Psychology Lead (Clinical / Counselling Psychologist)

NHS; City Of London; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization is seeking an experienced Counselling/Clinical Psychologist for the role of Psychology Lead. This position involves providing specialized assessments and therapy for young people aged 12-24 facing significant mental health challenges. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in multi-disciplinary settings and be skilled in various therapeutic modalities including CBT. The role focuses on leadership and improving access to mental health services in the community.

Benefits

Professional development opportunities

Flexible working hours

Supportive team environment

Qualifications

• Minimum 1-2 years clinical experience as a psychologist post-doctoral qualification.
• Experience of working within a multi-disciplinary child and adolescent mental health service.
• Experience with assessment, intervention, and management of complex clinical needs.

Responsibilities

• Provide highly specialist assessments and treatment for young people aged 12-24.
• Make clinical judgments and decisions about risk factors.
• Develop the Psychology offer at Open Door aligned with service needs.

Skills

Expertise in CBT

Clinical supervision

Working with adolescents

Ability to assess complex cases

Cultural sensitivity

Education

Doctoral level training in Counselling or Clinical psychology

Registered with HCPC as a Clinical or Counselling Psychologist

Post-doctoral advanced training (CBT, EMDR, etc.)

Job description

Psychology Lead (Clinical / Counselling Psychologist)

We are recruiting an experienced Counselling/Clinical Psychologist to join our dynamic voluntary service as Psychology Lead

Our mission is to make talking therapy as accessible as possible to all young people in Haringey who need it

Closing: Weds 15th Oct 2025 @ 23:59

Provisional interview date: Tues 21st Oct 2025

• 0.6 FTE post, to include Mondays & Tuesdays, with some hours to be worked between 4pm & 7pm
• 12 month fixed term contract (with hope of extension)
• We're looking for an experienced, energetic & flexible clinician to provide highly specialist assessments & treatment for young people aged 12-24 experiencing a range of severe & complex mental health & emotional difficulties. Includes brief, medium & longer-term psychotherapy & CBT with adolescents & young adults, and parent work (may include training in & delivering our parent work model)
• To provide leadership, clinical supervision & line management to the Psychology team
• Applicants must have experience working with complex caseloads of adolescents & parents/carers within a multi-disciplinary child & adolescent mental health service and be registered with the HCPC as a Counselling / Clinical Psychologist

We welcome applications from candidates with lived experience of all kinds, including global majority and/or neurodivergent psychologists.

Main duties of the job

To provide an efficient, effective & highly specialist assessment & treatment service for young people, parents or carers, some of whom experience severe, complex & persistent levels of distress & mental health problems.

To make complex clinical judgements & decisions, with the assistance of colleagues & managers, about risk factors and to ensure that links are established with other agencies, particularly those in the statutory sector, to reduce risks & share responsibility within mental health networks. To participate in multi-agency meetings including Child Protection Conferences, Child in Need, Team around the Family, EHCP meetings, annual reviews etc.

To develop the Psychology offer at Open Door, in line with service needs & opportunities, and in consultation with the Senior Clinical Management Team & CEO. This may include groups, development of resources, staff training & waiting list initiatives.

To oversee and monitor the delivery & impact of the Psychology service, participating in and contributing to the development of Open Door's programmes of audit, evaluation & research and support service users to contribute and participate, and to ensure CYP-IAPT compliance.

To work autonomously within the overall policy & governance framework set out by Open Door.

To provide support for colleagues in team meetings and in difficult or emergency situations.

To provide, when opportunities arise, consultation, training & advice for staff working in other specialist settings.

About us

Open Door is an NCL ICB commissioned voluntary sectorservice based in Haringey, North London, providing a range of therapeuticservices for young people aged 12-24 and parents/carers. We form part of theHaringey CAMHS pathway for 12-18 year olds and are a highly regarded clinicalservice. Open Door recently received national recognition for our impact, as a2024 finalist for the Health Service Journal (HSJ) Award for Reducing Inequalityand Improving Outcomes for Children and Young People.

Open Door offers talking therapy to adolescents andyoung adults on a brief, medium and longer-term basis. The team comprises Child& Adolescent and Adult Psychotherapists, Psychodynamic Psychotherapists andCounselling Psychologists who offer psychotherapy, CBT, drama therapy,therapeutic football groups and EMDR. The clinical team currently comprises 27qualified and trainee therapists, many of whom are NHS trained and all of whomare professionally accredited. We are a highly skilled team and many of ourclinicians also teach on professional trainings.

