Specialist Clinical/Counselling Psychologist

NHS; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 53,000 - 61,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in Reading is looking for a motivated Specialist Clinical or Counselling Health Psychologist to join their psychological care service in a hybrid work environment. This role involves managing a clinical caseload within oncology, providing supervision, and contributing to service delivery in a supportive team setting.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Generous NHS pension scheme

27 days' annual leave

Excellent career development opportunities

Discounts at popular retailers

Qualifications

• Post graduate doctoral qualification in clinical or counselling psychology required.
• Experience working with cancer-affected individuals is essential.

Responsibilities

• Providing direct psychological interventions to clients.
• Consultation on patients' psychological care with other clinical team members.
• Contributing to service delivery and planning.

Skills

Experience in inpatient and community health settings

Ability to provide clinical supervision

Education

Doctoral qualification in clinical or counselling psychology

HCPC registration

Job description

Job summary

Specialist Clinical or Counselling Health Psychologist

Salary: £53,755 - £60,504 , per annum, pro rata Band A4C 8A*

*We would welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for Band 7 roles who would be interested in developing towards 8A.

Hours 18.75hrs* - Sessions 0.5WTE

Base: Reading, Berkshire with opportunities to WFH / Hybrid

We are seeking a motivated and compassionate Specialist Clinical / Counselling Health Psychologist - to join our team.

You will join a growing team of psychologists within the Royal Berkshire Hospital's Cancer Centre Psychological Care Service. You will be supported by the Consultant Psychologist to manage a clinical caseload and contribute to service delivery.

The postholder will be part of the vibrant and supportive Clinical Health Psychology Service which also covers ICU, Haematology, Pain, Diabetes, Gastroenterology, Bariatrics, Acute Stroke Inpatient ward, Inpatient Neurorehabilitation ward and Neuro Outpatient services.

This exciting role is jointly commissioned by Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust and Royal Berkshire Foundation Trust.

If you would like to discuss this role in more detail prior to application please contact Beckie Burdess at [e-mail]

Main duties of the job

• Advice and consultation on patients' psychological care to other clinical members of the teams providing psychologically and physically based care and treatment.

• Providing direct and indirect psychological interventions to clients.

• Providing clinical supervision

• Contributing to service delivery, service planning and care pathways.

About us

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC, we're committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we're committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.

Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:

• Caring for and about you is our top priority
• Committed to providing good quality, safe services
• Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions

Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:

• Flexible working options to support work-life balance
• 27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
• Generous NHS pension scheme
• Excellent learning and career development opportunities
• 'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
• Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
• Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
• Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
• Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
• Free parking across Trust sites

Details Date posted

05 June 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£53,755 to £60,504 a year per annum, pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

371-CHS949-B

Job locations

Clinical Health Psychology

Reading

RG1 5LR

Job description Job responsibilities

The must haves for this role:

• Doctoral qualification in clinical or counselling psychology.

• Experience of specialist assessment and formulation and treatment of adults in inpatient and/ or community physical health settings.

• Relevant experience of working with people affected by cancer

• HCPC registration

For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.

We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.

Were committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.

Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

Job description Job responsibilities

The must haves for this role:

• Doctoral qualification in clinical or counselling psychology.

• Experience of specialist assessment and formulation and treatment of adults in inpatient and/ or community physical health settings.

• Relevant experience of working with people affected by cancer

• HCPC registration

For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.

We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.

Were committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.

Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

Person Specification Education/Qualifications/Training Essential

• For Clinical/Counselling Psychologist: Post graduate doctoral qualification in clinical or counselling psychology (or equivalent for those who trained prior to 1996 or for those who completed their training overseas) which provides eligibility for Chartered Membership of British Psychological Society (BPS)
• Registered and accredited with the Health Care Professional Council (HCPC) as a Practitioner Psychologist
• For All: Additional training/ accreditations (willingness to undertake or working towards these) to reflect post qualification specialism (e.g. Health Psychology, Neuropsychology, BABCP, UKCP, ACAT, EMDR-UK, BPS,).

Continuous Professional Development Essential

• Evidence of post-qualification training and expert knowledge in multiple psychological models and therapeutic approaches relevant to the service area. Having a robust awareness of the current evidence-base and new developments within the area of specialism
• Training in clinical supervision.

