Specialist Clinical/Counselling Psychologist

Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust; Slough; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

An exciting opportunity exists for a Clinical/Counselling Psychologist to join the Berkshire CAMHS East Specialist Community Team. The role involves providing assessments and interventions for children with complex mental health needs, alongside supporting and supervising junior team members. This full-time position supports professional development within a recognized mental health provider committed to quality care.

Benefits

Flexible working options

27 days' annual leave

Generous NHS pension scheme

Excellent learning and career development opportunities

'Cycle to Work' scheme

Discounts with retailers

Qualifications

• Experience of working in CAMHS.
• Ability to manage a complex caseload of patients autonomously.
• Car driver with ability to travel to multiple sites.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive assessments and therapeutic interventions.
• Independently manage an appropriately sized caseload.
• Offer supervision and training to junior colleagues.

Skills

Evidence-based therapies

Clinical supervision

Multi-disciplinary teamwork

Education

Post graduate doctoral qualification in clinical or counselling psychology

Registered with Health Care Professional Council (HCPC)

Job description

Job summary

Interview will be held on 8th July 2025

An excellent opportunityhas become available for a Clinical/Counselling Psychologist to join the Berkshire CAMHS East Specialist Community Team (SCT) covering Bracknell, Slough and RBWM localities. This role is full time (37.50 hours) and substantive contract.

The Specialist Community Teams provide assessment, therapeutic interventions, and care coordination for children and young people who are experiencing moderate to severe complex mental health difficulties. We work as a close and supportive multidisciplinary team and in partnership with other CAMHS teams and external agencies to provide high quality and holistic mental health care to young people.

The post will involve joining a team of clinicians within our East Specialist Community Team to provide assessments, care-coordination, and evidence-based psychological interventions to young people and their families. As a senior member of the team, the post-holder will support the clinical leadership of the team and will be responsible for supervising junior colleagues, as appropriate. Clinical supervision will be provided as well as support for continuing professional development.

Main duties of the job

• Provide comprehensive assessments and therapeutic interventions to young people and their families, as appropriate

• Provide care co-ordination for young people open to the service

• Independently manage an appropriately sized caseload

• Use supervision effectively

• Offer supervision and training to junior colleagues and other agencies as appropriate

• Work with colleagues to support the clinical leadership of the team

• Work effectively in a multi-disciplinary team and within a multiagency system

• Work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of psychological practice

• Contribute to audit, service development and research, as appropriate

• Maintain own continuing professional development and contribute to team professional development initiatives

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

Job description

Job responsibilities

The must haves for this role:

1. Experience of working in CAMHS
2. The ability to manage a complex caseload of patients autonomously.
3. Car driver with ability and readiness to travel to multiple sites.

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.

We are 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.

We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don't hesitate to call: Bharti Kumar on email: [e-mail] who'll be delighted to help.

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:

1. Experience of working in CAMHS
2. The ability to manage a complex caseload of patients autonomously.
3. Car driver with ability and readiness to travel to multiple sites.

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.

We are 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.

We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don't hesitate to call: Bharti Kumar on email: [e-mail] who'll be delighted to help.

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

• 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
• Additional training/ accreditations 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

• Demonstrable post qualification experience working as a qualified psychologist offering evidence-based therapies for those with PTSD.
• 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 (including of psychology roles) 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 improvement.
• 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

• 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
• Additional training/ accreditations 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

• Demonstrable post qualification experience working as a qualified psychologist offering evidence-based therapies for those with PTSD.
• 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 (including of psychology roles) 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 improvement.
• 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.
UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see

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.
UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see

Employer details

Employer name

Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust
Address

CAMHS East Specialist Community Team, Upton Hospital

Slough

SL1 2BJ

Employer's website