Assistant Psychologist jobs in United Kingdom

Locum Band 8B Clinical Psychologist - Community Pain Service

• Location: Preston, Lancashire
• Contract Type: Locum - Variable hours, Monday - Friday up-to full time considered
• Hourly Rate: 45+ per hour
• Start Date: ASAP
• Contract Length: 3 - 6 months (with potential for extension)

We are seeking an experienced Band 8B Clinical Psychologist to work in a highly specialist psychological service on a locum basis, to support and enhance the psychological care of patients with persistent pain as well as supporting and enhancing the work of the Moving Well Pain and ME/CFS multi-disciplinary team.

To jointly plan, deliver and evaluate specialised Pain Management Programmes in a group-based approach in conjunction with other multidisciplinary team members, providing expertise and advice to facilitate effective and appropriate provision of psychological care by all team members

Key Responsibilities

• Provide specialist psychological assessments and formulations for individuals with chronic or persistent pain
• Deliver individual and group-based interventions using models such as CBT, ACT, and mindfulness
• Contribute to MDT planning and support pain self-management pathways
• Provide consultation, supervision, and training to other team members where appropriate
• Participate in service development, clinical audits, and outcome monitoring
• Maintain high-quality clinical records and ensure compliance with professional and service standards

Requirements

• HCPC-registered Clinical Psychologist
• Doctoral-level qualification in Clinical Psychology (or equivalent)
• Extensive post-qualification experience, ideally in a physical health or pain management setting
• Competence in evidence-based models for chronic pain (e.g. ACT, CBT, CFT)
• Experience working within a multi-disciplinary team and delivering group interventions
• Excellent communication and formulation skills
• Enhanced DBS clearance (mandatory)

Desirable

• Experience working with trauma, medically unexplained symptoms (MUS), or long-term conditions
• Training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) or Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT)
• Skills in service development, clinical supervision, or leadership