Practitioner Psychologist or Specialist Psychological Therapist (CBT)

NHS; Brighton; Hybrid; GBP 47,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in Brighton is seeking a Practitioner Psychologist/Specialist Psychological Therapist to join their Sussex Eating Disorder Service (SEDS). The successful candidate will provide specialist assessments and therapies in an outpatient setting for adults with eating disorders, accompanied by mentoring and opportunities for significant professional development. This role emphasizes collaboration with a multidisciplinary team dedicated to enhancing service provision and offering support to staff well-being.

Benefits

Access to full psychological support

Excellent supervision programmes

Generous holiday entitlement

NHS Pension

Qualifications

• Experience in providing psychological therapy to adults with eating disorders.
• Strong commitment to evidence-based practice and collaborative work.
• Ability to manage challenging emotional situations.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist assessment and psychological therapy to adults in an outpatient setting.
• Champion individual interests or specialties relevant to eating disorders.
• Participate in research initiatives to improve treatment and support.

Skills

Specialist assessment

Psychological therapy

CBT

Team collaboration

Education

Degree in Psychology

Doctoral level training in Applied Psychology

Job description

Job summary

An opportunity has arisen for a Practitioner Psychologist/Specialist Psychological Therapist to join the Sussex Eating Disorder Service (SEDS). We are a passionate multidisciplinary team delivering NICE recommended treatments aiming to provide the best possible care to adults living with eating disorders.

Previous experience of working in an eating disorder service is desirable but not necessary, as we offer considerable in‑house and external training opportunities (including CBT‑T, CBT‑E and MANTRA). The post will be supervised by a senior psychological therapist within the team.

Covering the whole of Sussex, SEDS provides specialist eating disorder services across a large geographical area. There may be a requirement to travel across the area dependent on service demand, but we are mindful of staff members' work‑life balance and offer some working from home.

This is a chance to join an organisation that prioritises development of services in collaboration with experts through experience and carer's input, to work with dedicated and supportive colleagues.

We also welcome applications from SPFT staff interested in a secondment to SEDS (must be agreed with current line manager before applying).

Main duties of the job

Key responsibilities of the role:

• The post holder will provide specialist assessment and psychological therapy to adults with eating disorders in an outpatient setting.
• We are keen to foster individual interests or specialties relevant to eating disorders, which you would then champion to the wider team. Examples include working with specific co‑morbidity (e.g., personality disorder or autistic spectrum disorder), working with families or loved ones of people with eating disorders, or championing smooth transitions from CAMHS.
• Research is encouraged; you will be part of a team that values evidence‑based treatment and supports evidence‑generating practice. We have an innovative eating disorder research clinic (SPIRED) aiming to improve the treatment and support available to people with eating disorders, bringing together clinicians and people with lived experience.

About us

We are committed to supporting staff well‑being, developing new roles in teams, and have a thriving Recovery College. We have close links with local universities and support training schemes for clinical psychology and nursing, providing high quality placements.

The Trust is committed to strong integrated, collaborative leadership between managers and clinicians.

Your benefits

• Access to full psychological support via our internal wellbeing team.
• Excellent supervision programmes, with ongoing opportunities for training and development.
• Access to a host of discount schemes.
• A position within a trust rated as 'Outstanding' for caring and 'Good' overall by the CQC.
• Excellent NHS Pension.
• Generous holiday entitlement (starting at 27 days + 8 bank holidays).

About the Trust

We provide mental health and learning disability care for children, young people and adults across Sussex. SPFT is rated 'good' overall and 'outstanding' for caring by the CQC. In our staff survey:

• 82% agree that care for patients is our top priority.
• 70% highlight flexible working opportunities as key to satisfaction at work.
• 79% report feeling able to make improvement to improve the work within their team.
• 77% identify opportunities to show initiative in their roles.

About Sussex

Sussex is easily accessible from London, Gatwick, Surrey and Hampshire and is a beautiful county with good transport links, vibrant communities and tourist attractions, including the Coast and the South Downs.

Details

Date posted: 17 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for Change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year

Contract

Fixed term, 12 months

Working pattern

Full‑time, Flexible working.

Reference number

354-AC-21242

Job locations

East Brighton Community Mental Health Centre, Brighton, BN2 3EW

Requirements

Successful applications will be required to have:

• A degree in Psychology and Doctoral level training in Applied Psychology (or its equivalent for those trained before 1996 or outside the UK), or accredited training in CBT.
• See attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details.
• Contact Dr Amy Brown, SEDS Consultant Clinical Psychologist on 03003 040 090 or email [e-mail].

Person Specification

Qualifications – Essential

• Recognised/accredited postgraduate level training in a psychological therapy as specified in one of the Appendices.
• Professionally registered as specified in the same Appendix.

Desirable

• Additional pre- and/or post‑qualification training as specified in the same Appendix.

Knowledge/Experience – Essential

• Substantial post‑qualification/accreditation experience of specialist psychological therapy (assessment, formulation, treatment) as specified in the same Appendix, maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and threat of physical abuse.
• A high level of competence in applying a psychological therapy to complex difficulties appropriate for this therapy with the client group, and a proven track record of delivering positive outcomes.
• Experience of offering teaching, training and supervision within a demanding organisational context.
• A clear and theoretically informed approach to supervision.
• Experience of representing psychological therapy within the context of multidisciplinary care within a complex organisational context.
• Significant experience of working with the particular client group served by the team/service.
• Knowledge of guidance and legislation in relation to the client group.
• A high-level specialist knowledge of the theory and practice of specialist psychological therapy as specified in the same appendix, as applied to the client group using this service.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and a submission for Disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly CRB) is required 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. 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 are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found on Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer details

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
East Brighton Community Mental Health Centre
Brighton
BN2 3EW

Employer's website

https://www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk/