Mental Health Homelessness Senior Psychologist/Psychotherapist

NHS; Canterbury; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 63,000; Part time

Job summary

A healthcare provider is seeking a highly motivated Mental Health Homelessness Senior Psychologist/Psychotherapist for a part-time role in Canterbury. This important position involves undertaking assessments and providing therapeutic interventions for homeless individuals, ensuring clinical effectiveness through research and collaborative practice. Candidates must have a relevant postgraduate qualification and experience in mental health settings, with a valid UK driving license. The organization is committed to improving mental health care delivery and embraces diversity in applications.

Qualifications

• Experience working in a mental health discipline for at least one year.
• Ability to work with a range of age groups and disabilities.
• Experience with homeless clients is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Formulate brief psychologically informed treatment plans.
• Implement a range of psychological therapeutic interventions.
• Consult and provide specialist psychological guidance to families.

Skills

Experience working as a qualified specialist psychologist/psychotherapist

Understanding of drug and alcohol problems

Ability to administer complex psychometric test materials

Working in various mental health settings

Education

Good honours degree in Psychology

Post-graduate doctorate in clinical/counselling psychology

Job description

Job summary

We are seeking a highly motivated Mental Health Homelessness Senior Psychologist/Psychotherapist. The post holder will be part of the Kent and Medway Homelessness Service, which provides screening and assessment of physical and mental health to homeless and vulnerably housed adults in the East Kent area.

The post holder will undertake high quality direct (assessment and therapeutic) and indirect (consultative, advisory and evaluative) specialist psychology interventions within the service and taking substantial professional responsibility and exercising autonomous judgement in their professional practice.

The post holder will ensure the clinical effectiveness of own practice and of service functioning by undertaking research and development relevant to the service area.

The service is based on an outreach model and is delivered through a range of outreach activities and venues and linked with other key health, social and voluntary agencies.

The post holder must hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car/vehicle to use for business purposes (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).

Don't wait, apply now!

About us

We are the Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust. We care for the mental health and wellbeing of people across Kent and Medway. Our teams support adults with a wide range of mental health needs. Because we cover the whole county and both hospital and community settings, we can make care more joined up and easier to access for the 1.8 million people of Kent and Medway. Rated 'Good' by the CQC, we care for over 2,000 people in our hospitals and 54,000 in the community each year.

Our vision is simple: We are here to help communities not just live with mental illness, but live well. It's why we're passionate about working with communities to make mental health care better for everyone. And everything we do is guided by our values caring, inclusive, curious and confident.

Join us - if you share our passion for better mental health care and want to be part of a team that's doing well together.

Details

Date posted: 22 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£55,690 to £62,682 a year Per annum Pro rota

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

380-EK376-B

Job location

Laurel House, Old Dover Road, Canterbury, CT1 3HH

Main duties of the job

To participate in regular clinical supervision receiving professional support appropriate to the newly qualified grade and to negotiate further specialist supervision, development and training with the Head of Speciality including training in advanced supervision skills. To work within the Code of Ethics and the relevant professional practice guidelines of the relevant recognised professional body and the professional guidance framework of the Trust. To work within the framework of the policies and procedures of the Trust. To be responsible for the relevant data collection on work activities, as required, and to maintain a high standard of clinical record keeping. To participate fully in supporting the activities of the Psychological Therapies Services within the Trust, including attending relevant meetings. Be responsible for ensuring a regular process of review is in place to detect incidents that indicate adverse quality of care, and triangulate.

Responsibilities

To formulate and implement plans of brief psychologically informed treatment or management of clients mental health problems based on a multi-factorial psychological understanding and current evidence-based best practice. To undertake a range of psychological therapeutic interventions, drawing on a range of psychological models and employing a range of modalities (individual, family and group) adapted and tailored to the needs of the individual and the context and the ongoing evaluation of the outcomes of the intervention. To be responsible for providing a specialist psychological perspective in the assessment of service users and their families and contribute specialist psychological advice and support regarding referral decisions for mental health intervention. To contribute highly specialist psychological advice to the multi-disciplinary formulation of appropriate therapeutic approaches or intervention plans, and to be involved in, or oversee specialist psychological aspects of their implementation in collaboration with other staff. To undertake psychologically based risk assessment and risk management for relevant clients and provide advice on the psychological aspects of risk to the Mental Health Homelessness Service. To consult with and provide specialist psychological guidance to carers and families of service users. To take substantial professional responsibility and exercise autonomous professional judgement with regard to their professional practice.

Person Specification

Experience - Essential

• Experience working as a qualified specialist psychologist / psychotherapist for a minimum of one year.
• Good understanding and knowledge of drug and alcohol problems.
• Professional background in a mental health discipline to at least first-degree level (for example, nursing, psychology, occupational therapy, social work, psychiatric medicine).
• Ability to administer accurately and speedily, complex psychometric text materials.
• Experience of working in range of mental health settings with a range of levels of disability and full range of age groups.

Experience - Desirable

• Experience of working with homeless clients.
• Postgraduate level knowledge of research methodology, research design and specialist research techniques appropriate for the study of psychotherapeutic process.
• Experience of teaching, training and or providing clinical supervision.
• Prequalification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and or other fields of applied psychology.
• High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.

Knowledge and Skills - Essential

• Good honours degree in Psychology. Post-graduate doctorate in clinical/counselling psychology (or its equivalent) as accredited by the HCPC/BPS. Relevant specialist training in the skills required for the specialty area. Clinical supervision training for supervision of Doctoral trainees on placement.
• Specialist post graduate training to Masters level or equivalent in a Psychotherapeutic modality (for example CBT or Psychodynamic Psychotherapy) leading to accreditation/registration with UKCP/BABCP or equivalent.
• Ability to comprehend and communicate verbally and in writing highly complex and sensitive information in a manner appropriate to a range of settings and audiences, including complex highly emotive situations and those with significantly impaired communication capacities.

Knowledge and Skills - Desirable

• Experience of working in with marginalised groups.
• High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.
• Postgraduate level knowledge of research methodology, research design and specialist research techniques appropriate for the study of psychotherapeutic process.

Training and Qualifications and Registration - Essential

• Post-graduate doctorate in clinical/counselling psychology (or its equivalent) as accredited by the HCPC/BPS.

Training and Qualifications and Registration - Desirable

• Training in psychometric assessment or equivalent.

We are serious about diversity and inclusion, and we are working hard to build this into our DNA. We warmly welcome applications for any of our roles from people from diverse backgrounds, and we are proactively encouraging applications from under-represented communities for our more senior roles, like this one.

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

Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust

Laurel House, Old Dover Road, Canterbury, CT1 3HH

Employer's website

https://www.kentmedwaymentalhealth.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)