Principal Clinical/Counselling Psychologist - Inpatient Psychology

Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust; Chelmsford; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in Chelmsford is seeking a Principle Clinical/Counselling Psychologist to join their Adult Inpatient Psychological Services Team. This role requires expertise in working with crisis presentations and leading a multidisciplinary team in delivering trauma-informed care. The successful candidate will enjoy flexible working conditions and be part of an innovating organization prioritizing staff well-being and development. Key responsibilities include clinical leadership, assessment, intervention, and team motivation.

Benefits

Season Ticket Loans

NHS discounts for staff

Excellent training facilities and opportunities

Buying and selling annual leave scheme

Salary sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work

Opportunity for flexible working requests

Qualifications

• Experience in secondary care health settings is essential.
• Capability for crisis presentations understanding is necessary.
• Prior experience within a multidisciplinary team is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical leadership and direction for psychological services.
• Work within the Inpatient and Urgent Care Unit to deliver trauma informed services.
• Supervise staff and motivate team members in psychological services.

Skills

Excellent assessment and formulation skills

Ability to work with Service Users in crisis

Good supervisory skills

Capacity for professional recommendations and risk informed decisions

Interest in multifunctional team (MDT) working

Education

Registration with Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)

Eligibility for registration with a professional body (BPS)

Job description

Vacancy at Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

An exciting new opportunity has arisen for 1WTE 8b Principle Clinical/Counselling Psychologist to join our Adult Inpatient Psychological Services Team in Chelmsford*.

You will be joining us at a time of implementation of the new Inpatient Operating Model, which also aims to realise EPUTs commitment to become a trauma informed organisation.

We have a proven track record of valuing and investing in our staff. Many of our Consultant Psychologists have been promoted within EPUT. We value staff well-being and understand the importance of flexible working to maintain a work/home life balance and offer different configurations, including compressed hours.

If you would like to be a part of shaping and contributing to innovation in mental health delivery, are a champion of quality initiatives and have an interest in delivering interventions for people with severe mental health problems then we are keen to interview you and see if we can offer you the opportunities you deserve!

Responsibilities

The main duties of this job involve both clinical and line managerial responsibilities. The post holder will haveexcellent assessment, formulation and intervention skills as well as an ability to work short-term with Service Users who present in crisis. They will also have good supervisory skills and an ability to motivate our Inpatient Psychological Services staff who include senior Psychological Practitioners, trainees, Arts Psychotherapists and our newly appointed Clinical Associates in Psychology trainees (CAPS). A wider systemic understanding of team and organisational dynamics or an interest in developing this is welcomed. Duties also cover indirect working such as representation at Trust wide meetings, chairing local service development groups staff training and staff support initiatives (e.g. reflective practice). The post-holder will work within the Inpatient and Urgent Care Unit to help shape and deliver trauma informed services.

The successful candidate will be skilled and experienced in working in secondary care health settings and within a multidisciplinary team. Working with and formulating complexity as well as understanding crisis presentations is essential for this role. The abilityto make professional recommendations and risk informed decisions alongside the ward team is key, as well as a passion for partnership and MDT working.

Qualifications

Registration with Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) is essential as well as eligibility for registration with a professional body (BPS).

Benefits and Development

• Season Ticket Loans
• NHS discounts for staff
• Excellent Training facilities and opportunities
• Buying and Selling annual leave scheme
• The opportunity to work bank shifts and expand knowledge and experience in other areas
• Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work
• Day One Flexible Employer

Flexible Working

The Trust supports and actively encourages flexible working for all employees. We offer many options and you are encouraged to ask the recruiting manager what is possible for this role. If appointed, you will have the opportunity to apply for a flexible working request from the first day of your employment.

We welcome discussions about flexible and part-time working. When appropriate, remote ways of working will be utilised in this role.

Staff Bank

Our EPUT NHS staff bank is an entity managed by the trust that hires clinical and non-clinical healthcare professionals to take on shifts at our trust hospitals and community settings. Here at EPUT we maintain our own bank of specialist staff to ensure that we are able to offer safe and effective care at all times.

All our permanent staff are automatically enrolled onto the staff bank however this does not mean you have to work any additional shifts, but the option is there for you if you wish.

If you are joining our Trust in a fixed term role, please indicate on your New Starter Paperwork that you wish to join our staff bank.

About the Team

We, the Adult Inpatient Psychological Services team aim to understand the impact of trauma and adverse experiences on an individual’s crisis presentation within the hospital setting. We work together with our MDT colleagues and wider Care unit colleagues to ensure our Service Users experience purposeful inpatient admissions and timely discharges.

EPUT’s Adult Inpatient Psychological Services team cover 6 inpatient sites across Essex. Each site has a Principle Lead overseeing the area/areas. Our team is comprised of Principle/Senior Practitioners, Arts Psychotherapists, trainees, assistant psychologists and CAPS. We acknowledge the excellent day-to-day work of our staff team and also pride ourselves on new creative practice as evidenced by recent innovations; such as our nationally recognised staff training packages.

The post holder will work alongside our four 8bs in our existing leadership team to ensure that the Adult Inpatient Psychological Services team is current, evidence-based and in line with best practice and Trust standards. Flexible and adaptive clinicians will prosper in this role as well those individuals who enjoy innovative practice. The successful candidate will oversee the psychological services staff who are based at The Linden Centre, Chelmsford. The post holder will also provide day to day psychological therapy into some of the Linden Centre wards including the PICU. They will offer clinical leadership, evaluation and service monitoring. They will work autonomously within professional guidelines to provide a high quality Inpatient Psychological Service to Service Users, assisting or leading in service development and project management as agreed.

Contact

Please contact Dr Sophie Bellringer, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, [e-mail] (07583136523) for further discussion.

This advert closes on Sunday 25 Jan 2026.