Mhst Clinical Psychologist

Hertfordshire Partnership University Nhs Foundation Trust; Waterford; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 59,000; Full time

Job summary

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust is recruiting a Band 7 Clinical Psychologist for the MHST South team. The post supports children and families in educational settings, supervising EMHPs, SWPs and assistants, and contributing to risk assessment and service development.

The successful applicant will hold doctoral training in psychology, HCPC registration, and demonstrate experience with CBT-informed practice and multi‑disciplinary teams.

Qualifications

• Doctoral level training in Clinical Psychology or approved equivalent.
• Post registration experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment with children/adolescents.
• Registered as a Clinical Psychologist with the HCPC.
• Willingness or ability to supervise and provide consultation to other professionals.

Responsibilities

• Triage and provide psychological assessment and interventions for children and young people in educational settings.
• Attend university to complete a Postgraduate Certification in Supervision if not already done.
• Undertake and record accurate risk assessments and follow safeguarding procedures.
• Provide specialist psychological support to clients, carers and staff.
• Conduct risk assessments and advise on risk management for clients.
• Offer consultation to teachers and family workers on mental health issues.
• Enhance emotional wellbeing and resilience through educational workshops, assemblies, and PSHE lessons.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Teamworking

Problem solving

Education

HCPC registration

Doctoral training in Clinical Psychology

Job description

Job summary

Band 7 - Clinical Psychologist (MHST South)

This is an exciting opportunity for a Clinical Psychologist to join HPFT MHST South team. The post is designed for a psychologist who is ready to consolidate specialist skills while developing into a senior clinician.

The role will operate across MHST South including bases in 3Rivers, Hertsmere and Watford. The post holder will be expected to work from all locations in line with clinical need, team arrangements and service priorities.

The MHST South Clinical Psychologist will be expected to work as a member of the multi‑disciplinary school's Mental Health Support Team (MHST); assisting in the provision of a high quality service to children, young people and their families experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties. The role requires skills in assessing, planning, organising, reviewing and supervision.

The post holder should have completed or willing to complete a Postgraduate Certificate in Supervision course. This can be an EMHP supervision course, low intensity supervision course, or CYP-PT Supervision course.

The post holder will utilise their skills and knowledge of CBT informed interventions and child and adolescent mental health practice, to supervise the Education Mental Health Practitioners (EMHPs), Senior Wellbeing Practitioners (SWPs), Senior Practitioners, and assistant psychologists in the team.

• To triage and provide psychological assessment and interventions for children and young people in an educational setting
• If not already completed, the post holder will be expected to attend university to complete a Postgraduate Certification in Supervision
• Undertake and record accurate assessments of risk and operate clear risk management processes in line with locally agreed procedures including the safeguarding protocols of the educational setting and HPFT Safeguarding policy.
• To provide specialist expertise and psychological support to clients, their carers and staff working with the clients
• To undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and to provide advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management
• To provide consultation as required to other professionals (such as teachers and family workers) around mental health issues in children and young people in schools.
• To enhance emotional wellbeing and to promote or build resilience in children and young people through educational workshops, assemblies, and PSHE lessons.

About us

Hertfordshire NHS Partnership Trust are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from the Care Quality Commission.

Our family of over 4,000 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:

Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.

Details

• Date posted: 25 September 2026
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 7
• Salary: £51,657 to £58,785 a year per annum, pro rata (Inclusive of 5% HCAS)
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Full‑time, Flexible working
• Reference number: 367-CYP-101663
• Job locations: MHST South - Peace Children's Centre, Peace Prospect, Watford, WD17 3EW, United Kingdom

For full details of the main duties and responsibilities of the role please refer to the job description and person specification documents attached.

Person Specification

Knowledge/Training/Experience

Essential

• Doctoral level training in Clinical Psychology or approved equivalent.
• Training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice including CBT
• Post registration experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment with clients with a range of psychological needs
• Registered as a Clinical Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council.

Experience and Knowledge

Essential

• Assessed experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of children/adolescents with a wide range of presentations of varying severity. This would usually include at least 2 years post qualification experience, or other evidenced experience.
• Experience of working with mild to moderate mental health problems with a wide range of client groups across the whole life course with presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
• Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision
• Abilities to provide consultation to other professional and non-professional groups
• Good general knowledge of the literature and research concerning mental health interventions with children, particularly the clinical effectiveness of such interventions
• Knowledge of Child Protection Procedures
• Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for client's psychological care and treatment both as a professionally qualified care coordinator and also within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan
• Good presentation and teaching skills and ability to use multi‑media materials for formal presentations to large groups
• Experience of working within a multi‑cultural framework
• Already completed or willing to complete a postgraduate certificate in supervision; either a low intensity supervision course or Psychological Therapies supervision course

Desirable

• Experience of service quality monitoring e.g. clinical audit, evaluative research, etc
• Experience of having published in either peer reviewed academic or professional journals and/or books

Communication Skills

Essential

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to communicate orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/ or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
• Ability to work therapeutically with young people and their families
• Ability to work as a fully participating member of a multi‑disciplinary team and the ability to respect and value other members contributions
• Positive problem solving approach

Physical Skills

Essential

• Car driver (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010 which prevents you from driving)
• IT skills; include use of Microsoft Office and Outlook

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 the 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: Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Address: MHST South - Peace Children's Centre, Peace Prospect, Watford, WD17 3EW, United Kingdom

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

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

MHST Clinical Lead

Gemma Antoniak-Green

[e-mail]

07974846599

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.

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.

Applicants must have current UK professional registration.