Highly Specialised Practitioner Psychologist (Clinical or Counselling)

NHS; Barry; On-site; GBP 48,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional health service provider is offering an exciting opportunity for a Highly Specialised Practitioner Psychologist to join the Central Vale Cluster Pain Clinics in Barry and Sully. This role involves delivering psychologically informed care and collaborating with healthcare professionals to develop treatment plans for patients in pain. A commitment to person-centred care and experience in clinical health psychology are essential. Support and supervision will be provided by the Clinical Health Psychology team.

Qualifications

• Registered as a HCPC practitioner psychologist.
• Experience in clinical health psychology/medical settings.
• Experience of teaching and clinical supervision.

Responsibilities

• Conduct biopsychosocial assessments of patients with chronic pain.
• Deliver evidence-based therapies through individual and group sessions.
• Co-develop individualized treatment plans with the Advanced Pain Management Practitioner.

Skills

Psychological assessment skills

Evidence-based therapy (CBT, ACT)

Analytical skills

Consultation skills

Team collaboration

Education

Good Honours degree in Psychology

Post-graduate Doctorate in Clinical/Counselling Psychology

HCPC registration

Tools

Psychometric tests

Job description

Highly Specialised Practitioner Psychologist (Clinical or Counselling)

The closing date is 20 January 2026

Opportunity: Band 8b Psychologist - Central Vale Cluster Pain Clinics (Barry & Sully)

The Central Vale Cluster Pain Clinics are offering an exciting two-year secondment opportunity for a Registered Highly Specialised Practitioner Psychologist (Band 8b) to join the newly developed Pain Clinics outreach team, based in Barry and Sully.

About the Role

Join a pioneering Pain Clinics service delivering psychologically informed care within a trauma‑informed, biopsychosocial framework.

Provide both 1:1 and group psychological interventions, tailored to individuals experiencing high levels of distress related to chronic pain.

Collaborate with an Advanced Pain Management Practitioner to develop individualised treatment plans and shape evidence-based care pathways.

Benefit from professional support and supervision via the Clinical Health Psychology and Clinical Neuropsychology Team within Cardiff and Vale UHB.

A strong interest and motivation to work in the area of persistent pain and psychological wellbeing.

A commitment to trauma‑informed, person‑centred care.

The ability to speak Welsh is desirable; English and/or Welsh speakers are equally welcome to apply.

This is a fixed term/secondment for two years to cover the needs of the service.

If you are interested in applying for the secondment position, you must obtain permission from your current line manager prior to applying for this post.

Main duties of the job

Psychological Assessment & Formulation – Conduct biopsychosocial assessments of patients with persistent pain, identifying psychological factors contributing to distress and disability.

Therapeutic Interventions – Deliver evidence‑based psychological therapies (e.g. CBT, ACT) through both 1:1 sessions and group interventions, tailored to individuals experiencing high levels of distress related to chronic pain.

Collaborative Care Planning – Work closely with the Advanced Pain Management Practitioner to co‑develop individualised treatment plans, participate in joint assessments, and contribute to multidisciplinary team meetings.

Service Development & Integration – Help shape trauma‑informed care pathways within primary care, ensuring early psychological input and integration with wider services (e.g. secondary care psychology, pain management programmes).

Education & Support – Provide consultation and support to non‑psychology professionals within the cluster, enhancing psychologically informed care across the team.

Monitoring & Evaluation – Collect and analyse outcome data (e.g. Brief Pain Inventory, HADS, Pain Self‑Efficacy Questionnaire), contribute to service evaluation, and support continuous improvement.

Governance & Supervision – Work within a clinically governed framework, receiving professional supervision from the Clinical Health Psychology & Neuropsychology team, and line management via the Vale Locality Manager.

The post is 1.0 WTE, 37.5 hours per week.

About us

The post‑holder will be based within the Central Vale Cluster Pain Clinics outreach team, working alongside colleagues in Barry and Sully as part of a newly developed, trauma‑informed, multi‑disciplinary service. You will also be professionally connected to the Neuro‑Rehabilitation Psychology Department at University Hospital Llandough, with access to a growing network of psychologists working across spinal cord injury rehabilitation and neuropsychology.

Person Specification

You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click Apply now to view in Trac.

Qualifications

• Good Honours degree in Psychology with eligibility for Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC) with the BPS.
• Post‑graduate Doctorate in Clinical/Counselling Psychology accredited by the HCPC (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996 as accredited by the BPS).
• HCPC registered as a practitioner psychologist.
• Post‑doctoral training/experience in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice, particularly clinical health psychology/medical settings or transferable.
• Evidence of peer reviewed publications, presentations at conferences, or similar contributions.

Experience

• Substantial and demonstrable post‑qualification experience of working as a HCPC Registered Practitioner Psychologist within clinical health psychology/medical settings or applicable transferable skills.
• Experience of working with a wide variety of patient groups presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the full range of care settings including outpatient, community, primary care, in‑patient and residential care settings.
• Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment, both as a professionally qualified healthcare professional and also within the context of a multi‑disciplinary care plan.
• Experience of teaching, training and professional and clinical supervision.
• Demonstrable evidence of significant specialist clinical supervision within a scientist‑practitioner framework, including supervision, group supervision and case presentations.
• Experience of working with service users as co‑producers.

Skills

• Skills in the use of highly complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management, frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
• Able to take responsibility for managing and providing a specialist service, or systematically providing part of a larger service.
• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non‑professional groups.
• Analytical and judgment skills as described on person specification.
• Planning and Organisational Skills as described on person specification.

Special Knowledge

• Formal training and supervision of other psychologists.
• Evidence of significant post‑qualification continuing professional development as recommended by the HCPC and BPS.
• Ability to identify and provide support to carers and staff.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation.
• Specialist knowledge of psychometric test construction, development, validation, administration and clinical interpretation of the results.
• Awareness of ethnic diversity issues.

Personal Qualities

• Commitment to and interest in working with people within medical settings.
• Commitment to working collaboratively with patients, their families/carers and staff to develop and improve services.
• Willingness to work as part of a team.
• Ability to work independently.
• Ability to communicate clearly and with sensitivity – verbally and in writing.
• Organised and flexible, able to prioritise workload.

Other

• Ability to travel between work sites in a timely manner.
• Ability to speak Welsh and willing to use in a work context.

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.

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board