Consultant Applied Psychologist

NHS; North East; On-site; GBP 76,000 - 89,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in the North East is seeking an experienced Consultant Applied Psychologist to lead the psychological services for prison leavers. The role involves working closely with multidisciplinary teams to support individuals with complex health needs, ensuring they have access to necessary healthcare upon release. This part-time position includes responsibilities such as overseeing service delivery and managing referrals within various care settings. The contract is fixed term for 12 months.

Qualifications

• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Substantial experience working as a qualified applied psychologist.
• Experience providing clinical and professional leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of a psychological and trauma-informed approach.
• Oversee referral pathways to the Enhanced Reconnect service.
• Support multi-agency service delivery models.

Skills

Clinical leadership

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Trauma-informed care

Complex case management

Education

Post-graduate training in clinical psychology

HCPC registration as Practitioner Psychologist

Post-doctoral training in specialised psychological practice

Job description

Job Summary

We have an exciting part time (30 hours) opportunity for an experienced applied psychologist - fixed term (12 months) to undertake the Consultant Applied Psychologist - Clinical Lead role within the North East-wide Enhanced Reconnect Service.

The role involves leading a multidisciplinary team to support prison leavers with complex health needs in overcoming barriers to accessing healthcare services upon their release from custody.

The post holder will work in both prison and community settings across the North East to support people in the final months of their sentence and up to a year post‑release.

The model adopted by the Enhanced Reconnect service is psychologically‑led, trauma‑informed and neurodiverse. The service offers interventions, structured support, advocacy, signposting and engagement with community‑based health and support services.

Main duties of the job

This role is in the Enhanced Reconnect Service, based at Lanchester Road Hospital and covering the whole of the North East. The service is one of four national pilots supporting prison leavers assessed as presenting high risk of harm with complex health needs linked with their offending. The service prioritises individuals convicted of terrorism‑related offences and those identified as at risk of extremism. One of the national pilot objectives is to address health needs that if left unmet could lead to extremist behaviours. The postholder will work closely with probation/prison colleagues and will form excellent working relationships with health and care services across the area.

About us

We are the Mental Health & Learning Disability NHS Trust for County Durham and Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby.

From education and prevention, to crisis and specialist care – our talented and compassionate teams work in partnership with our patients, communities and partners to help the people of our region feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for.

We nurture the recovery journey of anyone in need of our help. In Our Trust, everyone has a say in how they are supported and treated because we listen to every person in our care until they feel understood. Our patients, their families and carers work together with us towards better mental health.

We're committed to new thinking that improves the wellbeing of our region. We connect with our communities and partners to get mental health care right, in areas that really need it.

Details

• Date posted: 18 December 2025
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: 8c
• Salary: £76,965 to £88,682 a year pro rata, per annum
• Contract: Fixed term
• Duration: 12 months
• Working pattern: Part‑time
• Reference number: 346-FMH-126-25-B
• Job location: Lanchester Road Hospital, Lanchester Road, Durham, DH1 5RD

Job responsibilities

To provide the overarching leadership to the service ensuring a psychological, trauma‑informed approach is adopted and lead on the delivery of this enhanced pathway of care. To provide assurance to senior management and commissioners on the quality of care that is provided. You will support senior management with liaison with Integrated Care Systems and Provider Collaboratives to ensure a smooth and planned journey through the care system. You will liaise and work closely with providers in prison establishments to support release planning that is relevant, accessible and appropriate for those in the Enhanced Reconnect cohort. You will oversee a referral pathway that allows stepping up and down to the Enhanced Reconnect service in line with the service specification, namely the 3 classifications: 1) National Security Division; 2) At Risk of Extremism; 3) Regional Probation Service identified as very high/high risk and complex.

You will offer specialist assessment and interventions for this complex group of individuals within the criminal justice system. You will support complex case management through coordinated interventions, support and risk management from multiple agencies (i.e. health, criminal justice, local authorities, substance misuse, employment and voluntary sector organisations). The majority of this service will be delivered within local approved premises. You will lead a multidisciplinary team and will work alongside and with health care navigators and peer support workers with Rethink Mental Illness and Humankind.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Post‑graduate training (doctoral level equivalent) in clinical / counselling / forensic psychology (or its equivalent prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS.
• HCPC registration as a Practitioner Psychologist.
• Post‑doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice.
• Trained in clinical supervision and the supervision of doctoral trainees.
• Trained in care co‑ordination.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.

Desirable

• Registration with BPS.

Experience

• Must have substantial experience of: Working as a qualified applied psychologist within the designated service including a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and full range of clinical severity across the full range of care settings.
• Exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care as a care co‑ordinator and leader of a multidisciplinary team.
• Liaison and joint working with statutory, voluntary and private sector agencies.
• Teaching, training, clinical supervision and field supervisor for doctoral theses.
• Research and development.
• Project management of quality and service improvement initiatives.
• Must have experience of: Providing clinical and professional leadership to other qualified and non‑qualified members of the profession.
• Managing multi‑agency service delivery models.

Knowledge

• Doctoral level knowledge of evidence‑based practice relevant to the role.
• Risk assessment and risk management.
• Clinical governance.
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health and its implications for clinical practice.
• Audit and research methodology.
• Social inclusion agenda.
• Highly developed knowledge of the care of difficult to treat groups e.g. dual diagnoses, additional disabilities or severely challenging behaviour.
• The Trust's Quality Improvement System.

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 UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab). From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name: Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust

Address: Lanchester Road Hospital, Lanchester Road, Durham, DH1 5RD

Employer's website: https://www.tewv.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)