Clinical Practitioner Psychologist

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board; Caerleon; On-site; GBP 47,000 - 54,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading NHS organization in Caerleon is seeking clinical practitioners for Band 7/Band 8a roles within the Gwent Attachment Service. Candidates will support children who have experienced trauma and help embed attachment principles in various service settings. The position is part-time (0.5 WTE) and fixed-term until March 2027, requiring strong communication skills and relevant qualifications. An extensive benefits package and supportive work environment are offered, emphasizing flexible working and professional development.

Benefits

Exceptional workplace environment

Flexible working options

Extensive training and development opportunities

Qualifications

• Requires a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology accredited by the BPS or equivalent.
• Must be HCPC registered.
• Honours degree in Psychology is essential.

Responsibilities

• Work within the Gwent Attachment Service to support vulnerable children.
• Provide timely interventions and embed attachment principles in service planning.
• Collaborate with health, social care, education, and youth justice sectors.

Skills

Communication

Empathy

Assessment skills

Intervention skills

Education

Honours degree in Psychology

Doctorate in Clinical Psychology

HCPC Registration

Job description

We encourage applications from all with protected characteristics and from those in the Armed Forces Community. Applicants are invited to apply in Welsh, any application submitted through the medium of Welsh will not be treated less favourably than applications made in English.

Please let us know if you have any particular requirements to enable you to participate in the application and selection process. We will be pleased to discuss any reasonable adjustments or SUPPORT needed. If you need any documents in a larger font or a different format (such as braille) please either contact the recruiting manager named in the job advert or alternatively contact the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board recruitment team on 01495 745805 option 3 or email [e-mail].

If you are successful at interview for this post you will receive your conditional offer of appointment and information pack via email.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy at any time. Therefore we encourage early applications to ensure consideration for this post. If you are short listed for this post, you will be contacted via your email account you used to apply for this post, therefore please check your account regularly.

Please check your email account regularly. Successful applicants will receive all recruitment related correspondence via the email account registered on the application form.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board support flexible working.

Please note that this vacancy may be withdrawn at any time should it be filled via the internal redeployment process.

Job Overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for Band 7 / Band 8a Clinical / Practitioner Psychologists (0.5 wte) to become part of the Gwent Attachment Service. The service aims to provide support for highly vulnerable children who have experienced complex developmental trauma and disrupted attachment histories. We believe in focussing on early intervention and prevention. Our focus is on creating the environments in which secure attachments can develop and in which young people have the best chance of building resilience and recovering from trauma.

The successful candidates will join a lively and proactive team of Child Psychologists and Therapists. We meet weekly for professional support and peer supervision, and value a culture of reflective practice and rich continuing professional development. Our team base is both welcoming and supportive, enabling clinicians to hold a strong psychological perspective in the wide range of settings we deliver services across.

Main duties of the job

A key part of the role involves working with those in the systems around these young people to create a knowledge and understanding of the impact of trauma and attachment difficulties. The service also works to support individuals and agencies (including health, social care, education and youth justice) to consider how to embed attachment principles into their service planning and delivery, provide timely interventions and contribute to the evidence base for this population. There will be opportunities for the successful candidates to develop skills in each of these service strands.

This post is being advertised as a Band 8a but we invite less experienced applicants to apply with a view to starting on Band 7 and to commit to a plan to develop into the Band 8a role.

This post is fixed term until 31st March 2027 to meet the needs of the service.

Working for our organisation

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board is a multi-award-winning NHS organisation with a passion for caring. The Health Board provides an exceptional workplace where you can feel trusted and valued. Whatever your specialty or stage in your career, we have opportunities for everyone to start, grow and build your career. The health board provides integrated acute, primary and community care serving a population of 650,000 and employing over 16,000 staff.

We offer a fantastic benefits package and extensive training and development opportunities with paid mandatory training, excellent in‑house programmes, opportunities to complete recognised qualifications and professional career pathways including a range of management development programmes. We offer flexible working and promote a healthy work‑life balance, provide occupational health support and an ambitious plan for a Wellbeing Centre of Excellence to support you at work.

Our Clinical Futures strategy continues to enhance and promote care closer to home as well as high quality hospital care when needed. Join us on our journey to pioneer new ways of working and deliver a world‑class healthcare service fit for the future.

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Honours degree in Psychology
• HCPC Registered
• Doctorate in Clinical Psychology accredited by the BPS or equivalent accredited by the BPS

Desirable criteria

• Other related academic qualifications
• IT skills training
• Post graduate research degree

Experience

Essential criteria

• Doctorate training across a range of client groups but must include children
• Significant experience of working with children with developmental trauma and attachment difficulties and their families
• Has completed at least 10 training days per year on courses relevant to the provision of Child & Family Psychology and Therapies Service
• Has begun to develop special expertise in the relevant clinical area and to have undergone or is undergoing post qualification training in it as part of the CPD process (e.g. DDP / Theraplay / DBT)

Desirable criteria

• Post qualification work experience in a relevant clinical or care setting
• Post qualification experience of working in Child Psychology specialising in working with children with a developmental trauma / attachment difficulties
• To have obtained further experience of working within other Clinical Psychology e.g. Child Services or Learning Disability Service
• Research experience and statistical expertise

Skills and Attributes

Essential criteria

• Ability to communicate and relate to people warmly and with empathy
• Ability to understand the highly complex and conflicting messages from clients and organise this in a way that allows them to guide the client through a complex process of change. To be able to do this even when the client is highly distressed, there is a highly charged atmosphere, and/or when the client is expressing high levels of anger
• Ability to assess, interpret, formulate and intervene in situations where the material is highly complex, where there are a range of possible options, where different courses of action could be taken and where expert opinions may differ
• Ability to provide direction through supervision, teaching and training to other disciplines and agencies

Desirable criteria

• Further relevant post qualification therapeutic training
• Relevant publications