Senior Psychological Therapist

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership Nhs Foundation Trust; Chester; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

An established healthcare provider is seeking a skilled psychological therapist to lead the trauma pathway in their expanding Primary Care Psychological Therapies Service. This role offers the chance to work with a diverse patient group and collaborate with a dedicated team. Candidates will benefit from flexible working arrangements and opportunities for professional development, including training and research. Join a supportive environment that values compassionate care and fosters growth in psychological practices. This is an exciting opportunity to make a significant impact in the community while advancing your career.

Benefits

Relocation Package up to £8,000

Professional Development Opportunities

Flexible Working Arrangements

Qualifications

• Experience as a psychological therapist with complex mental health issues.
• Professional registration and accreditation in relevant therapies.

Responsibilities

• Conduct assessments and deliver interventions for psychological difficulties.
• Provide consultation and supervision to enhance team skills.

Skills

CBT

EMDR

Complex Psychological Assessments

Effective Communication

Research and Audits

Education

PGDip/MSc in CBT

Relevant Supervision Qualification

Professional Registration with BABCP

Job description

Employer heading

Band 8a

Job overview

We offer a relocation package of up to £8,000

The relocation package is available for candidates who need to relocate to join Cheshire and Wirral Partnership. Terms and conditions apply.

Due to significant transformation developments, an exciting opportunity has arisen in our well-established, rapidly expanding Primary Care Psychological Therapies Service in Chester. We welcome candidates interested in working with both adults of working age and older people. The successful candidate will lead the trauma pathway, providing CBT and EMDR supervision and governance to the team. The role offers flexibility for full or part-time hours.

The Primary Care Psychology Team operates within a stepped care model and collaborates closely with other service steps and trust teams. We provide assessments, consultations, and a range of therapeutic interventions (individual and group). There are excellent opportunities for professional development and robust governance structures to support applicants.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will conduct assessments, develop formulations, and deliver interventions for individuals with moderate psychological and mental health difficulties. They will also support the team by providing consultation, supervision, and training to enhance psychological understanding. Leadership in the trauma pathway, including CBT and EMDR supervision and governance, is a key aspect.

The role involves joining a growing team with clear job plans and opportunities for training and research. Located near Chester, with good motorway access, the role offers opportunities to develop supervisory skills and contribute to service research and audits.

Flexible working arrangements, including remote and face-to-face work, are encouraged.

Working for our organisation

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership (CWP) delivers health and care services to over one million people, including mental health, learning disability, physical health, and disability services, along with three GP surgeries in Cheshire.

We employ around 4,500 staff across 73 sites, with services across Wirral, Cheshire, Trafford, Warrington, Bolton, Halton, and Liverpool. We also provide specialist services for the North West.

Our mission is to improve community lives through compassionate, person-centred care. We are rated Outstanding for Caring by the Care Quality Commission and have a Good overall rating.

As a Disability Confident Employer, Rainbow Badge Scheme member, Veteran Aware, and Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award holder, CWP values diversity and encourages applications from those with lived experience of our services. We offer a comprehensive induction program, 'Prepare to Care,' to support new starters.

Whether starting your career or seeking to apply your skills in a new role, CWP offers diverse opportunities.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please download the full job description from the ‘documents to download’ section for detailed responsibilities.

Our recruitment process is based on competence (see person specification) and alignment with our values. We encourage applicants to review our Values and demonstrate how their experience reflects these through examples in their application.

Support and guidance for completing your application are available via our website or by contacting our recruitment team at: [e-mail] or call 01244 393100.

If you meet the ‘essential’ criteria in the person specification and have a disability under the Equality Act 2010, you may be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme. Please inform us of any special support needs for the interview process.

We also welcome applications from armed forces reservists and cadet force adult volunteers under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme. Note that DBS checks are paid for by applicants, with costs deducted from salary after appointment. Enrolment in the DBS Update Service is encouraged, with an annual fee of £16.

New NHS employees will start at the minimum of the pay scale. Early application is advised as the vacancy may close early if a high volume of applications is received.

Good luck with your application. We look forward to welcoming you to Team CWP!

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

PGDip/MSc in CBT

Relevant supervision qualification

Professional registration with BABCP

Accreditation as an EMDR practitioner and experience providing EMDR to clients and supervising colleagues in an NHS setting

Additional psychotherapy qualification relevant to complex psychological and mental health difficulties

Knowledge and Expertise

Essential criteria

Skills in conducting complex psychological assessments and interventions requiring sustained concentration

Effective communication skills, both oral and written, for complex or sensitive information

Evidence of ongoing professional development

Experience in providing consultation to professionals and non-professional groups

Experience supervising psychological practitioners and MDT colleagues

Experience with research, audits, service evaluations, and QI initiatives

Experience

Essential criteria

Experience as a psychological therapist working with clients with complex mental health issues

Experience working within multi-professional teams

Experience engaging with and maintaining work with ambivalent clients

Experience exercising clinical responsibility for clients’ psychological care

Desirable criteria

Experience liaising with other health professionals

Experience in teaching and training

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

You must hold appropriate UK professional registration.

This role is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020, requiring a Disclosure to the DBS.