Experience Essential

• Demonstratable post qualification experience working as a qualified psychologist/psychotherapist in area of specialism.
• Experience of working in evidence-based ways with services users (and their carers/families) presenting with the full range of clinical severity across a range of settings. Also having the ability to maintain a high degree of professionalism in the face of emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
• Experience of dealing with highly distressing or emotional circumstances, such as serious mental illness, child and sexual abuse, exploitation and complex family dynamics.
• Experience of delivering interventions across different modalities (e.g. individual, group and systemic-based approaches)
• Experience of working effectively in a multi-disciplinary team and multi-agency environments.
• Experience of providing specialist advice and consultation to MDT and multi-agency colleagues to support the psychological care of service users.
• Experience of supervision and/or mentoring and ability to offer effective supervision to junior staff.
• Experience of developing and delivering teaching to a range of staff groups
• Experience of service development and carrying out clinical audit, evaluative research and applying the findings.
• Experience of service evaluation and implementing change from a national and local health or social care change agenda that impacts across services and professions
• Experience of working with and addressing issues of diversity, including experience of working with diversity, multiculturalism, and equality of access to service.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Essential

• Demonstrable knowledge, skills and abilities in the practice of highly specialised psychological/neuropsychological or psychotherapeutic assessment, formulation and intervention, relevant to the service area.
• Knowledge of evidence base, research, policy and legislation in relation to the service area
• Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour
• Well-developed verbal and written communication skills enabling the sensitive communication of complex, technical and/or sensitive information to multiple stakeholders
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to support, influence and engage with clinicians, stakeholders and service users to create change and improvemen
• The ability and skills to act as an advocate for the service, to engage and foster good professional relationships with all health professionals in promoting the good integration of this service with the wider health care system.
• Advanced IT skills and the ability to navigate various systems and software packages (such as RiO, Outlook, databases, MS Office/Teams, One Consultation and the Internet).

Additional Requirements Essential

• Ability to travel across sites in Berkshire and beyond as required
• Able to work flexibly as required and to travel independently between locations to fulfil the requirements and duties of the position

Person Specification Education/Qualifications/Training Essential

• For Clinical/Counselling Psychologist: Post graduate doctoral qualification in clinical or counselling psychology (or equivalent for those who trained prior to 1996 or for those who completed their training overseas) which provides eligibility for Chartered Membership of British Psychological Society (BPS)
• Registered and accredited with the Health Care Professional Council (HCPC) as a Practitioner Psychologist
• For All: Additional training/ accreditations (willingness to undertake or working towards these) to reflect post qualification specialism (e.g. Health Psychology, Neuropsychology, BABCP, UKCP, ACAT, EMDR-UK, BPS,).

Continuous Professional Development Essential

• Evidence of post-qualification training and expert knowledge in multiple psychological models and therapeutic approaches relevant to the service area. Having a robust awareness of the current evidence-base and new developments within the area of specialism
• Training in clinical supervision.

Experience Essential

• Demonstratable post qualification experience working as a qualified psychologist/psychotherapist in area of specialism.
• Experience of working in evidence-based ways with services users (and their carers/families) presenting with the full range of clinical severity across a range of settings. Also having the ability to maintain a high degree of professionalism in the face of emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
• Experience of dealing with highly distressing or emotional circumstances, such as serious mental illness, child and sexual abuse, exploitation and complex family dynamics.
• Experience of delivering interventions across different modalities (e.g. individual, group and systemic-based approaches)
• Experience of working effectively in a multi-disciplinary team and multi-agency environments.
• Experience of providing specialist advice and consultation to MDT and multi-agency colleagues to support the psychological care of service users.
• Experience of supervision and/or mentoring and ability to offer effective supervision to junior staff.
• Experience of developing and delivering teaching to a range of staff groups
• Experience of service development and carrying out clinical audit, evaluative research and applying the findings.
• Experience of service evaluation and implementing change from a national and local health or social care change agenda that impacts across services and professions
• Experience of working with and addressing issues of diversity, including experience of working with diversity, multiculturalism, and equality of access to service.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Essential

• Demonstrable knowledge, skills and abilities in the practice of highly specialised psychological/neuropsychological or psychotherapeutic assessment, formulation and intervention, relevant to the service area.
• Knowledge of evidence base, research, policy and legislation in relation to the service area
• Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour
• Well-developed verbal and written communication skills enabling the sensitive communication of complex, technical and/or sensitive information to multiple stakeholders
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to support, influence and engage with clinicians, stakeholders and service users to create change and improvemen
• The ability and skills to act as an advocate for the service, to engage and foster good professional relationships with all health professionals in promoting the good integration of this service with the wider health care system.
• Advanced IT skills and the ability to navigate various systems and software packages (such as RiO, Outlook, databases, MS Office/Teams, One Consultation and the Internet).

Additional Requirements Essential

• Ability to travel across sites in Berkshire and beyond as required
• Able to work flexibly as required and to travel independently between locations to fulfil the requirements and duties of the position

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information 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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details Employer name

Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Address

Clinical Health Psychology

Reading

RG1 5LR

Employer's website

https://www.berkshirehealthcare.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details Employer name

Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Address

Clinical Health Psychology

Reading

RG1 5LR

Employer's website

https://www.berkshirehealthcare.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)