Practitioner Psychologist

Keys Group; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading provider of specialist education and care is seeking a Practitioner Psychologist to provide psychological input and guidance for children and young people. This is a flexible role, ideal for those interested in child mental health, delivering therapeutic interventions, and supporting a broad range of teams. The candidate must be a registered HCPC professional and have a doctorate in psychology. A full UK driving licence is essential.

Qualifications

• Doctorate in Clinical, Forensic, Counselling or Educational Psychology required.
• Professional registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) is essential.
• Knowledge of impact of developmental trauma and adverse childhood experiences is crucial.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist psychological input across the designated region.
• Promote the Keys Connect clinical model for therapeutic practice.
• Deliver psychological interventions using a range of models and tools.

Skills

Knowledge of developmental trauma

Therapeutic approaches

Communication

Supervision

Education

Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalent

Professional registration with HCPC

Job description

Region - Services grouped by location and may be up to approximately 90 mins travel dependent on candidate location, Full UK Driving Licence required, As a HCPC registered Practitioner Psychologist, you will share our view that all children and young people deserve to be fully included and supported to feel safe and experience a real sense of connection in their homes and community. You will ideally have experience and knowledge of working with care experienced children and the teams that support them (teams around the child), particularly an understanding of the difficulties and risks our children and teams encounter. This is a flexible and varied role that will appeal to Psychologists with a keen interest in child and adolescent mental health, creating innovative, therapeutic, trauma responsive and caring environments and share the goal of enabling and inspiring our children.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist psychological input and guidance across the designated region.
• Promote and apply the Keys Connect clinical model to support therapeutic practice.
• Oversee assessment, formulation, and evidence based therapeutic planning for children and young people.
• Deliver psychological interventions using a range of models and tools.
• Offer psychological insight to inform referrals, placements, and operational decisions.
• Conduct risk assessments and advise on risk management strategies.
• Consult with carers, educators, families, and professionals to support psychological wellbeing.

Teaching/Training/Supervision/Consultation

• Deliver training on therapeutic approaches and applied psychology to internal and external professionals.
• Provide psychological consultation on assessment, intervention, and management.
• Advise on child trauma, attachment, and recovery in line with the Keys Connect model.
• Supervise and support team members as required.

Policy and Service Development

• Contribute a psychological perspective to clinical service development and planning.
• Support policy and service improvements through project work and guidance on psychological needs.
• Maintain effective communication with Local Authorities, NHS, and other agencies.

Evaluation/Research

• Stay up to date with research to inform evidence based practice and the Keys Connect model.
• Support outcome measure administration and, with approval, lead relevant research.
• Advise on research design and methodology as needed.

Professional/administrative

• Engage in supervision and CPD in line with professional guidelines (e.g. HCPC, BPS).
• Adhere to ethical codes, professional standards, and Keys Group policies.
• Maintain accurate records and collect relevant data.
• Promote equality, diversity and inclusion; challenge bullying and harassment.
• Safeguard children and report concerns promptly.
• Travel as required to fulfil role responsibilities.

Qualifications

• Essential: Doctorate in Clinical, Forensic, Counselling or Educational Psychology or equivalent
• Essential: Professional registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• Essential: Knowledge of the impact of developmental trauma and adverse childhood experiences on life trajectories
• Essential: Full clean driving licence and access to your own vehicle
• Desirable: Other clinical training such as CBT; Systemic Psychotherapy; DBT; DDP; EMDR

Due to the nature of the role, it is necessary for the appropriate level of criminal record disclosure to be undertaken (DBS).

Keys Group brings together three leading UK providers of specialist education, care and activities - Accomplish, Keys, and Peak - to support over 2,000 children, young people, adults and families across England and Wales. We deliver care through residential homes, schools, supported living and community based services, creating safe, nurturing and ambitious environments where everyone can thrive. Keys Group are very proud to have signed the Armed Forces Covenant that means we have made a commitment to welcoming service personnel, veterans and military families into the group. We are delighted to have veteran friendly policies, offer a Veterans Peer Support Network within our teams and are able to offer Military Awareness and support to our colleagues. As part of our commitment, we will offer a guaranteed interview to current and former service personnel providing that they meet the criteria of the role that they are applying for. If you feel that you meet the criteria for this, please ensure that you have your military experience detailed on your CV for one of our resourcing team to get in touch.