Practitioner Psychologist

Pebbles Care Limited; West Yorkshire; Remote; GBP 48,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative care provider is seeking a dedicated Practitioner Psychologist to join their expanding psychology department. This role focuses on delivering therapeutic support to care-experienced children and young people, ensuring they receive the best possible care. You will engage in reflective practice, conduct psychological assessments, and collaborate with care teams to create nurturing environments. With a strong emphasis on continuous professional development, this position offers the chance to make a meaningful impact in the lives of vulnerable young people. Join a forward-thinking organization that values your expertise and supports your growth in a dynamic and fulfilling role.

Benefits

Monthly car allowance

28 days of holidays

Auto-enrolment into pension scheme

Life assurance scheme

Cash-back health care package

Discounted gym memberships

Salary sacrifice pension scheme

Membership to benefits scheme

Qualifications

• HCPC registration required for Practitioner Psychologist.
• Experience with care-experienced children is essential.

Responsibilities

• Provide psychological assessments and interventions for children.
• Deliver training and support to care teams on mental health.

Skills

Trauma-informed care

Child and adolescent mental health

Therapeutic parenting

Psychological assessment

Risk assessment and management

Education

Doctorate in Clinical, Forensic or Counselling Psychology

Tools

Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP)

Job description

Are you a Practitioner Psychologist who enjoys supporting care experienced children and young people and the teams around them to flourish? Are you looking for an exciting new role? Pebbles Care is delighted to announce the expansion of our Psychology department, and we are on the lookout for a Clinical/Counselling/Forensic Psychologist to join the team.

The role will be home-based, but travel to services throughout the north of England and south of Scotland is required.

You will provide reflective therapeutic practice within the homes in your region, primarily through consultation, assessment, formulation, training, and direct work with children and young people. We strongly focus on CPD, so we will encourage you to engage in regular CPD and research interests appropriate to the role.

Your Role and Responsibilities

As an HCPC registered Practitioner Psychologist, you will be at the forefront of delivering a needs-led professional service, helping our children and young people reach their full potential during their time with us. Our children may stay with us for varying durations, from a few months to several years, so a dynamic and adaptable approach will be crucial.

Ideally, you will have experience working with care-experienced children and the teams that support them. This varied role will appeal to Psychologists with a keen interest in trauma-informed care, therapeutic parenting, and child and adolescent mental health. You will have the opportunity to be innovative and creative within your role, helping to develop therapeutic, trauma-responsive, and caring environments.

What we offer you

• A salary of £48,000 to £60,000 per annum (depending on experience)
• Your hours of work are 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
• A monthly car allowance
• You will receive 28 days of holidays per annum and auto-enrolment into the company pension scheme.
• A life assurance scheme
• You will be eligible for our cash-back health care package through Medicash, which offers cash back for dental treatments, optical services, various therapies, 24/7 access to a GP, and discounted gym memberships.
• Salary sacrifice pension scheme (Scottish Widows).
• Membership to our benefits scheme (Enjoy Benefits).

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• To provide specialist psychological input and undertake comprehensive psychological assessments of children and young people
• To undertake a range of psychological interventions as appropriate, drawing on various psychological methods, models, and tools relevant to delivering therapeutically informed care.
• To provide a specialist psychological perspective regarding children referred to Pebbles Care.
• To undertake psychologically based risk assessment and risk management and provide advice on the psychological aspects of risk management to practice teams.
• To formulate and implement plans for evidence-based therapeutic and psychologically led care which conforms to the standards outlined by the HCPC and BPS.
• To provide clinical supervision to team members
• Provide guidance, advice, consultation, support, and training to our care and education teams on the management of child and adolescent mental health problems/neurodiversity/risk behaviours in a trauma-informed way.
• Work in partnership with external agencies, such as CAMHS and Children's Social Care, as required.
• Embed a trauma-informed approach that recognises the impact of ACEs on a child's mental health.
• Plan service delivery in conjunction with the broader team.
• To provide training in therapeutic approaches and associated applied psychology subjects and to share skills and learning with colleagues in care and education teams.
• To be responsible for relevant data collection on work activities, as required, and to maintain a high standard of record keeping.
• To undertake reasonable travelling requirements to fulfil the tasks and responsibilities of the role.
• Continuously develop professional knowledge and expertise, attending and participating in learning and development events, meetings, conferences, and events to ensure up-to-date knowledge relevant to the role and service development.
• Attend and participate in regular team and other meetings, both internal and external.

Essential qualities that we look for include:

• Doctorate in Clinical, Forensic or Counselling Psychology
• Professional registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• Post-doctoral knowledge of applied psychology, including the impact of developmental trauma and adverse childhood experiences on life trajectories.
• Knowledge and experience in supporting carers in therapeutic parenting and attachment-based approaches, such as Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP).
• Experience in offering supervision to trainee psychologists/other professions
• Experience of trauma-informed working with children and young people
• Knowledge and skills in a range of therapeutic interventions relating to mental health and emotional well-being, including trauma therapy
• Culturally competent practice with people from a range of diverse backgrounds.
• Experience in safeguarding and child protection.
• Experience in assessing and managing self-harm, risk, crisis management, and safeguarding and in supporting all staff members in assessing and managing risk.
• Experience in using audit and analytical skills and implementing change
• Experience of working with children in a residential setting (desirable)
• Experience in teaching, training, and supervision

Desirable Qualities we look for to include:

• Relevant training and experience/specialist short courses, with evidence of specialist training obtained through continuous professional development

What sets Pebbles apart from other care providers?

• Our mission is to continue to lead the way in offering bespoke therapeutic care and education to vulnerable young people.
• We offer a clear development pathway and have recently incorporated an in-house leadership and development programme for anyone who wishes to progress in their career.
• Pebbles has 50 beautiful homes and 2 established schools across North England and Scotland for children and young people.
• We specialise in providing residential child care for vulnerable young people between the ages of 8 and 18.
• We have innovative plans for growth in 2025 and beyond.
• We have a wealth of skills and knowledge to share with you and 21 years of experience supporting young people to unlock brighter futures.
• Pebbles has excellent employee benefits and discounts that support your health and well-being.