Specialist Clinical/Counselling Psychologist

Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust; Stafford, Lichfield; On-site; GBP 43,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS Trust in England is seeking a Specialist Clinical/Counselling Psychologist to provide high-quality psychological assessments and interventions for service users with learning disabilities. The role requires working within a multi-disciplinary team to enhance the quality of life and ensure effective treatment for individuals with complex needs. Candidates should possess post-graduate training in psychology, registered with HCPC, and have excellent communication and interpersonal skills. The position offers opportunities for professional development and is based in Stafford.

Benefits

Professional development opportunities

Supportive working environment

Qualifications

• Experience in providing psychological assessments and interventions.
• Ability to work with individuals with learning disabilities and complex mental health needs.
• Trained in clinical supervision of doctoral trainees.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist psychological assessments and therapy.
• Work collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary team.
• Undertake risk assessments and management for clients.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Psychological assessment

Interpersonal skills

Multi-disciplinary teamwork

Education

Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical or counselling psychology

Registered with HCPC as a Practitioner Psychologist

Job description

Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Specialist Clinical/Counselling Psychologist

Closing date: 12 January 2026

Band 8a (7‑8a Preceptorship) – Specialist Clinical/Counselling Psychologist (27–32 hours, depending on banding) – Fixed‑Term 12 months.

We are seeking a highly motivated, person‑centred individual with excellent communication skills to join us on a fixed‑term contract in our well‑established Community Learning Disability Team. We aim to provide high quality, community‑based, integrated services for adults with learning disabilities. As such, we are looking for a specialist psychological practitioner with a passion for working within and improving learning disability services. You will have experience of working therapeutically with people with learning disabilities in a variety of settings and of working with people who have complex mental and/or physical health needs, autism and complex behavioural needs.

You will be an experienced psychological practitioner who relishes multi‑disciplinary and multi‑agency working, who can work creatively to secure good outcomes and embrace new ways of working. An active interest in academic research is also highly desirable. MPFT is committed to the well‑being and professional development of its staff. You will be offered opportunities for personal/professional development to support you to develop your own potential, the quality of our services and ultimately the outcomes for our service users and their carers and families.

Main duties of the job

You will work county‑wide across South Staffordshire with a base either at Lichfield or Stafford (to be negotiated).

To provide highly specialist clinical psychology input to South Staffordshire’s CLDT. Working as a psychologist within a multi‑disciplinary team to offer effective and evidence‑based psychological interventions with the aim of improving quality of life, skill level (autonomy) and psychological well‑being; and to reduce the risk of placement breakdowns, use of restrictive practices and/or admissions to mental‑health settings due to mental‑health needs.

Please note the job description attached for this post is as an 8A Psychologist. If the successful candidate is appointed on a 7/8a preceptorship, an individualised progression plan will be agreed.

About us

Come and work with us at our award‑winning NHS Trust, leading the way for trying new and better ways of working to help improve life for our local communities.

We have around 9,000 staff who provide physical and mental healthcare, support for people with learning disabilities, and adult social care across Staffordshire, Stoke‑on‑Trent, Shropshire, and Telford & Wrekin. We also run regional and national services, including help for new parents (perinatal care), eating disorders, forensic services, sexual health, and support for people in prison with mental health, drug, or alcohol problems.

We offer great career development for both clinical and non‑clinical roles, with ongoing training and support to help you learn and grow.

We are 'United in our Uniqueness' and committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels welcome and can be themselves, no matter their background or identity. We want our staff to feel supported and valued, and we aim to build a team that reflects the communities we serve. Together, we can make sure every voice is heard, and every difference is respected.

Please note, we may be required to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications.

Please be aware that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in completing application forms will be monitored to ensure fairness and transparency. If you have used AI you must state this in your application.

Job responsibilities

This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship. If it is identified that you require sponsorship to undertake this role your application may be withdrawn.

Key responsibilities

• Provide specialist psychological assessment, formulation and therapy while offering advice and consultation to non‑psychology colleagues and other non‑professional carers, working autonomously within professional guidelines and Trust policies and procedures.
• Use research skills in audit and policy development within the area covered by the service.
• Further contribute to the service by teaching, publishing research and providing clinical supervision to Psychologists undertaking doctoral clinical and/or counselling psychology training, assistant psychologists, community nurses and other members of the multi‑disciplinary team as required.

