Psychological Therapist in Maternal Mental Health Service

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 47,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare trust in the UK is looking for a Psychological Therapist to provide psychological therapy for women experiencing mental health difficulties related to maternity. The ideal candidate should have substantial experience in trauma and loss, capacity to work in multidisciplinary teams, and doctoral-level qualifications in clinical or counselling psychology. The role offers a salary between £47,810 to £54,710 per year, with flexible working options, and is located across Colchester and Coastal Towns.

Benefits

NHS discounts for staff

Excellent Training facilities

Buying and Selling annual leave scheme

Day One Flexible Employer

Qualifications

• Must have significant experience in trauma-informed therapy.
• Experience in developing psychological therapies delivery.
• Knowledge of psychological therapies and their application to perinatal mental health.

Responsibilities

• Provide psychological assessment and therapy to women post-birth trauma.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams for a holistic approach.
• Participate in service reviews and contribute to service development.

Skills

Experience with trauma and loss

Experience working in multidisciplinary teams

Excellent communication skills

Self-motivated

Education

Doctoral level training in clinical or counselling psychology

Registration with professional bodies like HCPC

Training in trauma-informed approaches (EMDR, DBT, CBT)

Job description

Overview

Psychological Therapist in Maternal Mental Health Service (MMHS) – By Your Side

The closing date is 15 October 2025.

The Essex Maternal Mental Health Service (MMHS), By Your Side launched in October 2023 aims to integrate maternity, reproductive health and psychological therapy for women and birthing parents experiencing mental health difficulties arising from, or directly related to, the maternity experience. A fully therapeutic service has been offered since June 2024 for women and birthing parents accessing the 5 maternity units across Essex. This service provides targeted care and support to those who are not currently being met by other services, including those who have experienced trauma and loss in the perinatal period and who are not eligible for specialist perinatal mental health services. By Your Side provides therapeutic services for accessing the 5 maternity units across Essex to women and/or birthing parents who have a moderate to severe mental health response after perinatal loss, including:

• Termination
• Neonatal death (in the UK this is the death of a live-born baby that occurs within 28 days of birth)

The By Your Side clinical team includes clinical psychologists, psychological therapists and specialist maternal mental health midwives. The ability to work flexibly and positively in multidisciplinary teams is essential.

Main duties of the job

We are looking for Psychological Therapist (Clinical/Counselling Psychologist/CBT Therapist) at 0.6 WTE on a permanent basis.

Bases are across Colchester and Coastal Towns (Tendering, Clacton-on-Sea, Manningtree, Frinton-on-Sea), but you may be required to work across services within the geographical area in which the Trust operates. Hybrid working of both face to face and online work is encouraged, as well as home visiting when indicated.

They will provide psychological assessment and evidence-based psychological therapy to women who experience moderate to severe mental health difficulties following birth trauma, perinatal loss (including early miscarriage, recurrent miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death).

You will work collaboratively with the multi-disciplinary team of specialist maternal mental health midwives to provide a specialist, trauma-informed psychological service.

We are looking to recruit an experienced psychological therapist who has experience of working with people with trauma and/or loss to join our supportive and passionate team. There will be regular clinical supervision from the Clinical Lead/Principal Practitioner Psychologist.

About us

EPUT are looking for motivated staff who share our Trust values of Care, Learn and Empower. In return, EPUT can offer a range of benefits and development including:

• 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

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.

Join our Staff bank

What is 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.

Job responsibilities

The MMHS will form part of the broader community perinatal mental health service offer as well as sit within the EPUT Psychological Service Directorate. You will be part of a larger team of psychologists and psychological therapists specialising in perinatal mental health and you will receive support from the Clinical Lead. Experience of working with trauma and loss is essential for this role.

Please see attached Job description and specification for details regarding the responsibilities and tasks of this role.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

• Doctoral level training in clinical or counselling psychology (or equivalent) as accredited by the HCPC and BPS
• Or Allied Health Professional with registration to professional bodies such as HCPC, NMC as well as the BABCP Full Accreditation
• Or a practising accredited BABCP CBT Therapist
• Significant training in trauma-informed approaches such as EMDR, DBT, CBT for Trauma, MBT

Knowledge

• Understanding of the nature of trauma and loss presentations and how they can affect women's day-to-day life and impact upon recovery
• Experience or understanding of using an electronic information system
• Experience of developing psychological therapies delivery, demonstrating evidence-based decision making for interventions provided by the service
• Provide psychological consultation to other professionals both within and external to the service
• Knowledge of psychological and psychotherapeutic therapies and their application when working with perinatal trauma and loss presentations

Skills/experience

• Experience in advising on care and management of cases on the basis of risk assessment
• Assess and treat own specialist and complex case load in accordance with Trust clinical pathways, NICE guidance and evidence-based psychological practice
• Extensive experience of working with difficult, complex and challenging cases of families requiring skilled and complex interventions
• Extensive experience of working within an MDT. Experience of liaising and fostering good working relationships with providers of mental health services. Experience of taking clinical decisions regarding care planning and risk management
• Experience in the use of assessment tools, therapy and service evaluation tools
• Post-training experience of complex safeguarding issues and training
• Experience of developing psychological therapies delivery, demonstrating evidence-based decision making for interventions provided by the service
• Demonstrate the ability to lead, facilitate and support group work
• Experience of working within a team environment
• Self-motivated with a desire to contribute to the ongoing service development
• Participate in service reviews and research
• Able to demonstrate a level of flexibility, innovation and creativity in the working environment
• Experience of working in the NHS

Personal Qualities

• Communication and people skills: excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal, telephone manner including liaison with outside agencies
• Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
• Valid enhanced DBS clearance
• Resilience in dealing with emotive situations as may arise in the course of this role
• Ability to travel independently across a defined geographical area
• Shares the Trust's beliefs and models this in their attitude and behaviour

Additional Qualities

• Current Full UK Driving Licence and ability to travel across Trust sites
• Fitness for role as appropriate

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Salary: £47,810 to £54,710 per annum pro rata