Applied Psychologist/Highly Specialist Applied Psychologist

Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust; Tees Valley; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust in Hartlepool invites applications for an Applied Psychologist or Highly Specialist Applied Psychologist to provide clinical leadership and expert psychological input across the Community Interface Team and the Treatment & Intervention Team. You will contribute to safe, compassionate care and service development in a dynamic mental health service.

The role can be at Band 7, 7-8a developmental, or Band 8a depending on experience.

Qualifications

• Post-graduate training (doctoral level equivalent) in clinical / counselling / forensic psychology (or its equivalent prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS.
• HCPC registration as a Practitioner Psychologist
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Trained in clinical supervision (within agreed timescale)
• Trained in care co-ordination (within agreed timescale)
• Registration with BPS
• Post-graduate qualification showing evidence of supervised practice in an evidence-based psychological therapeutic model

Responsibilities

• Provide psychological assessments and a therapeutic, consultative and advisory service for adults and their families and carers.
• Provide consultation and where necessary clinical supervision to other team members.
• Support leadership within the Trust and contribute to service development and governance.

Skills

Communication

Multidisciplinary teamwork

CBT

DBT

Psychodynamics

Systematic therapy

Psychometric testing

Clinical supervision

Risk assessment

Teaching/training

Education

Doctoral level training in clinical/counselling/forensic psychology

HCPC registration as Practitioner Psychologist

Continuing professional development (CPD)

Clinical supervision training

Care Co-ordination training

Registration with BPS

Supervised practice in evidence-based therapeutic model

Job description

Go back Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust

Applied Psychologist/Highly Specialist Applied Psychologist

Closing date is 19 October 2026

Hartlepool AMH services are at the forefront of community transformation. We are looking for a dynamic Applied Psychologist or Highly Specialist Applied Psychologist to provide clinical and leadership skills. The post holder will work across the Community Interface Team and the Treatment & Intervention Team, supporting the delivery of effective, safe and compassionate care.

The post is based in Hartlepool. This charming coastal town offers something to suit all needs, including beautiful local landscapes, tranquil beaches, historic sites, and a thriving natural environment. Hartlepool is host to a growing and vibrant cultural and arts scene, including an award-winning marina, local museums, galleries, restaurants and retail venues. The local community offers a warm welcome to all.

This role may be eligible for sponsorship under the UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker route. However, sponsorship can only be provided where applicants meet the specific requirements, therefore, we recommend that you assess your eligibility before applying for this position. Visit https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa

Main duties of the job

You will be expected to have the necessary skills and experience to undertake direct clinical work, offer clinical supervision and consultation, contribute to service evaluation, as well as manage the demands of service development and change. Candidates should have excellent interdisciplinary skills. You will work closely with our voluntary and community sector, in line with the exciting community transformation agenda

The vacancy is open to either a newly qualified Psychologist or an experienced Psychologist. The successful candidate may start at any of the following increments: Band 7, Band 7-8a developmental or Band 8a, depending on experience. If recruited to a Band 7 post, this will be a developmental post with progression to an 8a banding upon meeting the criteria within the 8a job description.

We welcome applications from staff who are currently coming to the end of their training in Clinical or Counselling psychology, that on successful completion will achieve the required qualification and registration with HCPC as Practitioner Psychologist.

Trainee Counselling Psychologists are eligible to apply when they are in their 3rd year of the doctoral training and have the following confirmed as completed by the university:

a. All clinical competencies.b. 80% of the 450 supervised clinical practice hours (360 hours)

Trainee Clinical Psychologists are eligible to apply for posts when they are in their third year of training.

About us

We are the Mental Health & Learning Disability NHS Trust for County Durham and Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby.

From education and prevention, to crisis and specialist care --our talented and compassionate teams work in partnership with our patients, communities and partners to help the people of our region feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for.

We nurture the recovery journey of anyone in need of our help. In Our Trust, everyone has a say in how they are supported and treated because we listen to every person in our care until they feel understood. Our patients, their families and carers work together with us towards better mental health.

We're committed to new thinking that improves the wellbeing of our region. We connect with our communities and partners to get mental health care right, in areas that really need it.

We won't rest until everyone in our region has the mental health care they need, to lead their best possible life.

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for further detailed information to ensure that you meet the role criteria before applying.

The post holder will have a key role in providing psychological assessments as well as a therapeutic, consultative and advisory service in relation to adults and their families and carers, according to identified clinical need. In addition to direct clinical work, providing consultation and where necessary clinical supervision to other team members in regard to patients is an important element of the role.

Psychologists & Psychological Therapists provide key leadership roles within the Trust. To support this we have developed leadership profiles for each psychology band and the profile card associated with this post is attached on NHS Jobs. You can find more information about the NHS Leadership Academys Healthcare Leadership Model and the profiles at their website. We encourage you to look at these resources as they will play a part in the interview process.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Post-graduate training (doctoral level equivalent) in clinical / counselling / forensic psychology (or its equivalent prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS.
• HCPC registration as a Practitioner Psychologist
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Trained in clinical supervision (within agreed timescale)
• Trained in care co-ordination (within agreed timescale)
• Registration with BPS
• Post-graduate qualification showing evidence of supervised practice in an evidence-based psychological therapeutic model

Knowledge/Skills/Experience

• Awareness of: The Trust's Quality Improvement System
• Must be able to: Communicate complex and highly sensitive information effectively, to a wide range of people
• Adapt creatively the evidence base for interventions in mental health for clients with communication difficulties / learning disabilities
• Provide (within agreed timescale) effective teaching, training and clinical supervision
• Work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team and undertake care co-ordination/lead practitioner responsibilities
• Undertake complex multiagency working and liaise with multiple systems
• Utilise psychometric tests competently
• Identify, provide and promote appropriate interventions / means of support for carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and challenging behaviours
• Utilise appropriate clinical governance mechanisms within own work.
• Use approved breakaway techniques
• Experience of CBT, DBT, Psychodynamics, systematic therapy
• Skills in using multimedia materials in presentations

Knowledge

• Working with mental health/learning disability clients (depending on designated service area)
• Multi-disciplinary team working
• Experience of research and audit
• Doctoral level knowledge of: Evidence- based practice relevant to the role
• Risk assessment and risk management
• Clinical governance
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
• Audit and research methodology
• Social Inclusion agenda

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 a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust