Perinatal Clinical/Counselling Psychologist/CBT Psychotherapist

NHS; Dewsbury; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading NHS Foundation Trust as a Perinatal Clinical/Counselling Psychologist where you will provide high-quality psychological care for women dealing with mental health challenges during pregnancy and postpartum periods. This role offers opportunities for professional development, including training in specialist therapeutic interventions, as part of a dedicated mental health team in Kirklees and Calderdale. The position requires a commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of families, alongside a supportive environment for ongoing career progression.

Qualifications

• Clinical/Counselling Psychologist with training in multiple modalities.
• Experience in psychological assessment and intervention.
• Demonstrated ability to manage risk and provide supervision.

Responsibilities

• Provide psychological assessments and interventions for perinatal women.
• Offer clinical supervision to staff and manage risks.
• Conduct audits and facilitate service development.

Skills

Psychometric Assessment

Intervention Techniques

Empathy

Communication

Education

Doctorate in Clinical or Counselling Psychology

HCPC Registration

Job description

Go back South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust

Perinatal Clinical/Counselling Psychologist/CBT Psychotherapist

The closing date is 24 June 2025

TheSouth West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust are pleased to offer anexciting opportunity to join our Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Team. We are currently recruiting for 1 band 8a Clinical Psychologist / Counselling Psychologist / Senior CBT psychotherapistwith additional training in at least 1 other modality such as EMDR, to coverthe Kirklees and Calderdale locality.

We are looking for ahighly motivated HCPC registered Clinical Psychologist / Counselling Psychologist / SeniorCBT Therapist. We are also able to offer preceptorship for people looking todevelop their expertise in the perinatal field and applicantswill be recruited at band 7 or 8a according to experience. We supportcontinuing professional development and there will be opportunities to take onfurther training in specialist interventions or therapies as agreed in linemanagement. The posts are supported in the service by a Principle ClinicalPsychologist and there is specialist supervision available.

All employees of the Trust are strongly encouraged to befully vaccinated against COVID-19 to protect patients.

For full job description, please see attached supportingdocuments.

At the time of advertising, this role does meet the minimum requirements set by UK Visas and Immigration to sponsor candidates to work in the UK. We look forward to receiving your application.

Main duties of the job

Thepost holder will provide psychological assessments, formulations andinterventions for womenexperiencing complex mental health issues during pregnancy and the first 2years postnatally, alongside their babies and families. The post also involves providing clinicalsupervision to multidisciplinary colleagues and requires excellentcommunication skills alongside competence in working with and managing risk inrelation to both mother and baby.

Thesuccessful candidate will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the uniquechallenges of working with women during the perinatal period. Experience of working clinically withparent-infant relationships, couples/families or groups would be advantage.

Thepost advertised is to work in Kirklees and Calderdale area but travelacross the Trusts footprint is required on an ad-hoc basis as we are a trustwide service to help manage capacity and demand. The Service operatesMonday-Friday; 9.00am-5.00pm however successful applicants would be expected tohave the flexibility to work occasional extended hours to facilitate serviceeffectiveness. Car driver essential.

Please contact Claire Lowe Perinatal Service Manager [e-mail] further details or Jo Yates Perinatal Principle Clinical Psychologist [e-mail].

About us

Weare a specialist NHS Foundation Trust that provides community, mental healthand learning disability services for the people of Barnsley, Calderdale,Kirklees and Wakefield. We also provide low and medium secure services and arethe lead for the west Yorkshire secure provider collaborative.

Our mission isto help people reach their potential and live well in their communities, we do thisby providing high-quality care in the right place at the right time. We employstaff in both clinical and non-clinical services who work hard to make adifference to the lives of service users, families and carers.

We encourageand welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups, we valuediversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities.

Beinga foundation Trust means were accountable to ourmembers, who can have a say in how were run. Around 14,300 local people(including staff) are members of our Trust.

Joinus and you will be one of over 4,500 staff committed to supporting and improvingthe mental, physical and social needs of the thousands of people we meet andhelp each year.

Weare committedto safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people andvulnerable adults and expects all colleagues and volunteers to share thiscommitment.

We do reserve to right to close vacancy before the advertised closing date if necessary, so please apply as soon as possible.

Job responsibilities

This job description is an outline of the main duties of the post. The postholder will be required to undertake other duties commensurate with the grade as directed.The content of this post will be reviewed in consultation with the postholder when necessary and in line with the service developments.

JOB PURPOSE:

The post holder will provide a high quality specialist clinical psychology service to clients as part of the multidisciplinary team within the service.

Provide highly specialist psychological assessment and intervention.

Provide advice and consultation on psychological care to non-psychologist colleagues, and other, non-professional carers, working autonomously within professional guidelines, and the overall framework of the team and trusts policies and procedures.

Supervise and support Psychology Assistants, Trainees and Band 7 HCPC Registered Clinical Psychologists.

To utilise research skills for audit, policy, service development and research within the areas served by the team/service.

To offer consultation and supervision when required by other agencies involved in the psychological, emotional and behavioural well-being of serive users

To provide supervision of Band 7 Clinical Psychologists, doctoral level clinical psychology trainees, assistant psychologists and trainees from other disciplines as appropriate.

We are aware that an increasing number of applicants are using AI technology to generate responses on NHS Job application forms. Over reliance on AI-generated content in application forms is strongly discouraged and we will conduct a thorough screening process before selecting candidates to progress to the next stage. If you are using AI to enhance your application, please disclose this in your NHS Jobs application form.

Person Specification

Training

• Clinical Counselling Psychologist
• Completion of formal training to meet eligibility as clinical supervisor of Doctoral Trainee Clinical Psychologists.
• Highly Specialist Psychotherapist
• Approved Clinical Supervisor.
• Post qualification training to demonstrate competency to work across a number of modalities.
• Evidence of recent and relevant continuous professional development.

Experience

• Clinical/Counselling Psychologist
• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings including outpatient, community, primary care and inpatient settings.
• Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course 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.
• Frequent, protracted sustained and intense concentration.
• Show respect and treat people with dignity.
• Be able to give bad news sensitively.
• Be able to sustain empathy in difficult situations.
• Be aware of all interviewees in any situation.
• Highly Specialist Psychotherapist
• Substantial post qualification experience, some of which must be working with users of the service.
• Substantial experience of working as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Ability to prioritise case referrals, assessment and discharge effectively on an individual basis or within multidisciplinary team.
• Counselling Psychologist
• Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
• Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
• Experience of groupwork.
• Highly Specialist Psychotherapist
• Specialist expertise in particular areas Group work experience.

Qualifications

• Clinical/Counselling Psychologist
• Doctorate in Clinical or Counselling Psychology.
• Significant Post qualification experience in a Setting relevant to the post.
• HCPC Registration as a Clinical or Counselling Psychologist.
• Highly Specialist Psychotherapist
• Registered qualification in core mental health/social welfare profession OR completion of Low Intensity Talking Therapies (IAPT) Training and Knowledge/Skills and Attitudes Accreditation with BABCP.
• Qualifying level course in Psychotherapy or equivalent at Masters/Doctoral level.
• Registration/ Accreditation with the relevant professional/accrediting body for the model of psychotherapy relevant to this post. , e.g. UKCP, ACAP, BABCP.

Physical Attributes

• Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post.
• A satisfactory sickness record over the previous 2 years (subject to the need to act with fairness and equality of opportunity, particularly where the sickness is related to a disability and/or pregnancy).

Personal Attributes

• Clinical Counselling Psychologist
• Ability to travel around the Trust as appropriate to the role.
• To transport Psychometric testing equipment.
• Highly Specialist Psychotherapist
• Enthusiastic, self-motivated team player.
• Teaching skills.
• Physical stamina to support clinical caseload which requires intense concentration whilst sitting with client groups or in video screen rooms observing clients for prolonged periods.
• Emotional stamina and ability to respond constructively in highly stressful situations where individuals hold very different perspectives and there is a high level of distress, ambiguity and conflict.
• Able to negotiate, be confident and assertive.
• Ability to work on own initiative.
• Supportive approach towards colleagues and service users.
• Able to maintain professional boundaries and conduct.
• Flexible and creative approach to treatments/models of care.
• Ability to travel around the Trust as appropriate to the role.
• Highly Specialist Psychotherapist
• A commitment to the continuous improvement of services using feedback from individual clients, families, user surveys and clinical research.
• A demonstrated interest in supporting the development of the field through participation in professional bodies and activities.

Special Knowledge & Skills

• Clinical Counselling Psychologist
• Good Psychometric Assessment skills.
• Experience of assisting in training of Post Graduate Clinical Psychology Trainees.
• Exceptional communication skills in verbal, non verbal and written modes.
• Ability to empathise and develop good therapeutic alliance.
• Ability to Formulate Complex processes.
• Capacity to conduct Psychometric Assessment.
• Ability to travel around the Trust as appropriate to the role.
• Manual Dexterity for conducting tests.
• Highly Specialist Psychotherapist
• Advanced knowledge and skills in using the complete range of approaches within psychotherapeutic practice as required to meet the needs of different patients and settings.
• Highly developed skills in live supervision of both psychotherapists and multi-disciplinary colleagues.
• A highly developed ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, in order to convey complex and clinically sensitive information to service users of all ages and to a wide range of professionals.
• Ability to prioritise case referrals, assess and discharge effectively on an autonomous basis or within the multidisciplinary team.
• Ability to take clinical responsibility for patient care and treatment.
• Ability to maintain a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical violence.
• Information technology and word processing skills.
• Skills in the use of video equipment.
• Ability to work with a culturally diverse community.
• Sufficient knowledge of other modalities to engage appropriately with colleagues and their work with clients.
• Ability to identify and employ as appropriate, Clinical Governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice.
• Understanding of the ethical guidelines in all areas of professional conduct.
• Ability to make evidence based therapeutic interventions.
• Awareness of current relevant legislation and National Service Frameworks and their implications for clinical practice.
• Understanding of risk assessment and management.
• Excellent communication and liaison skills.
• Ability to work autonomously making decisions based on sound judgement and to set appropriate goals, in accordance with professional ethical guidelines and Trust policies.
• Ability to manage working in situations of acute distress e.g. clients experience of physical, sexual and emotional abuse; client starvation and self-harm.
• Clinical Counselling Psychologist
• Working with people in Crisis.
• Working on an in-patient Psychiatric ward.
• Highly Specialist Psychotherapist
• Research awareness.
• Working with service users with complex needs.
• Knowledge of associated legislation Care Programme Approach.

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.

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust

Address

8 Fox View Hub, Dewsbury District Hospital

8 Fox View Hub, Dewsbury District Hospital