Open Door works from bases in Crouch End and Tottenham,and provides services in local secondary schools and the Haringey Autism Hub.Most of our work is delivered in person as this is what most young people tellus they want. Demand for the service is high.

We are committed toequality, diversity and inclusion. More than half of our young people are from globalmajority communities, and approximately 1 in 4 are neurodivergent.

Job responsibilities

DESCRIPTION OF THE POST KEY AREAS

1) Clinical

a) To contribute to expertspecialist multi-disciplinary assessment for adolescents and young adults. Touse a broad theoretical knowledge base and specialist clinical skills to inform decisions abouttreatment options, considering relevant evidence-based research, theory andpractice and factors such as historical, developmental, and contextualprocesses that have shaped and are currently impinging on the young person,their carers and family.

b) To decide, in consultationwith the user, clinical colleagues and supervisor on the appropriateness oftreatment, with or without other therapeutic input from Open Door or to referto appropriate outside agencies.

c) To provide specialistpsychology treatment or therapies that are outcome focused and evidence-based,using appropriate therapeutic modalities including CBT and integrativeapproaches on a brief, medium and longer-term basis.

d) To provide specialistdevelopmentally informed parent/carer support to parents/carers of adolescentsand young adults. This may include providing Open Door's evidence-based model,'Approach to Parenting Teens (APT)

e) To participate in the regularreview of cases in individual supervision and team meetings, and whereappropriate, to liaise with and participate in meetings with professionals inother agencies.

f) To be willing to adaptclinical practice in relation to diversity, expressed beliefs preferences andchoices of clients. This includes working sensitively with neurodivergent youngpeople/parents and cares. providing therapeutic work that is culturally sensitiveand working effectively with those needing interpreters.

g) To liaise with referrers,other team members and other people/agencies as needed in implementingtreatment.

h) Monitor implementation oftreatment and client progress, providing appropriate feedback about progressand making decisions about treatment modification in discussion withclient/parent/carer and colleagues.

i)Tobe responsible for the application of a range of theoretical and practicalknowledge, acquired during training and through practice, and to keep up todate with developments in these areas.

j)Toexercise autonomous professional responsibility based on the Code ofProfessional Conduct and Ethics of the appropriate professional association.

2)Monitoringand Evaluation of Risk

a)Tobe responsible for working within Child Protection and Vulnerable Adultssafeguarding guidelines in relation to their own clinical case load. Inaddition, the post holder will be expected to supervise junior colleagues and traineesand contribute during team meetings to the assessment of cases held by teamcolleagues and to consult and advise referrers in external agencies. Thismonitoring will involve liaison with, and sometimes referral to externalagencies such as CAMHS, SEND, GPs, Children's Services, Early Interventionteams, hospitals, etc.

b)Tobe responsible for continuing monitoring and evaluation of risk for teenagersand young adults in their own caseload, in supervision and team discussions;this relates to safeguarding concerns, deliberate self-harm or other riskybehaviour such as substance abuse, running away, causing harm to others.

3) New services and projects

a) When required, to work with theSenior Clinical Management Team and Director to develop ideas and proposals for new projects or services.

b) To support fundingapplications as appropriate.

4) Consultation

a) To provide specialist adviceand consultation to professionals working in external agencies eg: schools& colleges, voluntary sector, etc.

b) To meet with professionalsworking in other agencies to inform them about Open Door's services andreferral processes.

5) Teaching, Training andSupervision

a) To take part, when required,in the recruitment and induction of new team members.

b) To provide training andteaching for external agencies (e.g. social care, education, other voluntarysector) when opportunities arise.

c) To present regularly to theclinical team and to increase understanding and utilisation of CBT and thirdwave approaches in working with young people.

a) To receive regular clinicaland service-related supervision from a more senior clinician and if necessary,specialist external clinical supervision in accordance with good practiceguidelines.

b) To participate in clinicalteam meetings and present clinical cases in detail for group discussion.

c) To gain additional specialistexperience or training relevant to the service.

d) To contribute to thedevelopment and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practicethrough active participation in internal and external CPD training anddevelopment programmes, in consultation with the Director.

e) To take part in an annualappraisal with a Principal Child & Adolescent Psychotherapist.

