Clinical/Counselling Psychologist

Job summaryWe are looking to recruit a highly motivated, innovative and inspiring HCPC Registered Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist to our Mental Health Care of Older People's Services in Bedfordshire & Luton. In line with the ELFT Trust Mission, Values and Strategy, the post holder will ensure the systematic provision of a high-quality comprehensive specialist psychological service to the service users of the Older Adult Community Mental Health Teams and the Memory Assessment Services (MAS) in Bedfordshire and Luton. This includes provision of psychological and neuropsychological assessments, psychological formulations and delivery of highly specialist psychological interventions to service users in community, residential and inpatient settings. Service users seen by the post holder will include people who have experienced high levels of distress and complex mental health difficulties, and people presenting with distressed behavior associated with neurodegenerative disorders. Service users may present with a high level of risk to both themselves and sometimes to other people. Main duties of the jobThe post holder will : Provide assessment, formulation and psychological interventions.Consultation to the multi-disciplinary community team and inpatient wards in Bedford and Luton and support in the development of care plans for service users. Provide supervision to Assistant, Trainee and Clinical Associates in Psychology. Actively contribute to service development initiatives, audit and research as expected from a senior clinician in the team. With guidance from the Older People's Psychology Lead, the post holder will liaise closely with psychologists working in other Older People's teams in Bedfordshire and Luton to develop and maintain a high standard of professional practice across the service.We are willing to consider offering this as a development (preceptorship) post.About usOur mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.DetailsDate posted30 October 2026Pay schemeAgenda for changeBandBand 8aSalary
Depending on experience
Will consider offering a development post starting at Band 7
ContractPermanentWorking pattern
Full-time
Reference number363-BED8361271Job locationsTwinwoods Health Resource CentreMilton RoadClaphamMK41 6ATUnited KingdomJob descriptionJob responsibilitiesWe expect all staff to work in line with the Trust's mission, values and strategy with a particular focus on equity. Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for the details of the post.
Job description
Job responsibilitiesWe expect all staff to work in line with the Trust's mission, values and strategy with a particular focus on equity. Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for the details of the post.Person Specification
Education & Qualifications
EssentialDoctorate in Clinical/Counselling PsychologyHCPC RegistrationDesirableRelevant specialist post qualification training/ supervision in Neuropsychology and at least two additional psychological therapeutic modalitiesCompleted training course in supervision for doctoral psychology trainees.Quality Improvement TrainingReflective Practice and/or working with group dynamics training.
Experience
EssentialExperience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the range of care settingsExperience in providing psychological assessment and intervention for older people presenting with complex mental health difficulties.Experience of providing teaching, training and/or professional and clinical supervision.Experience in working in multidisciplinary settings and representing a psychological perspective in teams and services.Experience of coproduction with service users, carers, colleagues, stakeholdersDesirableExperience of professional management of qualified and pre-qualified clinical psychologists.Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts.Experience in the recruitment of psychology staff.Experience in contributing to service development, redesign and improvements in secondary mental health services
Knowledge
EssentialAn in depth knowledge and skills in applying clinical risk assessment and management in own and others' clinical caseloadAble to communicate at a high level verbally and in writing highly complex, technical and sensitive information to clients, families, carers, and a range of professionals and lay people within and outside the NHS.Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.Knowledge of relevant legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in older people's mental health services and memory clinic.Aware of the potential impact of discrimination & disadvantage on mental health.DesirableRecord of having published in either peer reviewed or academic or professional journals and/or books.
Personal/Other
EssentialEnthusiasm for the fieldAble to contain and work with organisational stress and able to hold the stress of others.Respectful approach to service users, families, carers, colleagues and other professionals.Willing and able to travel between work sites and to community settings for the delivery of services across Bedfordshire & Luton and London.DesirableDriving license, access to a vehicle and insurance for business travel.
Person Specification
Education & Qualifications
EssentialDoctorate in Clinical/Counselling PsychologyHCPC RegistrationDesirableRelevant specialist post qualification training/ supervision in Neuropsychology and at least two additional psychological therapeutic modalitiesCompleted training course in supervision for doctoral psychology trainees.Quality Improvement TrainingReflective Practice and/or working with group dynamics training.
Experience
EssentialExperience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the range of care settingsExperience in providing psychological assessment and intervention for older people presenting with complex mental health difficulties.Experience of providing teaching, training and/or professional and clinical supervision.Experience in working in multidisciplinary settings and representing a psychological perspective in teams and services.Experience of coproduction with service users, carers, colleagues, stakeholdersDesirableExperience of professional management of qualified and pre-qualified clinical psychologists.Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts.Experience in the recruitment of psychology staff.Experience in contributing to service development, redesign and improvements in secondary mental health services
Knowledge
EssentialAn in depth knowledge and skills in applying clinical risk assessment and management in own and others' clinical caseloadAble to communicate at a high level verbally and in writing highly complex, technical and sensitive information to clients, families, carers, and a range of professionals and lay people within and outside the NHS.Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.Knowledge of relevant legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in older people's mental health services and memory clinic.Aware of the potential impact of discrimination & disadvantage on mental health.DesirableRecord of having published in either peer reviewed or academic or professional journals and/or books.
Personal/Other
EssentialEnthusiasm for the fieldAble to contain and work with organisational stress and able to hold the stress of others.Respectful approach to service users, families, carers, colleagues and other professionals.Willing and able to travel between work sites and to community settings for the delivery of services across Bedfordshire & Luton and London.DesirableDriving license, access to a vehicle and insurance for business travel.Disclosure and Barring Service CheckThis 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 SponsorshipApplications 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 CheckThis 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 SponsorshipApplications 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 detailsEmployer nameEast London NHS Foundation TrustAddressTwinwoods Health Resource CentreMilton RoadClaphamMK41 6ATUnited KingdomEmployer's websiteEmployer detailsEmployer nameEast London NHS Foundation TrustAddressTwinwoods Health Resource CentreMilton RoadClaphamMK41 6ATUnited KingdomEmployer's website