Clinical / Counselling Psychologist

NHS Trust; St Albans; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 59,000; Full time

Job summary

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an HCPC registered Clinical Psychologist to join our team serving Children and Young People and their families across Hemel Hempstead and St Albans.

The post involves specialist psychological assessment and intervention, supervision of Assistant Psychologists, and contributing to service development, audit and teaching within a supportive, trauma-informed, continuously improving psychology service.

Qualifications

• Post-graduate doctorate in clinical psychology as accredited by the BPS or equivalent
• Full HCPC registration in Clinical or Counselling psychology
• Chartered status with the British Psychological Society
• Post-doctoral training in additional areas of practice

Responsibilities

• Specialist psychological assessment and treatment including risk assessment
• Provide professional and clinical supervision to Assistant Psychologists
• Support service development, evaluation, research and CPD

Skills

Specialist psych assessment

Client group diversity

Lifespan development knowledge

Evidence-based therapies (CBT, System)

Clinical responsibility

Research methodology (doctoral)

Education

Post-graduate Doctorate in Clinical Psychology

HCPC registration

Masters/Doctorate level qualification

Chartered status (BPS)

Post-doctoral training

Job description

Site 99 Waverley Road, St Albans, AL3 5TL Town St Albans Salary £51,657 - £58,785 per annum, pro rata (Inclusive of 5% HCAS) Salary period Yearly Closing 12/11/2026 23:59

Values Based Screener

At Hertfordshire Partnership Foundation Trust we are looking for people to join us who share our values and those of the NHS. Before your application can be considered please take part on our online values questionnaire, which you can find below. When you have finished you will be sent a 'completion code' by email, which will be valid for 6 months and required to submit your application form.

We are looking to appoint an HCPC registered Clinical Psychologist to join our welcoming and psychologically minded team to provide a service of excellence for Children and Young People and their families within Hertfordshire mainly in Hemel Hempstead and St. Albans. This post brings a diversity of experience, from providing specialist assessments and intervention, to supporting other members of the psychology team, and working closely with members of the wider multi-disciplinary team.

We also recognise the key role that consultation can play in developing our services and being a central part of our psychology offer. The ideal candidate for us will be someone who shares our values about offering compassionate and trauma-informed services, whether in the psychological therapies or the neuropsychological assessment aspect of the service. The ethos of the team is one of continuous quality improvement and co-producing what our clients require, and we are looking for candidates who share a passion for service development and innovation. We hope that candidates will bring skills and knowledge to support audit, research, and project development within the service.

Main duties of the job

The key duties of the job will involve completion of specialist psychological assessment (including risk assessment) and treatment of clients referred to the service. The postholder also will be responsible for providing highly specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to a service user's formulation, diagnosis and case management plan.

The key duties will also involve providing professional and clinical supervision to Assistant Psychologists working in the service. Other important duties will involve supporting psychological aspects of service development, evaluation, research and teaching and maintaining standards in supervision and CPD.

Working for our organisation

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of ‘Outstanding’ from theCare Quality Commission.

Our family of over 4,500 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. E verything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:

Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see job description and person specification for in depth information about the role.

Person specification

Knowledge

• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and inpatient settings.
• Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, including those with physical health conditions and or long-term conditions across the whole life span’s presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity whilst maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
• Knowledge of whole life span development and the impact on emotional, psychological and mental well-being.
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two evidence based psychological interventions including CBT, Systemic Therapy or Family Interventions.
• Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients’ psychological care and treatment within the context of multi-disciplinary care.
• Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the fields of Clinical / Counselling Psychology.

Qualifications

• Post-graduate doctorate in clinical Psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, or fully completed training as a Counselling Psychologist
• Full registration with Health Professions Council under the Clinical or Counselling modality
• Related academic qualifications to masters or doctorate level
• Chartered status with the British Psychological Society
• Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice

Experience

• Experience of independent administration and interpretation in cognitive assessment
• Experience of research, service development and audit
• Experience of working with moderate to severe mental health problems with a wide range of client groups across the whole life course with presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including 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 exercising full clinical responsibility for psychological care and treatment both as a professionally qualified care coordinator and also within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan
• Experience working within a multi-disciplinary team and inter-agency collaboration
• Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology
• Doctoral level knowledge of clinical/counselling psychology including highly developed knowledge of developmental psychology, models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics, and a range of therapeutic models
• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management with clients with complex problems, including specialised psychological interventions for difficult to treat groups (eg multiple mental health and/or physical health problems)
• Ability to demonstrate an area of special interest/skill and experience in an evidence based therapeutic intervention
• Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS and HCPC

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.