Applied Psychologist/Highly Specialist Applied Psychologist

Plymouth Hospitals; Plymouth; On-site; GBP 49,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust is inviting applications for a Band 8a Pain Management Psychologist. The post may be filled at Band 7 developmental level or Band 8a senior level based on experience. The role focuses on delivering highly specialist care for persistent pain within a multidisciplinary team.

You will lead clinical practice, supervise staff, contribute to service development and innovation, and support strategic direction while maintaining autonomy in clinical decision-making.

Qualifications

• Registered as a Practitioner Psychologist with the HCPC.
• Additional qualifications in pain management.
• Experience in pain clinics and multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Deliver highly specialist psychological care for complex pain presentations.
• Provide 1:1 and group interventions within a multidisciplinary pain service.
• Lead on service development, audits, and research activities.
• Provide clinical supervision and mentorship to junior staff.

Skills

Psychological assessment

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Motivational interviewing

Clinical supervision

Autonomy in complex cases

Education

HCPC registration

Pain management specialization

Tools

Psychometric tests

Job description

NHS AfC: Band 8a

Main area Pain Management Grade NHS AfC: Band 8a Contract Fixed term: 12 months (maternity leave cover) Hours

• Part time
• Flexible working

30 hours per week Job ref 216-PL-DD8233692-A

Site Marjons University Town PLYMOUTH Salary £49,387 - £64,750 Per Annum, pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 12/10/2026 23:59

Job overview

This post is offered at either Band 7 (developmental) or Band 8a (senior) level, depending on the experience and competencies of the successful candidate.

At Band 7, the post holder will work as a developing specialist pain management psychologist, providing high-quality psychological assessment and intervention for individuals with persistent pain as part of a multidisciplinary team. They will work with a degree of autonomy within clearly defined clinical frameworks, receiving regular clinical supervision, and contributing to service delivery, audit, and development activities.

At Band 8a, the post holder will function as a senior specialist psychologist, delivering highly specialist psychological care for complex and high-risk presentations in persistent pain. They will work with a high level of clinical autonomy and be responsible for providing clinical leadership within the multidisciplinary team, including supervision of other staff, contributing to service development and innovation, and supporting the strategic direction of the service.

***Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as ‘Priority’ and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.***

Main duties of the job

Across both levels, the role will contribute to the delivery of evidence-based psychological interventions, multidisciplinary team working, and the ongoing development of a high-quality pain management service

• Within a busy Pain Clinic, work as part of a close inter-disciplinary team.
• Develop, co-ordinate, facilitate and deliver generic and specialised pain management programmes.
• Work autonomously within the pain clinic to deliver intensive 1:1 intervention.
• Assess highly complex pain patients for 1:1, group work and specialist medical procedures.
• Act as a highly specialist resource to the wider professional community (Applicable for Band 8a)
• Support policy implementation and service development.
• Participate in audit and research.

Working for our organisation

We are a people business – where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Interpret and integrate complex data from a variety of sources including psychometric tests, direct and indirect observations, and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in their care.
• Formulate a care pathway for either group or individual work, as appropriate.
• Assessment for group work includes careful consideration of group dynamics and individual motivational factors (including stages of change).
• Utilise Motivational Interviewing skills during assessment and intervention.
• Work as part of an inter-disciplinary team in the development, delivery and evaluation of generic and specialised PMPs and group based programmes
• Provide evidence-based short-medium term intervention for clients experiencing psychological barriers to effective management of their chronic pain condition.
• Following a comprehensive and rigorous psychological assessment, provide feedback to an interdisciplinary team to inform upon the appropriateness of invasive procedures such as implantation of spinal cord stimulator (applicable for Band 8a)
• Act at all times in accordance with professional codes of practice of the British Psychological Society.

For further information please see attached job description

Person specification

Qualifications

• Registered as a Practitioner Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council
• Additional qualifications in health-specific clinical psychology, especially pain management.

Knowledge and Experience

• Demonstrable experience of using evidence based psychological interventions for the assessment and treatment of a wide variety of psychological problems.
• Demonstrable experience of providing both group based and individual interventions.
• Demonstrable experience of teaching or training other professional in psychological concepts.

APTITUDE & ABILITIES

• Highly developed communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to communicate complex, highly technical and clinically sensitive information to clients, families and external agencies.
• Proven ability to interpret complex data and understand patterns and trends
• Able to manage people within and according to a robust performance framework

We welcome and encourage applicants who identify with all protected characteristics to apply for our roles. We believe that diversity strengthens our teams and improves our patients' experience. At UHP we aim to create an inclusive workplace and hospital where everyone feels they belong and included .

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Name Lindsey Pollard Job title Nurse Consultant Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 01752 431832 Additional information

Lindsey Pollard, telephone [phone], email [e-mail]