Band 8A Practitioner Psychologist

Birmingham Community Healthcare Nhs Foundation Trust; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 58,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Senior Practitioner Psychologist for the Neurodevelopmental Pathway (Autism Assessment Service) in Birmingham. You will assess children with neurodevelopmental needs, supervise other psychologists, and contribute to policy and service development within a multidisciplinary team.

Role involves liaising with education partners, supporting research, and driving improvements across care settings.

Qualifications

• Post graduate Doctoral level training in Clinical/Counselling/Forensic Psychology (or equivalent) as accredited by the BPS.
• HCPC Registration as a Practitioner Psychologist is essential.
• Post-doctoral qualification in specialised areas of psychological practice.
• Training in supervision of doctoral level trainee psychologists.
• Knowledge of research methodology and complex data analysis.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist psychological assessment of children using diverse sources and methods.
• Formulate and implement plans for formal psychological treatment and management.
• Deliver a range of psychological interventions across teams and settings.
• Apply knowledge of SEND processes and education in practice.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Supervision

Audit & research

Education

Doctoral level training in Clinical/Psychology

HCPC Registration as Practitioner Psychologist

Post-doctoral qualification in a specialised area

Training in supervision of doctoral trainees

Research methodology knowledge

Knowledge of neurodevelopmental conditions

Tools

ADOS-2

ADI-R

Job description

Job summary
This job advert will close as soon as sufficient applications have been received.
We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Practitioner Psychologist to join our Neurodevelopmental Pathway (Autism Assessment Service) specialist psychology service. The role will involve assessing children presenting with neurodevelopmental needs across all sectors of care within the Birmingham catchment area.
The post holder will be part of the multidisciplinary team in the Neurodevelopmental Hubs and liaise closely with colleagues in education.
They will also supervise and support the psychological assessments and therapy provided by other psychologists and others who provide psychologically based care and treatment.
They will support a culture of research and utilise research skills for audit, policy and service developments and propose and implement policy changes within the Service and the broader multidisciplinary team. They will also be highly visible and, accessible and a figure to whom staff, patients and their families, can turn to for assistance, advice and support.
Main duties of the job

• To provide specialist psychological assessment of children based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex psychological data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological assessment, self-reported measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with children, family members and others involved in the child's care.
• To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a child's psychological problems. This is to be based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the client's problems, and employing methods of proven efficiency, across the full range of care settings.
• To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for children, carers, families and groups within and across teams. This would involve adjusting and refining psychological formulations and drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.
• To use highly developed specialist knowledge of a range of work procedures and practices including that of SEND processes and education agenda.

See attached Job Description for details of main duties.
About us
Be Part of Our Team...
Birmingham is a vibrant, rich, ethnically diverse city, with a large population of young people. Join Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (BCHC) where more than 5000 members of staff work across Birmingham and the West Midlands to deliver a wide range of community and specialist healthcare services. BCHC delivers over a hundred clinical services, in people's homes, health centres, clinics and inpatient facilities. This includes services for children, young people, parents and families as well as adults and community services, two community hospitals, services for people with learning disabilities, the internationally recognised West Midlands Rehabilitation Centre and one of Europe's leading Dental Hospitals and School of Dentistry. We deliver all of this with a commitment to integrated, personalised care that is rooted in our local communities. We have an ambition to deliver outstanding, integrated care as one of the key NHS providers in the West Midlands.
Our range of healthcare service provision within the C&F Division also offers opportunities to develop clinical leadership skills and be involved with clinical projects and pathway development. The Psychology Service offers support and close links with other psychologists through facilitated reflective practice groups, CPD events and team meetings. There are good links with the local DClinPsy training courses and the MSCi pathway at Birmingham and Coventry Universities.

Details
Date posted: 16 September 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 8a
Salary: £57,528 to £64,750 a year per annum (pro rata)
Contract: Fixed term
Duration: 12 months
Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working
Reference number: 820-8210629-CF
Job locations: citywide, 5 Mill Pool Way, BIRMINGHAM, B13 8JL, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

• To provide specialist psychological assessment of children based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex psychological data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological assessment, self-reported measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with children, family members and others involved in the child's care.
• To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a child's psychological problems. This is to be based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the client's problems, and employing methods of proven efficiency, across the full range of care settings.
• To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for children, carers, families and groups within and across teams. This would involve adjusting and refining psychological formulations and drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.
• To use highly developed specialist knowledge of a range of work procedures and practices including that of SEND processes and education agenda.

See attached Job description and person specification attached.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Post graduate Doctoral level training in Clinical/Counselling/Forensic Psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
• HCPC Registration as a Practitioner Psychologist
• Post-doctoral qualification, training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice
• Training in the supervision of doctoral level trainee psychologists
• Training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology
• Highly specialist skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, including psychometrics such as ADOS-2 and, or, ADI-R, intervention and management including specialist clinical interviewing, behavioural observation, complex psychometric testing and specialist neuropsychological testing
• Knowledge of the presentation, assessment of and intervention with people with complex neurodevelopmental and mental health difficulties
• Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to children, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
• Skills and experience in providing consultation to other professional and non professional groups, across agencies
• Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology
• Knowledge of typical and atypical child development including neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD/ASD
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. dual diagnoses, children with additional learning disabilities or difficulties etc)
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to children
• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and individual and group-based treatment of children, including children with neurodevelopmental differences
• Experience of maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
• Experience of liaison work with other professionals and agencies
• Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity
• Experience of teaching, training and supervision
• Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts
• Relevant R&D or clinical audit work post-qualification

Personal Qualities
Essential

• Self-motivated
• Positive, energetic, enthusiastic in outlook and able to set a good example
• Ability to manage under pressure; work to tight deadlines, evidencing excellent time management
• Able to work independently or as part of a team.
• Evidence of strong leadership skills, the ability to negotiate, persuade and influence at a senior level with a supportive style whilst also able to take difficult decisions and act assertively
• Keen to develop services in line with service, educational and research priorities with the service

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.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS FT is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.