7) Research and Audit

a)To participate fully in OpenDoor's comprehensive programmes of audit and evaluation.

b)To ensure that individualclinical evaluation profiles are noted and discussed in the context ofsupervision and clinical presentations in team meetings.

c) To contribute to thedevelopment of Open Door's systems and programmes of evaluation and audit.

d) To utilise theory, literatureand research to support evidence-based practice.

8) Administrative

a) To maintain the higheststandards of clinical record keeping and the responsible exercise ofprofessional codes of self-governance. Administration tasks may include:electronic data entry and recording, completion of audit and evaluation dataforms, upkeep of weekly appointment diary, attendance records etc.

b) To contribute to the overalladministration of Open Door's services.

9) Meetings Attended

a) To attend and participate inweekly team meetings (clinical, business)

b)To attend meetings with otherservice providers, commissioners, etc. if appropriate.

10) Policies, Procedures andGuidelines

a) To comply with Open Door'spolicies, procedures and guidelines including those related to EqualOpportunities, Health and Safety, Environmental, Complaints, Child Protection,Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults, Information Governance and Disciplinary andGrievance.

b) All information concerningclients and staff must be treated as strictly confidential at all times.

11) General

a) This is not an exhaustivelist of duties and responsibilities, and the post holder may be required toundertake other duties which fall within the grade of the job, in discussionwith the Director.

b) This job description may bereviewed in the light of changing service requirements, any such changes willbe discussed with the post holder.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• - Doctoral level training in Counselling or Clinical psychology
• - To be registered with HCPC as a Clinical or Counselling Psychologist
• - Additional post-doctoral advanced training, for example in CBT, EMDR, DBT, CFT

Personal Characteristics

• - Self-motivated
• - Ability to work as part of a team
• - Adaptable
• - Good interpersonal skills
• - Reliable
• - Trustworthy
• - Mental effort: capacity for frequent, intense mental concentration
• - Emotional effort: capacity to frequently work with highly emotional circumstances and levels of distress
• - Working conditions: capacity to work in a mental health setting with occasional exposure to unpleasant working conditions such as verbal aggression

Experience

• - Minimum 1-2 years clinical experience as a Clinical / Counselling Psychologist post-doctoral qualification
• - Experience of working as a psychologist within a multi-disciplinary child and adolescent mental health service, including substantial experience with relevant client group
• - Experience in the process of assessment, intervention and management of complex risk and clinical need, including experience of using CBT in the treatment of complex and difficult to treat cases
• - Experience of supervising other clinicians
• - Knowledge of other therapeutic modalities and understanding of psychodynamic approaches
• - Experience of time limited and longer-term clinical work
• - Experience of working with parents and carers
• - Experience in the use of routine outcome measures in clinical practice
• - Experience in liaison and multi-agency working
• - Training in specialist trauma focussed CBT and/or EMDR
• - Experience of liaison with other therapeutic modalities towards improving interdisciplinary understanding and networking, in order to improve patient options for treatment
• - Interest in / knowledge of psychodynamic approaches
• - Knowledge of areas of service administration
• - Knowledge of methodology associated with use of outcome measures, service user evaluations
• - Experience of contributing to service development
• - Experience of / interest in coproduction

Skills and Competencies

• - Ability to make complex autonomous judgements based on theoretical, technical and clinical knowledge and experience
• - Ability to communicate effectively and sensitively in highly emotive situations, overcoming barriers to understanding and analysing complex and conflicting opinion/emotions
• - Ability to organise and schedule a range of complex multi-professional activities, such as consultations with clinical teams, educational and training courses, group supervision sessions
• - Ability to work in a way that promotes the safety and wellbeing of children and young people
• - Experience in the autonomous management of personal work patterns and caseload. This includes experience in scheduling and maintaining a pattern of complex clinical and non-clinical work.
• - Good literary and report writing skills
• - An awareness of the limitations and parameters of the treatment potential of different models of psychotherapy
• - Experience of research, service development and audit

Additional Requirements

• - Awareness of relevant ethical, professional and legal responsibilities
• - Ability to work as an autonomous clinical specialist, whilst also maintaining close links with other clinicians and colleagues
• - Evidence of continuing professional development
• - Willingness to work from a number of locations and using different platforms, e.g. phone, video, text
• - Commitment to inclusion
• - Commitment to safeguarding

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.