Psychologist Band 8b

NHS; Stafford; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare trust in the United Kingdom is seeking a qualified Psychologist Band 8b to deliver specialist psychological assessments and interventions for patients within their Eating Disorders Service. This role involves working autonomously with responsibilities for training, supervision, and contributing to service development. Ideal candidates will possess extensive experience in clinical psychology and HCPC registration. The position offers a dynamic environment focused on improving patient care and career growth opportunities.

Benefits

Great career development

Ongoing training and support

Qualifications

• Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice.
• Experience of working as a qualified clinical psychologist at a highly specialist level.
• Proficient in working with diverse client populations across all age groups.

Responsibilities

• Provide holistic and specialist psychological assessments and interventions.
• Lead or contribute to training, supervision, and governance aspects.
• Work autonomously within professional guidelines.

Skills

Communication skills

Complex psychological assessment

Clinical supervision

Research design and methodology

Education

Post-graduate doctoral level training in psychology

HCPC registration as a practitioner psychologist

Job description

Go back Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Psychologist Band 8b

The closing date is 02 February 2026

You are invited to apply to our Clinical Psychological Therapist post in the MPFT Eating Disorders Service.

The post-holder will work as an integrated member of the multidisciplinary team, providing specialist psychological assessment and evidence-based psychological interventions to people accessing our Eating Disorders Service across in-patient, day-patient and out-patient settings.

The post-holder will also be involved in the new and exciting service development initiatives across the service.

There will be opportunities of teaching and training of other professionals across the teams.

The post-holder will receive clinical supervision as part of the wider provider collaborative and receive professional supervision from MPFT's Mental Health Psychology Professional Lead.

Main duties of the job

To provide holistic and specialist psychological assessments and interventions for people with eating disorder services primarily within inpatients but also across day services and outpatients in accordance with NICE guidance.

As a senior clinician with specialist post-qualification training, the post holder will take responsibility for development of a specific area of psychological knowledge within the eating disorder team. This will include leading or contributing to training, supervision and governance aspects of the specific therapeutic model or approach.

To supervise and support the psychological assessment and therapy provided by other clinical members of the team who provide psychologically informed care and treatment.

To provide clinical supervision to identified members of the eating disorder team.

To provide consultancy to the team regarding psychological approaches to considering both clinical cases, clinical formulations and team culture.

To work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of psychological practice within the service/team.

About us

Come and work with us at our award-winning NHS Trust, leading the way for trying new and better ways of working to help improve life for our local communities.

We have around 9,000 staff who provide physical and mental healthcare, support for people with learning disabilities, and adult social care across Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Shropshire, and Telford & Wrekin. We also run regional and national services, including help for new parents (perinatal care), eating disorders, forensic services, sexual health, and support for people in prison with mental health, drug, or alcohol problems.

We offer great career development for both clinical and non-clinical roles, with ongoing training and support to help you learn and grow.

We are 'United in our Uniqueness' and committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels welcome and can be themselves, no matter their background or identity. We want our staff to feel supported and valued, and we aim to build a team that reflects the communities we serve. Together, we can make sure every voice is heard, and every difference is respected.

Please note, we may be required to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications

Please be aware that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in completing application forms will be monitored to ensure fairness and transparency. If you have used AI you must state this in your application.

Job responsibilities

1. To provide a high quality clinical psychology service to adult eating disorder patients within MPFT inpatients, day service and outpatients.
2. To maintain high professional levels of clinical judgement and application of complex skills. The post holder will utilise advanced theoretical and practical clinical skills in applying psychology interventions.
3. To provide and contribute towards psychological assessments and reports, both written and verbal, to referrers of people with a wide range of psychological problems, in accordance with codes of professional ethics.
4. Following assessment, to provide formulation and psychological therapy to a high standard for people within the eating disorder service.
5. To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of services users care based upon an appropriate conceptual framework.

Qualifications & Training

• Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical / counselling / eating disorder psychology (or its equivalent prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, including models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
• Post doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice (eg neuropsychology/eating disorders) as required for specific clinical post.
• HCPC registration as a practitioner psychologist.
• Trained in clinical supervision and the supervision of doctoral trainees.
• Membership of the British Psychological Society or Association of Clinical Psychologists (as appropriate to professional training).
• Post-doctoral training in one or more highly specialist areas of psychological practice / therapy.

Experience

• Must have substantial experience of working as a qualified clinical psychologist at a highly specialist level.
• Proficient in working with diverse client populations across all age groups and varying levels of clinical severity, in a wide range of care environments such as outpatient, community, primary care, inpatient, and residential settings. Proven experience in delivering psychological therapy within primary care settings, (e.g. NHS Talking Therapies/IAPT).
• Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment, within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan.
• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
• Prior experience of leading psychological services.
• Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities

• Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, highly technical, and clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
• Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis as practiced within the field of clinical psychology.
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health. Knowledge of eating disorders evidence base practice and clinical standards for example NICE.
• Highly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in a range of clinical specialities (e.g. personality disorder, eating disorder, learning disabilities and autism, drug and alcohol addictions).

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.

Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust