Clinical/Counselling Psychologist

University Hospitals Dorset; Poole; On-site; GBP 49,000 - 65,000; Part time

Job summary

University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust seeks a Qualified Clinical/Counselling Psychologist for Cancer Care. Band 8a (Band 7 possible with experience).

Part-time 26.25 hours weekly, fixed term for 18 months with funding secured, base locations Forest Holme Hospice, Poole and Bournemouth Hospitals. You will lead a project addressing psychological barriers to cancer treatment and provide assessments in the Dorset Cancer Centre.

Qualifications

• HCPC registration is required.
• Post-graduate doctoral training in clinical/counselling psychology.
• Experience in clinical health psychology is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Provide evidence-based Level 4 psychological support to individuals, couples and families affected by cancer.
• Lead on project development to address psychological barriers to cancer treatment across tumour groups.
• Collaborate with MDTs and support staff to enhance screening and psychological care.

Skills

Clinical consultation skills

Lifespan work

Education

Post-graduate doctoral training in clinical psychology

HCPC registered practitioner psychologist

Post-doctoral training in specialised areas

Job description

Band 8a (or Band 7 depending on experience)

Main area Clinical/Counselling Psychologist in Oncology and Palliative Care Grade Band 8a (or Band 7 depending on experience) Contract Fixed term: 18 months (Funding has been agreed for 18 months.) Hours Part time - 26.25 hours per week Job ref 153-SP06858

Department name 01. UHD - General Recruitment Site University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust Town Poole Salary £49,387 - £64,750 £49,387- £64,750pa pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 18/10/2026 23:59 Interview date 02/11/2026

As University Hospitals Dorset we are a three site acute trust with ‘university hospital’ status through our partnership with Bournemouth University, working with an annual budget of £730m.

We offer highly regarded health services, employing some 10,000 staff. Our ambitious £500m transformation programme is well on the way to delivering state-of-the-art facilities over the next two years to meet the current and future healthcare needs of the populations we serve.

In an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with over seven miles of sandy beaches you’ll find inspirational opportunities to achieve your perfect work/life balance. With the New Forest and the Purbecks on our doorstep, we’re also less than three hours from London by road or train. The thriving towns of Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch give way to idyllic villages and unspoilt landscapes just minutes from our hospitals.

We believe that having a diverse workforce, and allowing people to be themselves, is essential in ensuring we offer an inclusive, welcoming and productive place to work.

We especially welcome applications from minority groups in the community who may be underrepresented in our workforce.

At UHD our active staff network groups are the Women's Network, Black Asian Minority Ethnic Group (BAME), Pride Network, European (EU), Pro Ability Staff Network, and the Armed Forces Support Group.

As a Trust we are proudly signed up to the Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant guaranteed interview schemes.

We are aware that some candidates may choose to use AI tools to support the preparation of their application. While this is not discouraged, we kindly remind applicants that submissions should remain an honest and accurate representation of your own experience and suitability. Personal integrity is an important part of the recruitment process.

Job overview

We are seeking to recruit a Qualified Clinical/Counselling Psychologist for an exciting opportunity in Cancer Care at University Hospitals Dorset. We are looking to recruit an experienced qualified Clinical/Counselling Psychologist who is interested in an opportunity to develop leadership and project management skills, as well as work within a multidisciplinary environment to effect service change at Band 8a. We will also consider newly qualified candidates at a Band 7 who can demonstrate they have contributed to service development in a multidisciplinary physical healthcare environment.

You will lead on a new project to support and address psychological barriers to cancer treatment across all tumour groups for people living with cancer in Dorset. You will collaborate with the Team Lead on project development and receive support from an Assistant Psychologist. You will also support the wider team through providing assessment and intervention services to people referred to the Dorset Cancer Centre Counselling and Psychology Service.

This is a part-time position and funding is secured for 18 months, with potential to use project outcomes to expand psychologist provision, possibly extending the contract or making the role permanent.

Applicants who have less than 2 years experience as a qualified clinical psychologist may be offered a Band 7 role if appropriate.

Main duties of the job

You will develop relationships with the Cancer MDTs and ward based clinicians to identify and support people affected by cancer, as well as provide opportunities for improving psychological screening and support provided by other healthcare professionals. The work will involve supporting the emotional impact of the work on healthcare clinicians where necessary, and influencing the treatment environment to support trauma-informed care. You will provide a safe and effective evidence-based Level 4 psychological support service to individuals, couples and families who are affected by a diagnosis of cancer in line with NICE Guidance on Cancer Care Services, Improving Supportive and Palliative Care for Adults. You will work closely within our team comprised of Clinical Psychologists, Counsellors, and a Social Worker. We all work alongside multidisciplinary professionals providing nursing, medical and therapeutic care.

If a role or service relocates as part of a planned move, excess mileage will not be reimbursed. Travel from home to the new work base will be classed as a normal commute. Any other changes will be managed under Trust or national terms and conditions.

This role requires HCPC Registration.

Base Locations: Forest Holme Hospice, Poole and Bournemouth Hospitals

Interview date: Monday, 2nd November 2026

Working for our organisation

Our values define who we are as #TeamUHD. They underpin everything we do now and in the future. They define how we treat our patients, visitors, and each other, our valued teammates and colleagues.

UHD are investing in services across the Trust, with many being transformed and developed following merger and the New Hospital Programme.

This means that some services may move site this year or next, either temporarily or long term. Recruiting Managers interviewing for this role will be happy to answer any specific questions that you have about this at interview.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To understand the role in more detail please read the full job description and person specification documents which are attached to this advert.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Post-graduate doctoral training in clinical or counselling psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS
• HCPC registered practitioner psychologist
• Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice

Experience

• Assessed experience of working as a qualified clinical or counselling psychologist
• Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients’ psychological care and treatment
• Post-qualification experience of working in clinical health psychology, preferably including cancer and palliative care
• Experience of providing clinical supervision, teaching and training.

Technical Skills and Competencies

• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups
• Ability to work across the lifespan, with individuals, couples and groups

Knowledge

• Formal training in supervision of other psychologists

Please note:

Staff recruited are expected to be available to work flexibly across all our Trust locations to meet service demands.

This advert may be closed early if sufficient applications are received.

COVID-19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself and our patients from the virus when working in our healthcare settings. Whilst this vaccination is not a condition of employment we do encourage our staff to get vaccinated.

Internal Candidates: staff employed prior to merger who voluntarily change jobs will be appointed to UHD terms and conditions.

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.