Specialist Clinical/Counselling Psychologist

NHS; Greater London; On-site; GBP 58,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust is hiring a Specialist Clinical/Counselling Psychologist (Band 7) for the adult autism service in London. The role involves autism diagnostic assessments, post-diagnostic support, and professional consultation for adults without learning disability across Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea, and Hammersmith & Fulham.

You will work with mental health teams, social care and local services to provide compassionate, person-centred, evidence-based care,

Qualifications

• Doctorate in Clinical or Counselling Psychology with HCPC registration.
• Postgraduate training relevant to autism, neurodevelopmental practice or mental health.

Responsibilities

• Deliver autism diagnostic assessments including ADOS-2 and ADI-R.
• Provide specialist consultation on autistic presentation to colleagues in mental health, social care and inpatient services.
• Supervise and quality assure the work of pre-qualified staff.
• Manage an allocated caseload within the structured clinic model with supervision and job planning.
• Contribute to audit, research and service development.

Skills

Autism assessment

Neuroaffirmative practice

Diagnostic reporting

Autistic adults understanding

Education

Doctorate in Clinical or Counselling Psychology

HCPC registration

Postgraduate autism/neurodevelopmental training

Tools

ADOS-2

ADI-R

Job description

Search for your next career at CLCH using TRAC's search bar below.

Specialist Clinical/Counselling Psychologist

Band 7

Main area Clinical/Counselling Psychologist Grade Band 7 Contract Fixed term: 5 months (Until 31/03/2027) Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 824-INNER-8404191

Site 215 Lisson Grove Town London Salary £58,133 - £65,261 per annum, inclusive of HCAS Salary period Yearly Closing 19/11/2026 23:59

Welcome to Central London Community Healthcare (CLCH)

At CLCH, we proudly serve as a beacon of compassionate community healthcare across 14 vibrant London boroughs — Barnet, Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Hounslow, Kensington and Chelsea, Merton, Richmond, Wandsworth, Westminster, Hillingdon, Sutton, and Kingston — as well as Hertfordshire. We bring care closer to home, embracing the rich diversity of these communities with dedication and heart.

Recognised as a Good provider by the Care Quality Commission and celebrated among the top NHS employers, we are united by a shared passion: empowering our community health professionals to deliver care that truly makes a difference.

We are deeply committed to fostering an environment where every member of our team feels respected, valued, and inspired—a place where fairness, kindness, and inclusion blossom. Our culture is rooted in the principles of the NHS People Plan, Our NHS People Promise, and our own strategic Equality values and objectives, guiding us to create a truly supportive and inclusive workplace.

Together, we build a caring community where the warmth we show one another shines through in every life we touch.

Job overview

We are looking for a Clinical or Counselling Psychologist with specialist expertise in autism assessment to join the Central London Adult Autism Service.

You will be part of a service providing autism diagnostic assessments, brief post-diagnostic support and professional consultation for adults without a learning disability across Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, and Hammersmith & Fulham.

Working closely with mental health teams, adult social care and other local services, you will help provide compassionate, person-centred and evidence-based care. This is an opportunity to use your specialist assessment skills while contributing to consultation, supervision, quality improvement and the ongoing development of the service.

Main duties of the job

You will:

• Deliver autism diagnostic assessments, including ADOS-2 and ADI-R.
• Reach well-reasoned conclusions that consider differential diagnoses, co-occurring mental health conditions, and masked or late-recognised presentations.
• Communicate assessment outcomes compassionately and in a neuroaffirmative way.
• Provide specialist consultation on autistic presentation and needs to colleagues in mental health, social care and inpatient services.
• Supervise and quality assure the work of pre-qualified staff.
• Manage an allocated caseload and meet agreed activity expectations within the structured clinic model, supported by supervision and job planning.
• Contribute to audit, research and service development.

