Lead Practitioner Psychologist (equivalent NHS AFC band 8b)

NHS; Greater London; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 81,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization is seeking a Lead Practitioner Psychologist to provide clinical supervision across drug and alcohol services, shaping a culture of learning and care. This permanent full-time position offers a competitive salary of up to £80,837 per annum. The role requires an accredited Doctorate in Psychology, strong leadership, and experience in psychological assessment. Join a dedicated team committed to supporting those affected by substance use in a collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• Accredited Doctorate in Psychology, registered with HCPC.
• Experience with co-occurring substance use and mental health problems.
• Leadership and managing clinical responsibilities.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical supervision to drug and alcohol services.
• Support staff development through training and consultancy.
• Oversee high-quality psychological assessments and interventions.

Skills

Psychological assessment

Clinical supervision

Leadership

Training and development

Communication

Education

Accredited Postgraduate Doctorate in Clinical/Counselling/Forensic Psychology

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity to join a fast‑paced and growing organisation.

We are looking for a Lead Practitioner Psychologist (equivalent NHS AFC band 8b) to provide clinical supervision to a range of our drug and alcohol services. This will also include focused support to our Kingston service where you will provide consultancy, supervision, training, and support our group programme.

This well-supported post is ideal for practitioners seeking to step into a leadership position whilst continuing to grow diverse skills that contribute to trauma‑informed working.

Main duties of the job

This role will provide clinical supervision to our services that do not yet have a dedicated in‑service psychological professional, including our young peoples' services (supervision can be online where geographically challenging).

Up to four days a week of this post will be dedicated to providing supervision to these services. One day a week, the postholder will be embedded in our Kingston service, playing a key role in shaping culture and processes.

As part of a multidisciplinary team, the postholder will help ensure that psychological thinking is a golden thread throughout our work, supporting development through consultancy, reflective practice, supervision, training, supporting our group programme, and clinical case management. The role will support other psychological professionals to develop and oversee the delivery of high‑quality psychological assessments and interventions.

About us

At Via, our mission is to provide the best health and wellbeing support to as many people as possible, helping them to change their lives for the better.

Last year, we supported over 11,000 people across the UK affected by alcohol and drug use.

Values

• Care – Care for people is at the heart of everything we do.
• Be human – We are accessible, genuine and humble. Always learning.
• Do the right thing – We’re open, honest, honest and inclusive. We get things done.

Details

Date posted: 19 December 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

Depending on experience Salary up to £80,837 per annum including London Weighting

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full‑time, Flexible working

Reference number

B0427-25-0003

Job locations

Surbiton Health Centre, Ewell Road, Surbiton, Surrey, KT6 6EZ

Job responsibilities

Role Purpose To provide strong clinical leadership across designated Via services, developing the role of psychology, supported by central Via Clinical Department (including clinical supervision).

To play a key role in shaping service culture and processes, ensuring person‑centred care, partnership working, inclusivity, and culture of learning.

To support staff development through consultancy, reflective practice, supervision, training, and clinical case management.

To oversee the delivery of high quality psychological assessment and interventions, as part of a multidisciplinary team.

Be responsible for the designated services less experienced Psychologists/Psychological Professionals, associated training placements, and Assistant Psychologists/Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioners (MHWPs). Key duties and activities of the role Clinical:

Provide highly specialist psychological assessments drawing on complex data from a variety of sources.

Formulate and implement plans involving specialist psychological treatment and/or management of problems, utilising joint working where appropriate.

Champion the application of psychological principles in care delivery, using theory, evidence‑based literature and research.

Undertake risk assessment and management relating to psychological interventions, and provide highly specialist advice on psychological aspects of risk, ensuring appropriate action in accordance with legislation, professional and organisational requirements and best practice guidance.

Record, monitor and report on highly complex clinical work and communicate (in accordance with organisational requirements), in a skilled and sensitive manner, clinical information (including assessment, formulation, treatment plans and progress) to a variety of recipients (e.g. people who use services, their significant others, other professionals, formal panels, statutory and voluntary organisations) orally, in writing and electronically.

Leadership: Provide highly specialist psychological guidance, consultation and training to other professionals.

