Specialist Clinical/Counselling Psychologist OPS

NHS; Ashton-under-Lyne; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent healthcare provider in the UK seeks an 8a Preceptorship Clinical/Counselling Psychologist to support older adult inpatient services. This role involves providing psychological assessments and therapies for complex mental health issues, and requires a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and HCPC registration. The position offers opportunities for professional development within a supportive MDT environment and comes with a competitive salary and benefits package.

Benefits

Generous annual leave

Flexible working opportunities

Access to Continued Professional Development

Health and Wellbeing activities

Qualifications

• Clinical experience as a specialist clinical psychologist in a relevant field of practice.
• Experience of psychological assessment and intervention for complex service users.

Responsibilities

• Provide and supervise psychological assessments and interventions for complex mental health problems.
• Work closely with the multi-disciplinary team to support care planning.
• Provide line management and clinical supervision.

Skills

Complex psychological assessment

Strong communication skills

Training and consultation ability

Ability to work in MDT settings

Education

Professional Doctorate in clinical psychology

Registration with HCPC

Job description

Overview

An exciting opportunity for an 8a, or 7/8a Preceptorship Clinical/Counselling Psychologist to join the MDT working on the older adult inpatient wards in Tameside. This post is newly created as part of increased investment in Older Adult (OA) services to provide outstanding care for OA communities. You will be supported with supervision and guidance and belong to a compassionate Older Adult MDT committed to evidence-based, trauma-informed clinical care. There are CPD opportunities and opportunities to develop leadership skills to enhance contribution to the OA network and career progression.

Main duties

• Provide and supervise psychological assessments, formulations, interventions/therapies appropriate to a specialist psychological therapy service for service users with highly complex mental health problems/organic illnesses in the Older People Inpatient Service. Support the delivery of trauma-informed and personalised care to meet presenting need.
• Work closely as part of the multi-disciplinary team; support inpatient staff through consultation, care-planning, reflective practice, team formulation and training to develop a psychological understanding and context for patients and carers that is formulation-driven, recovery-focused and trauma- and gender-informed.
• Provide line management and clinical supervision; participate in service developments and governance; propose and implement evidence-based practice; utilise research skills for audit and service developments.

About us

We provide high quality mental health and learning disability services, inpatient and community-based, across five boroughs of Greater Manchester — Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, and Tameside and Glossop. Our vision is a happier and more hopeful life for everyone in our communities. We are proud of our #PennineCarePeople and strive to be a great place to work.

We encourage applications from all individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership. We also encourage applications from individuals with lived experience of mental illness, either personally or as a carer.

Benefits

• Generous annual leave entitlement for Agenda for Change and Medical and Dental staff
• Flexible working opportunities to support work/life balance
• Access to Continued Professional Development
• Involvement in improvement and research activities
• Health and Wellbeing activities and access to a staff wellbeing service
• Staff discounts across retail, leisure and travel

Details

Date posted: 30 January 2026

Pay scheme: Agenda for Change

Band: Band 8a

Salary: £55,690 to £62,682 a year pa

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Part-time

Reference: 311-T644-25-A

Job locations: Etherow Building, Tameside General Hospital, Fountain Street, Ashton-Under-Lyne, OL6 9RW

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification for specific details of primary responsibilities.

Person Specification

Education / Qualifications
Essential

• Professional Doctorate in clinical psychology recognised by the British Psychological Society or Counselling Psychology and registration with HCPC
• Specialist professional knowledge of psychological needs and services for older people and their carers, with some further specialisation within this (including relevant psychological theories, methods and evidence)

Desirable

• Pre-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology
• Further training/qualification in a specialist therapy, model of consultation or leadership skills
• Completion of training in supervision of trainee clinical psychologist

Experience
Essential

• Clinical experience as a specialist clinical psychologist in a relevant field of practice
• Experience of specialist psychological assessment, formulation and intervention for service users presenting with complexity in various settings (primary/secondary care, community, outpatient and inpatient)
• Experience of working with a wide variety of service user groups across the life span with varying clinical severity, maintaining professionalism under emotive and distressing conditions
• MDT working (including across community and acute care pathways)
• Experience of teaching, training, consultation and supervision

Knowledge
Essential

• Doctoral-level knowledge of research methodology, design and complex multivariate data analysis in clinical psychology
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development per BPS guidance
• Knowledge of practice implications of national policy and guidance for secondary care service users
• Knowledge of relevant mental health legislation

Desirable

• Knowledge of specialised psychological therapies for specific difficult-to-treat groups
• High-level knowledge of two or more specialised psychological therapies
• Formal training in supervision of other psychologists

Skills and Abilities
Essential

• Skills in complex psychological assessment, intervention and management requiring sustained concentration
• Strong communication skills to convey complex information to service users, families and professionals
• Ability to provide consultation to professionals and non-professionals
• Ability to teach and train using complex materials for presentations in public, professional and academic settings
• Ability to support clinical governance and manage practice under emotive circumstances

Desirable

• Experience of working within a multicultural framework
• Experience of working in an Older People Service
• Interest in increasing psychologically based interventions in acute care settings

Work Related Circumstances
Essential

• Use of a car or access to mobility to travel across the Trust footprint
• Willing to carry out all duties in line with Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies
• Enhanced DBS disclosure required for regulated activities

Other

Disclosure and Barring Service Check: This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires submission to the DBS to check for previous convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship: Applications from job seekers who require Skilled Worker sponsorship are welcome and will be considered with all other applications. For further information, see the UK Visas and Immigration website. Some guidance on overseas criminal records checks is provided.

UK Registration: Applicants must have current UK professional registration.

Employer details

Employer: Pennine Care NHS FT

Address: Etherow Building, Tameside General Hospital, Fountain Street, Ashton-Under-Lyne, OL6 9RW

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