233253 - Clinical/Counselling Psychologist - Infant Mental Health

NHS National Services Scotland; Coatbridge; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 54,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in Scotland is seeking a part-time Clinical Psychologist to join their Infant Mental Health team. This role focuses on delivering specialized psychological care to infants and their families up to the age of three, addressing mental health and relationship issues. Ideal candidates will possess a Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology, have experience in assessing and intervening in infant mental health, and be able to work collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary team. The position offers flexible working hours and opportunities for professional development.

Benefits

27 days annual leave

NHS Pension Scheme

Occupational health services

Employee counselling services

Qualifications

• Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council in the UK.
• Complete relevant additional learning as required for clinical skills.
• Knowledge of mental health legislation and local policies.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist psychological input to infants with mental health difficulties.
• Conduct assessments and deliver evidence-based interventions.
• Work collaboratively with health visitors and social work.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Cultural sensitivity

Knowledge of neurodiversity

Assessment and intervention skills

Education

Post Graduate Doctoral degree in Clinical or Counselling Psychology

Job description

The Role

The Infant Mental Health team provides specialist psychological care to infants and their families and accepts referrals up to an infant’s third birthday. The post holder will provide highly specialist psychological input to infants with mental health and parent/carer relationship difficulties. This role involves delivering infant and relationship focused assessments and evidence based interventions to infants and their families. An understanding of neurodiversity within this context is key to developing psychological formulations. The assessment of risk in this population is complex and central to this role. Working closely with the system around the infant including health visitors, early years establishments and social work will form a significant part of the role and will include providing specialist consultation, teaching and training. The post holder will be required to think holistically about the social determinants of mental health and sign post to appropriate services where necessary.

NHS Lanarkshire

Have you always wanted to work with NHS Lanarkshire? Then this might be the opportunity for you to join Team Lanarkshire!

Here at NHS Lanarkshire, we put the patient at the heart of everything we do. Each colleague within the organisation plays a key role in how we deliver our healthcare services.

We proudly serve a population of 655,000 across rural and urban communities in both North and South Lanarkshire. NHS Lanarkshire is comprised of Acute Services (which currently provide hospital based services over 3 main sites), Corporate & Property & Support Services, North and South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnerships which provide integrated primary healthcare and social care services to local communities and surrounding areas.

What we’ll need you to bring

• Have a Post Graduate Doctoral level (or equivalent) degree in Clinical or Counselling Psychology and be a Registered Clinical or Counselling Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council in the UK.
• Complete further courses of additional learning as relevant to the clinical skills required for the post and identified as significant in the Personal Development Plan, and have accredited training in the supervision of Post Graduate clinical trainees.
• Have knowledge of NHSL Health Board's Policies and Procedures, and national and professional guidelines for optimal standards of clinical care e.g. child protection guidelines.
• Have knowledge of psychiatry and other related professions in order to understand complex clinical presentations.
• Work in a sensitive manner with respect to diversity and gender, ethnic, culture and philosophical issues with a wide range of individuals and organisations.
• Be aware of the limits of one's competence and expertise.
• Maintain and update knowledge of legislation and local policies and issues in relation to Adult Mental Health generally.
• Attend in-house and external mandatory training courses (e.g.) computer training, Moving and Handling, Management of Aggression and Violence, etc.
• Be aware of the need to deploy valuable Health Service resources in an effective and rational manner according to contemporary evidence‑based practice.
• Possess a full driving licence

Please note for all vacancies where a driving licence is required this must be a full UK/EU/EEA licence.

It would be great if you also have

• Evidence of an interest in and experience of working with clients with complex psychological difficulties, with a particular focus on early intervention.
• Evidence of supporting multi‑disciplinary and multi‑agency staff from a range of professional backgrounds.
• Evidence of supervising Doctoral and /or Masters Level Psychology trainees.
• Have specialist knowledge related to specific area of work, e.g. Eating disorders, trauma
• Additional knowledge and theory about infant mental health and attachment based interventions
• Good assessment, formulation and therapeutic skills when working with infants and their care‑givers.

Contract type

Permanent

Part Time

21 hours

Please note this is a part time post and the salary for this position will be pro‑rata.

Location and Working Pattern

This role will be based in Infant Mental Health within the Buchanan Centre.

The working pattern for this role to be discussed and confirmed with successful candidate.

Whilst this advertisement may be for a specific post(s) in a particular location, applicants who are shortlisted for interview may be considered for similar vacancies in alternative locations.

Looking to find out more?

If you’re looking to find out more, then we would love to hear from you!

Please direct informal enquiries to Susan Cassidy, Consultant Clinical Psychologist/IMH Team Lead on 01698 754610

For enquiries regarding the application form or recruitment process, please contact Amy O'Neill, Recruitment Administrator on [e-mail] (Please remember to include the job title and reference number in your email)

Why NHS Lanarkshire?

Join us and you will discover a supportive environment where you will have the chance to add to your skills and further your career.

Some of NHS Lanarkshire’s benefits include:

• A minimum of 27 days annual leave increasing with length of service
• A minimum of 8 days of public holidays
• Membership of NHS Pension Scheme, with life insurance benefits (for more information on the NHS Pension Scheme visit the Scottish Public Pension)
• Paid sick leave increasing with length of service
• Occupational health services
• Employee counselling services
• Work‑life Balance policies and procedures

NHS Lanarkshire have a range of support services on topics that can impact both on your working and personal life including occupational health, spiritual care and independent counselling. This support can be accessed using the links on this page.

Further Information

For more information on the role, please refer to the Job Description. If you’re looking for more information on the recruitment process, organisation or the services we provide, please refer to our information pack, or our recruitment webpage.

Additional Information for Applicants

• Posts close at midnight on the indicated date. However, if there are a high level of interest in this position, we may close the advert once sufficient applications are received. Please complete and submit your application early.
• For help to complete an application on Jobtrain please follow this link: https://www.careers.nhs.scot/how-to-apply/application-process/
• Please check your e‑mail regularly (including junk & spam folders) as well as your Jobtrain account for updates.
• We recommend using the Internet Browser "Google Chrome" or "Microsoft Edge" when using Jobtrain.
• Once you have submitted your application form you will be unable to make any amendments.

NHS Lanarkshire is dedicated to building a diverse workforce where everyone can thrive, develop, and succeed based on their skills, knowledge, and talent—regardless of race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, or care experience* or any other dimension that can be used to differentiate people from one another.

*Care experienced applicants include those who have lived with foster parents, kinship carers, or in residential/secure children’s settings.

Candidates should provide original and authentic responses to all questions within the application form. The use of artificial intelligence (AI), automated tools, or other third‑party assistance to generate, draft, or significantly modify responses is strongly discouraged. By submitting your application, you confirm that all answers are your own work, reflect your personal knowledge, skills and experience, and have not been solely produced or altered by AI or similar technologies. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in your application being withdrawn from the application process.

Right to Work within the UK

NHS Lanarkshire has a legal obligation to ensure that it does not employ any worker who has not been granted the relevant permission to work in the UK.

We are required to check the entitlement to work in the UK of all prospective employees, regardless of nationality or job category. UK Visas & Immigration rules are available at www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk.

Prospective applicants are encouraged to check eligibility in advance of applying for vacancies in NHS Lanarkshire.

Please note that all Band 1 and Band 2 posts are not eligible for sponsorship through the Skilled Worker route.