Provide supervision and facilitate reflective practice sessions for recovery practitioners, less experienced psychological professionals, trainees (as appropriate with professional registration), assistant psychologists, and other team members where appropriate.

To be responsible for the continued development of less experienced Psychologists/Psychological Professionals, associated training placements, and Assistant Psychologists/MHWPs

Lead on development, implementation and local quality assurance of evidence based psychological interventions and pathways, e.g. our group work programme, talking therapies offer.

Ensure that the needs of people using our services are communicated to commissioners and partner agencies, advocating and representing the service in appropriate forums.

Utilise research skills for evaluation, policy and service development, as well as wider research.

Facilitate relevant audits/performance indicators and implementation of associated recommendations/action plans.

Lead in appropriate multidisciplinary/project meetings, advising on issues of service and policy development for the psychological care of service users, as well as wider operational and strategic issues.

Provide line management to less experienced Psychologists/Psychological Professionals, and Assistant Psychologists/Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioners (MHWPs).

Contribute to recruitment processes and the wider strategic plans regarding psychology, as appropriate.

Work collaboratively with partner agencies to improve our psychology provision (e.g. universities, commissioners), developing and facilitating pathways into wider services such as mental health teams and social services.

Provide teaching/supervision/practice assessment for relevant educational providers.

Contribute to the reporting of incidents, complaints and disciplinary matters to reduce the risk of recurrence.

General: Work autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the team’s policies and procedures.

Manage the emotional demands of working with individuals with complex needs, including behaviours that the service can find challenging to manage.

Develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of current duties. Work alongside management and their direct reports to effectively support a one team approach.

Person Specification Qualifications Essential

• Accredited Postgraduate Doctorate in Clinical/Counselling/Forensic Psychology (or its equivalent) as accredited by the BPS and registered with the HCPC as a Practitioner Psychologist.
• Additional psychological training (or willingness to undertake) in relevant therapeutic modality (e.g. compassion focussed approaches, CBT, DBT, AMBIT, EMDR).
• Experience in the psychological assessment and treatment of people with co‑occurring substance use and mental health problems, of varying severity, using formulation to inform complex decision making.
• Experience in the psychological assessment and treatment of young people struggling with substance use.
• Sound and demonstrable knowledge of psychological issues relating to problematic substance use, including safeguarding and risk management.
• Sound and demonstrable knowledge of psychological issues experienced by young people, including safeguarding and risk management.
• Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients psychological care and treatment, within the context of an MDT.
• Experience of facilitating partnership working.
• Experience of managing and supervising trainees, assistant psychologists/MHWPs, and qualified psychological practitioners.
• Experience of providing supervision, teaching, training and consultation to other professional/non-professional groups on complex psychological issues and risk.
• Experience of leading in clinical practice, service development or project work. Able to plan, prioritise and organise own clinical work. Demonstrable leadership skills, team working, communication and interpersonal skills.
• Experience of applying doctoral level knowledge of research methodology within practice, e.g. through routine outcome monitoring, audit and clinically related research.
• Skills in the effective communication of highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to a wide variety of recipients in a range of settings, including the ability to produce comprehensive and coherent letters, reports and associated documentation.
• A demonstrable understanding of Health and Social Care regulatory requirements including the CQC, NICE and any other relevant bodies.
• Good IT skills including use of Microsoft Office programs, digital meeting platforms and Case Management Systems.
• Solution-focused, with an inclusive and innovative approach to service development.
• The ability to work calmly under pressure, ensuring that deadlines are met, and ensure all information is recorded in a timely manner.
• The ability to communicate effectively, across mediums, settings, and audiences, information which may be highly emotive, complex and sensitive.
• A demonstrable commitment to working in partnership with other professionals such as criminal justice agencies, primary care, secondary care, commissioners, community groups and other stakeholders to achieve good outcomes for people who use our services.

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.

UK Registration

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

Employer details

Via

Surbiton Health Centre, Ewell Road, Surbiton, Surrey, KT6 6EZ

Website: https://via.ciphr-irecruit.com/Applicants/vacancy (Opens in a new tab)