Working for our organisation

We are proud to be one of the largest community healthcare providers in the country, with more than 4,500 colleagues caring for over four million people across London and Hertfordshire. Every day, our teams bring their skill, compassion, and determination to the people who depend on us.
What inspires us is at the heart of who we are: when we work together, we can help people move forward in ways that truly matter. Our teams support children as they take their first steps in life, and they stand beside adults as they rebuild strength, confidence, and independence. From newborn health visiting to community nursing, stroke rehabilitation, and palliative care, we are there for people through some of life’s most important moments.
Joining Central London Community Healthcare means becoming part of a community that lifts each other up. It means working in an organisation that values compassion, welcomes new ideas, and believes in the potential of every colleague. Your development matters here. Your wellbeing matters. Your voice helps shape the future of the care we provide.
We offer a competitive employment package because the work you do matters. At Central London Community Healthcare, you will join an inclusive organisation that invests in its people, supports development, and helps you thrive while delivering high-quality care.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Successful applicants will be required to demonstrate alignment with the Trust’s values & the behaviours aligned to those values - Accountability, Inclusion, Compassion, and Empowerment, alongside fulfilling the duties detailed in the attached Job Description and Person Specification.

Person specification

Education/Qualification

• Doctorate in Clinical or Counselling Psychology, or HCPC-approved equivalent. Current HCPC registration as a Practitioner Psychologist (Clinical or Counselling).
• Further postgraduate training relevant to autism, neurodevelopmental practice or mental health. (0/2)

Experience

• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across a range of care settings, e.g. outpatient, community, primary care, and in-patient settings.
• Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly of emotive situations and distressing issues, verbal abuse, and the threat of physical abuse.
• Working with autistic people, or with people with neurodevelopmental differences or complex mental health needs.
• Experience of working in autism services and conducting autism assessments
• Trained in formal autism assessment tools (e.g., ADOS-2, ADI-R).
• Experience of supervising assistant psychologists or other staff, and/or of teaching and training
• Experience of facilitating groups

Skills

• High-level written and verbal communication of sensitive information to a range of audience, including diagnostic reports of a high standard.
• Understanding of the needs, preferences and challenges of autistic adults, framed neuroaffirmatively.
• Administration, scoring and interpretation of standardised psychological and neurodevelopmental assessments, integrating complex information into formulation and diagnosis.
• Understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion, including how culture, language and gender affect recognition and expression of autistic characteristics.
• Knowledge and application of clinical governance, risk management and safeguarding, and of legislation and national and local policy relevant to adult autism and mental health, including NICE guidance (CG142)
• Ability to communicate in a community language spoken in the boroughs served. (0/2)
• Doctoral-level research design and methodology; audit, service evaluation and data analysis.

Key Attributes

• Person-centred, flexible and compassionate; sensitive to cultural diversity; advocates for disadvantaged service users
• Autonomous management of a clinical caseload, prioritising competing demands within a framework of supervision.
• Effective multidisciplinary and cross-agency working across health, social care and third sector.
• Commitment to continued learning about autism, including from autistic voices and lived experience.

We review all applications carefully to ensure fairness and verify references. At interview, you will be asked about your experience, so be honest and ensure all information is accurate. The use of AI during interviews is not permitted.

If you use AI or other tools to support your application, it must reflect your own skills, knowledge, and experience. Supporting information should be in your own words and include your personal insights. AI can assist with drafting but may produce generic or inaccurate content. Applications that rely heavily on AI may lack authenticity and reduce your chances of success.

CLCH Trust does not recommend relying solely on AI when completing your application.

CLCH Commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

CLCH is proud to be a Disability Confident Committed employer. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce is essential for providing exceptional patient care. We are dedicated to attracting and retaining talent from all backgrounds, including ethnic minorities, the LGBTQ+ community, and people with disabilities.

As a Disability Confident employer, we pledge to:

• Guarantee an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for a role.
• Provide reasonable adjustments to support diverse needs throughout the recruitment and employment process.
• Challenge misconceptions about disability and foster an inclusive culture for everyone.

We are committed to building a workplace where all staff feel valued and have the opportunity to thrive. Simply let us know how we can support you.

Learn more about our equal opportunities policy on our website: Equal opportunities: Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust clch.nhs.uk

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.