Clinical duties

• Provide specialist psychological assessments of service users referred to the CLDT, based on the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources. Clinical work will take place across all settings and agencies serving service users, including family homes, day or educational and residential facilities at an individual or group level.
• Formulate and implement plans for the psychological treatment and management of people with learning disabilities who may have mental health problems and/or challenging behaviours, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.
• Evaluate and make decisions about treatment options based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range of care settings. May involve working in hostile, challenging and highly emotive environments and require the highest levels of interpersonal and communication skills.
• Provide specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to service users’ care; and contribute to a psychologically based framework of understanding and care, to the benefit of all users of the service.
• Undertake risk assessment and risk management for service users, and provide advice to other professionals on psychological aspects of risk.
• Undertake any additional clinical risk assessment training relevant to the role.
• Provide a psychological perspective to case discussion and Care Coordination and contribute to the decision‑making processes of the team for service users across all settings and agencies.
• Communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment formulation and treatment plans of service users in their care and monitor progress during the course of intervention.
• Undertake complex behavioural work with people with complex behavioural needs, following the services internal PBS pathway as required.
• Maintain up-to-date clinical skills based on current best evidence and best practice for working psychologically with adults with a learning disability.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Post‑graduate doctoral level training in clinical or counselling psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, including specifically models of psycho‑pathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
• Trained in clinical supervision of doctoral trainees (i.e. completed all relevant STAR Training).
• Currently registered with the HCPC as a Practitioner Psychologist.
• Eligible for BPS Chartered Status. Eligible for full membership of the Division of Clinical Psychology (DCP).

Experience

• Working as part of a multi‑disciplinary team, seeing service users presenting with a wide variety of mental health and behavioural needs in a range of settings. Offering evidence‑based psychological interventions and adhering to appropriate best practice and professional guidance as a qualified clinician.
• Experience of working therapeutically with service users with a learning disability and with people on the autistic continuum; including those presenting with behavioural needs which challenge services.
• Demonstration of current KSF competencies consistent with the 8a profile or the ability to develop into this role.
• Exercising full clinical responsibility for clients’ psychological care as a care coordinator within the context of a multi‑disciplinary team.
• Providing psychological advice and consultancy to others as part of a community learning disability team.
• Teaching, training and clinical supervision and field supervisor for doctoral theses.
• Research and development.
• Quality and service improvement and evaluation.
• Undertaking multi‑dimensional risk assessment, developing and implementing risk mitigation strategies.
• Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts.
• Experience of clinical supervision of others.
• Experience of joint working with statutory, voluntary and private sector agencies.
• Post‑doctoral experience in one or more highly specialist areas of psychological practice, for example, Applied Behavioural Analysis, EMDR, Cognitive Therapy, Positive Behaviour Support.
• Experience of working in services for people with learning disabilities whose behaviour challenges services.
• Experience of working with offenders or those at risk of offending.
• Experience of post‑doctoral project management/leadership.
• Experience of delivering trauma‑informed care and TIC approaches.

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological approaches for working with challenging behaviour, people on the autistic continuum, and with people with complex mental health needs.
• Well‑developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing, highly technical, and clinically sensitive information to service users, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS, including Child Protection and Adult Safeguarding.
• Advanced skills in the assessment, formulation, and treatment of people with learning disabilities using a range of models.
• Well‑developed skills in risk assessment and risk management including skills to prevent, de‑escalate and manage verbal and physical aggression from service users on a day to day basis.
• Ability to engage hostile and reluctant clients and to communicate unwelcome news sensitively and with respect and compassion, in hostile, antagonistic and emotionally charged situations.
• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non‑professional groups Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology.
• Knowledge of the current policy content and relevant legislation for people with a learning disability and complex behavioural and/or forensic needs; including DSR processes, CTR/CETR & LAEPs.
• Knowledge of MHA and MCA. Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS.

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.

Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust