Specialist Clinical / Counselling Psychologist

Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust; Worcester; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider in Worcester is seeking an experienced Specialist Clinical/Counselling Psychologist to join their team in providing community mental health services. The role offers both full and part-time options, focusing on supporting service users with complex mental health needs. Responsibilities include psychological assessments, developing interventions, and collaborating with other mental health professionals. The ideal candidate will hold a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and have extensive experience in mental health settings.

Benefits

27 days leave plus bank holidays

Generous NHS pension

Flexible working opportunities

Health and wellbeing support

Qualifications

• BSc/BA Honours degree at 2:1 or above in psychology.
• Post qualification training in evidence-based techniques for complex presentations.
• Registered with HCPC as a Clinical/Counselling Psychologist.

Responsibilities

• Provide psychological assessments and develop psychological formulations.
• Deliver individual and group interventions as needed.
• Contribute to the development of community-based mental health services.

Skills

Psychological assessments

Evidence-based techniques

Advanced theoretical knowledge

Psychometric assessment skills

Clinical intervention

Education

BSc/BA Honours degree in psychology

Post graduate Doctorate in Clinical/Counselling Psychology

Eligible for registration as a Chartered Psychologist

Registered with HCPC

Job description

Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust

Specialist Clinical / Counselling Psychologist

The closing date is 15 February 2026

We would like to appoint an experienced Clinical/Counselling Psychologist to work in the AMH Neighbourhood Mental Health Services (NMHS) in Worcestershire. We are a pilot site for the Transformation Model working in the community considering local need and linking with the community services.

We welcome applications for full or part time working. We provide both face to face and virtual interventions as clinically appropriate. The post is also offered as a development Band 7 role (see separate advert).

This is full time post, but we would consider applicants looking for part time.

The NMHS teams have integrated psychological pathways for individuals with moderate/severe, severe/enduring, psychosis/bipolar and emotionally unstable presentations. The post holder will work on the moderate/severe pathway, applying Clinical / Counselling Psychology core values and clinical practice, working with a diverse service user group and with a range of complex mental health needs. They will encourage empowered service users to be active in their own recovery and encourage trauma informed care across the NMHS.

Main duties of the job

This post is integral to the NMHS, working with other psychologists and mental health professionals.

The post holder will provide psychological assessments leading to the development of psychological formulations and, if appropriate, individual and/or group interventions.

They will contribute to the development of community-based adult mental health services. This would be in line with key national and local priorities and with local partners. This includes delivering applied psychology ways of working, such as audit of psychological interventions, psychological consultation, facilitating supervision and reflective practice groups and delivering be-spoke training. This work will endeavour to include more co-produced psychologically and trauma informed service delivery.

They will receive both clinical supervision and line management. Across the service we offer a variety of supervision for evidence-based models and invest in model specific supervision. Priority will be given to personal and professional development.

About us

At Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, we are working together to deliver outstanding care. We run community hospitals and community health services across Worcestershire and provide mental health and learning disability services across both Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Our people (all 4500+ of them) provide services for people of all ages, experiencing both physical and/or mental health conditions from over 100 sites.

We will support you to thrive; offer flexible working options for a great work-life balance, help you fulfil your ambitions, and empower you to make positive changes within your team or service. We value diversity and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, cultures, and ethnicities.

What we offer;

• 27 days leave plus bank holidays, increasing up to 33 days with long service
• Generous NHS pension and enhanced pay when you work unsocial hours
• Flexible and agile working opportunities
• Great maternity, paternity, and adoption support
• Wide range of supportive staff networks
• Health and wellbeing opportunities

If you would like to know more, please visit our website.

We encourage you to read the attached applicant guidance notes.

Sharing your data - As a data controller we may sometimes need to process your data to pursue our legitimate business interests, for example to request a survey from you (optional), to support the Trusts understanding of where you gained interest in working for the Trust.

Job responsibilities

Alongside the Band 8a Job Description, the post holder will also:

Be a valued member of the psychology provision within the Trust

Behave consistently with and promote the values of the Trust

Adhere to HCPC practice guidelines

Implement the psychology provision guidelines and Trust policies

Evaluate referrals, undertake the assessment, treatment, and management of patients with psychological difficulties with a varying range of complexity and aetiology with reference to clinical need and service capacity

Support the team in maintaining targets within the psychology provision

Use their initiative, be responsible and accountable for providing a systematic psychology service, specialist psychological interventions, clinical and research supervision and training for trainees and other trust staff as agreed with the service lead

Work with managers and team leaders to develop services and improve quality in consultation with the service lead and be involved with associated meetings and seminars

For full detail of the duties and criteria for the role please refer to the job description and person specification attached.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• BSc/BA Honours degree at 2:1 or above in psychology
• Post graduate Doctorate in Clinical/Counselling Psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS)
• Post qualification training in specific, evidence based techniques for use with clients with complex psychological presentations and/or physical health difficulties, across the age span
• Evidence of regular further professional training and experience as required by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the BPS
• Eligible for registration as a Chartered Psychologist (Clinical or Counselling) by the BPS
• Eligible for registration as a Practitioner member of the BPS Division of Clinical/Counselling Psychology
• Registered with HCPC as a Clinical/Counselling Psychologist
• I understand that I will be asked to provide original certificates to verify my qualifications at point of offer.
• Related academic qualifications to masters or doctorate level

Experience

• Experience required specific to the role and clinical area
• A minimum of 2 years of experience working as a qualified Clinical/Counselling Psychologist within the relevant area
• Sufficient training and experience to be recognised by the Division of Clinical/Counselling Psychology as a suitably qualified psychologist to offer clinical placements to trainee Clinical/Counselling Psychologists
• Training and experience in the application of psychological knowledge within a number of different specialties
• Experience of assessing and providing a wide range of psychological interventions to patients presenting with the full degree of clinical severity and across a range of clinical mental health presentations
• Experience of conducting clinically relevant research
• Experience of strategic planning and service development
• Experience of teaching and training psychologists in a Clinical/Counselling Psychology doctorate training course

Additional Criteria

• Able to meet the travel requirements of the post
• Previous publications in either peer reviewed academic or professional journal and/or books

Knowledge

• Knowledge required specific to the role and clinical area
• Advanced theoretical and applied knowledge of psychological approaches for people with psychological problems including specialised psychological assessments and interventions for patients with complex and psychological presentations and physical health difficulties
• Well-developed psychometric assessment skills
• Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis, as practiced within the field of Clinical/Counselling Psychology

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.

Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust

£55,690 to £62,682 a year pro rata for part time