Clinical Psychologist - Inpatient And Urgent Care

Somerset Nhs Foundation Trust; South Cheriton; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 59,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working options

NHS pension scheme

Generous annual leave

Job summary

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Chartered Clinical or Counselling Psychologist to join the Inpatient and Urgent Care Psychology service. You will assess, formulate and deliver brief interventions for adults with acute mental health needs across inpatient wards and Home Treatment Teams.

You will supervise Assistant Psychologists and contribute to group work, while collaborating with multidisciplinary colleagues to embed psychological thinking in care planning and delivery.

Qualifications

• Qualified as Clinical or Counselling Psychologist and HCPC registered.
• Eligible for Chartered Clinical Psychologist status.
• Must hold a valid driving licence and access to reliable transport.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist psychological assessments, formulations and brief interventions.
• Support multidisciplinary teams with psychological leadership and consultation.
• Supervise and develop Assistant Psychologists and other team members.
• Deliver and contribute to psychology groups across inpatient and urgent care settings.
• Contribute to service development through audits, evaluation and quality improvement.

Skills

Driving license

Education

Clinical or Counselling Psychologist (chartered)

Tools

Neuropsychological assessment

Job description

Job summary

Are you a passionate Clinical or Counselling Psychologist looking to make a meaningful difference at some of the most critical points in a person's mental health journey?

We have an exciting opportunity to join our Inpatient and Urgent Care Psychology service, supporting adults experiencing acute mental health difficulties across inpatient wards and Home Treatment Teams. This is a rewarding and highly valued role where you will help people navigate crisis, build understanding through psychological formulation, and support recovery-focused care when it matters most. This role sits within the Inpatient and Urgent Care Psychology provision, with dedicated funding supporting the delivery and development of psychological services across acute mental health wards and Home Treatment Teams.

As part of a dedicated psychology team, you will provide specialist psychological assessments, formulations and brief evidence-based interventions, while helping to embed psychologically informed approaches across multidisciplinary teams. You will also play a key role in supporting Assistant Psychologists who deliver well-established and highly regarded therapeutic groups across wards and community urgent care settings.

You’ll benefit from strong professional support, opportunities to supervise and develop others, and a clear pathway for professional growth.

Main duties of the job

You will work with adults experiencing severe and complex mental health difficulties, often alongside co-existing physical health needs. Using your expertise in psychological assessment, formulation and intervention, you will help people make sense of their experiences, identify strengths, and move towards recovery during periods of significant distress and crisis.

Alongside direct clinical work, you will be an integral member of multidisciplinary teams, providing consultation, guidance and psychological leadership to ensure care is informed by a compassionate and evidence-based understanding of mental health. Your contribution will help colleagues develop their confidence and skills in formulation-led practice and psychosocial interventions.

A key aspect of the role is supporting and supervising Assistant Psychologists who deliver a range of successful evidence-based therapeutic groups across inpatient wards and Home Treatment Teams. You will help maintain high-quality interventions while encouraging innovation and continuous improvement.

You’ll be joining a supportive and experienced psychology network where your expertise is recognised, your professional development is encouraged, and your work will have a direct and lasting impact on the lives of people accessing inpatient and urgent mental health services.

About us

At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:

• Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
• NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
• Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
• A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential

Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.

We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.

Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.

The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.

Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.

Job responsibilities

• Provide specialist psychological assessments, formulations and short-term interventions for adults receiving care within inpatient wards and Home Treatment Teams.
• Work closely with multidisciplinary colleagues to ensure psychological thinking is integrated into treatment planning and care delivery.
• Support people experiencing severe, complex and often distressing mental health presentations through compassionate, evidence-based practice.
• Deliver consultation, reflective practice and psychological advice to colleagues across urgent care services.
• Supervise, support and develop Assistant Psychologists, trainees and other team members.
• Contribute to the delivery and ongoing development of psychology groups across inpatient and urgent care settings.
• Help shape service improvements through audit, evaluation, research and quality improvement activity.
• Promote recovery-focused, person-centered care and advocate for psychological approaches within the wider service.

Qualifications

Essential

• Qualified Clinical or Counselling Psychologist or equivalent and eligible for Chartered Clinical Psychologist status in the British Psychological Society.
• Registered with HCPC.

Desirable

• Further training or experience in clinical specialism
• Further training in at least one (other) psychological therapy
• Further training in related area

Experience

Desirable

• Experience of teaching/training and supervision.
• Experience of working with complex trauma and with systems working around people who have experienced trauma.
• Experience of work in adult mental health services and working with people with severe and complex mental health needs.
• Experience of neuropsychological assessment and awareness of impact of neuropsychological symptoms on presentation

Additional Criteria

Essential

• Must be a car driver with a valid driving licence and access to transport with appropriate business insurance

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

Employer name: Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

Address: Yeovil Dental Access centre, 56 Preston Road, Yeovil, Somerset, BA20 2BX, United Kingdom

Employer's website: https://www.somersetft.nhs.uk/

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact: Consultant Psychologist Sonia Oyervides, [e-mail], 07825866867

Reference number

Reference number: 184-OL-GR-5383