Division of Neuropsychology standards required for eligibility to apply for the Specialist Register of Clinical Neuropsychologists ( completion of the PGDip at the University of Glasgow or the Masters at the University of Bristol)
20. Attendance at the leadership and development and improvement programme ( days)
Knowledge and Skills
Essential criteria
21. Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis as practiced within the field of clinical psychology.
22. To demonstrate expert knowledge of psychological and neuropsychological principles relevant to the clinical specialism, through both direct clinical contribution and as a resource to the whole of the multidisciplinary team in terms of patient management.
23. Knowledge of legislation in relation to relevant client groups and the healthcare system.
24. Well-developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies and assessment methodologies
25. Evidence of continuing professional development as required by the BPS and HCPC
26. Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological & neuropsychological assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
27. Ability to demonstrate competencies in psychological approaches relevant to medical patients ( Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) to at least level 1
28. Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, highly technical, and clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
29. Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
Desirable criteria
30. Knowledge of neuropsychology theory and practice that will contribute to satisfying the knowledge component of the Division of Neuropsychology standards
31. Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic settings.
Interpersonal Skills
Essential criteria
32. Ability to maintain a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems and verbal and physical abuse.
33. Ability to identify, provide and promote appropriate means of support to carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and challenging behaviours.
34. Ability to meet the requirements of clinical governance in the maintenance of high standards of clinical practice in the context of regular exposure to distressing experiences and situations.
35. Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Disclosure and Barring Checks (DBS)
It is now the policy of South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who are new to the Trust who require DBS clearance for the post they have been offered, are required to pay the cost of their DBS. The method of payment for this is via salary deduction from your first month's pay.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. We welcome applications from the Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Network; LGBT+ Network; Disability and Long-Term Health Conditions Network, Faith Network, Childless not by Choice Network and the Menopause Support Group.
As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you.
If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, email our team at
Right to Work in the UK
The Trust welcomes applications from all candidates who meet the criteria for the role. Please note that from January 2021, to work in the UK all candidates who are not UK or Republic of Ireland (RoI) nationals require sponsorship unless you have permission to work via another route. Non UK / RoI candidates wishing to apply can self-assess the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship here Work in the UK - (.
Please provide full and accurate details of your current immigration status on the application form. Your current immigration status will not be considered as part of the shortlisting or interview process.
Please note that not everyone needs a Skilled Worker visa. If you are applying for a vacancy in health or adult social care, you may be eligible to apply for the Health and Care Worker visa instead.
We are able to offer sponsorship for a Health and Care Worker or Skilled Worker visa, subject to candidate and position eligibility. Please review the job eligibility guidance for skilled workers here: Skilled Worker visa: Your job - ( and for the Health and Care Worker visa here: Skilled Worker visa: eligible healthcare and education jobs - (
Please note: if the job you are applying for does not meet the eligibility criteria above, we will be unable to offer you sponsorship and you will need to explore whether you may be eligible to apply for an alternative immigration route which will secure your right to work in the UK before you apply. If you are in the UK already on a visa, please ensure you have no restrictions that would prevent you from taking this post.
The Trust encourages and supports all applicants to be fully vaccinated against both COVID19 and influenza.
Please be aware, there are occasions where some vacancies may close prior to the closing date advertised. This will only happen where sufficient applications are received AND will be made evident on the job advert.
Please note if you are successfully shortlisted, we will contact you via the email address that you have applied from so please ensure you check your emails regularly.
Existing employees of South Tees NHS Foundation Trust currently on the Redeployment Register, who meet the essential criteria for this post, will be shortlisted and interviewed prior to all other applicants.