Clinical Psychologist

NHS; Southampton; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

A major healthcare provider is seeking a Clinical Psychologist to join the Child Psychology Team at Southampton General Hospital. This role involves providing psychological support to children in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit and requires experience with children and families. Applicants must have a doctoral-level qualification in Clinical Psychology and proven assessment skills. The position offers a supportive team environment and opportunities for professional growth.

Qualifications

• Experience in assessing emotional and behavioral difficulties in children.
• Ability to provide psychological management for children navigating medical procedures.
• Experience in care settings, especially acute pediatric care.

Responsibilities

• Support delivery of psychologically informed care to PICU.
• Lead role in supporting children with Long Term Ventilation.

Skills

Experience with children and families

Psychological assessment skills

Ability to work collaboratively

Knowledge of psychological therapies

Professionalism in distressing environments

Education

Postgraduate doctoral level training in Clinical Psychology

Job description

Job Summary

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us. Please see below for the detailed job description of the role.

Main duties of the job

The Child Psychology Team at the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS) are seeking a Clinical Psychologist to join our friendly and enthusiastic team. Your main responsibility will provide input to the Paediatric Intensive Care (PICU) along with another Clinical Psychologist. You will also take the lead role in supporting children with Long Term Ventilation team who stay in PICU. This post is an exciting opportunity to provide psychological support to children and their families in a hospital where Psychology is greatly valued.

The Child Psychology team consists 26 Clinical Psychologists and three Admin staff as well as Trainee and Assistant Psychologists. We are a friendly and supportive team with good arrangements for supervision and further learning. The team draws from a range of theoretical frameworks, including systemic, ACT, CFT, CBT and EMDR.

About Us

University Hospital Southampton is one of England's largest acute teaching Trusts, offering a wide range of learning and development opportunities to support your career aspirations. Located on the south coast with an international airport and direct rail links to London, Southampton offers an ideal setting to live and work, with the New Forest, South Downs and Jurassic Coast.

We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalizing your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.

At UHS we're committed to providing a flexible working environment where possible. Whether you are balancing family, study, or your wellbeing with your career, we want to support you so you can help our patients.

At UHS, we proudly champion individuality, recognizing that outstanding care is only possible with a diverse, inclusive team. We're committed to creating an anti‑racist, anti‑discriminatory environment where everyone feels valued, safe, and empowered to make a meaningful impact in our communities. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to join us in building a healthcare community where everyone can belong, thrive, and contribute.

Details

• Date posted: 14 November 2025
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 8a
• Salary: £55,690 to £62,682 a year pro rata per annum
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Part‑time
• Reference number: 188‑CL201125
• Job location: Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Southampton, SO16 6YD

Job responsibilities

We are seeking a Clinical Psychologist with experience of working with children and families and who has enthusiasm for collaborative working. You will support the delivery of psychologically informed care to the PICU and LTV service.

Person Specification

Essential

• Postgraduate doctoral level training in Clinical Psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the Health Professions Council
• Experience of assessing and working with children and young people with a whole range of emotional and behavioural difficulties and their families/carers, presenting with the full range of clinical severity across a range of settings including outpatient, community, educational and residential
• Experience of working in an acute paediatric setting and/or experience of working with children and families experiencing issues related to loss, bereavement, long term medical needs, severe illness or injury
• Experience of providing psychological management for children and young people who find it difficult to comply with medical procedures or regimens
• Experience of carrying out neuropsychological assessments with children and young people
• Familiarity with maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and challenging behaviour including physical abuse
• Experience of representing Psychology within the context of multidisciplinary care
• Experience of working in a constantly changing environment
• Highly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of one or more highly specialised psychological therapies, e.g. family therapy, cognitive behaviour therapy
• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management, frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration
• Experience in using and interpreting a wide range of psychometric tests, neuropsychological tests and other standardised assessment measures, and of objective observation, recording and analysis of behaviour
• Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis as practised within the field of Clinical Psychology
• Knowledge of relevant legislation in relation to children and young people with mental health problems and complex emotional and behaviour of difficulties
• Ability to identify and employ as appropriate clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour
• Good understanding of the meaning of clinical supervision/mentoring
• An understanding of equality within the workforce and how it can impact on this post
• Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic settings

Desirable

• Further post‑doctoral training in the psychological assessment and treatment of children and young people with acute and chronic illnesses and life‑limiting conditions, acquired through structured clinical supervision, self‑study and attendance at relevant courses. Training in restraint, e.g. SCIP

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer details

University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust
Southampton General Hospital
Tremona Road
Southampton
SO16 6YD

Employer's website: https://www.uhs.nhs.uk/home.aspx