Practitioner Psychologist

NHS; Greater London; On-site; GBP 56,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent healthcare provider in Greater London is seeking a Band 7 Specialist Practitioner Psychologist on a 9-month fixed-term contract. This crucial role involves conducting highly specialist assessments and providing evidence-based psychological interventions for young people facing complex mental health challenges. Candidates must hold a relevant professional doctorate or an equivalent qualification and possess experience in managing complex needs and risk behaviors. This position offers a supportive work environment focused on professional development.

Qualifications

• Experience of assessment and treatment of clients with complex needs and risk behaviors.
• Experience working with adolescent offending or young people at risk of harm/exploitation.
• Desirable: experience in clinical and forensic risk assessment and management.

Responsibilities

• Highly specialist assessments of young people with complex mental health needs.
• Provide evidence-based psychological interventions for young people and their families.
• Contribute to creating a psychologically safe environment.

Skills

Knowledge of CAMHS assessment

Ability to deliver therapy across cultural differences

Risk assessment and management

Ability to work in emotionally stressful situations

Education

Professional Doctorate or combined MSc plus diploma

Job description

Overview

The N&S CAMHS Adolescent At-risk & Forensic Service (AAFS) is a national and specialist service within the South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. AAFS is recruiting a 1 WTE Band 7 Specialist Practitioner Psychologist to join the team on a 9-month fixed term basis. This is an opportunity to work with young people and families who present with high risk alongside complex mental health needs and neurodiversity. The successful candidate will consolidate skills in formulation, intervention, and risk management within a skilled and supportive clinical team.

Responsibilities

• Highly specialist assessments of young people with complex mental health needs, high-risk behaviours (e.g., self-harm, aggression, sexual offending) and/or risk of exploitation (sexual and criminal). Assessments include structured risk and neuropsychological assessments.
• Provide direct and indirect evidence-based psychological interventions for young people, their families and the systems around them.
• Contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by creating a psychologically safe environment.
• Provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate.
• Undertake service evaluation, audit and research.
• Work as an autonomous professional within professional guidelines and codes of conduct and guided by service policies and procedures.

About us

We are a friendly and supportive team committed to professional and personal development, addressing inequality in access, experience and outcomes for children and staff from diverse backgrounds with an anti-racist approach. Our team includes clinical psychologists, a forensic psychologist, a social worker, clinical psychology trainees, MSc placement students, and assistant psychologists. We are involved in research with links to IoPPN, King\'s College London, and the Doctoral Training Programme in Clinical Psychology. We welcome applications from those with lived experiences of mental health and care services and from Black and minority groups.

Details

• Date posted: 04 February 2026
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 7
• Salary: £56,276 to £63,176 per year (incl. inner HCAs)
• Contract: Fixed term
• Duration: 9 months
• Working pattern: Full-time
• Reference number: 334-CLI-7725943
• Job locations: Michael Rutter Centre, DeCrespigny Park, London SE5 8AZ

Compliance

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires Disclosure to be checked by the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Qualifications & Experience

Qualifications Essential: Professional Doctorate or combined MSc plus diploma accepted by HCPC for registration as a Clinical or Forensic psychologist; additional training in a specialised area of psychological practice (CBT/DBT).

Experience Essential: Experience of assessment and treatment of clients with complex needs and risk behaviours; experience working with adolescent offending or young people at risk of harm/exploitation. Desirable: experience in clinical and forensic risk assessment and management (e.g., AIM-3, SAVRY).

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Knowledge of CAMHS assessment including clinical psychometrics and factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care.
• Ability to deliver therapy across cultural and other differences; skilled in risk assessment, risk formulation and management; ability to deliver evidence-based interventions with child, parent/carer and systems in at least one model (e.g., CBT, DBT).
• Ability to work effectively within a team and manage emotionally stressful situations.

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