Clinical/Counselling Psychologist Band 8a or 7/8a (dev.role)
At a glance
- Band
- Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Pattern
- Part-time
- Posted
- 27/08/2026
- Closes
- 17/09/2026
Sponsorship verdict
This contract type is not eligible for Skilled Worker sponsorship.
NHS Trusts cannot issue a Certificate of Sponsorship for part-time, bank, locum, zero-hours, job-share or short fixed-term (under 12 months) contracts under current Home Office rules. This applies even when the wider Trust holds a Skilled Worker licence.
Role summary
This is an exciting opportunity for a Practitioner Psychologist to work in Adult Acute Mental Health Inpatient Wards in Guildford. The role involves providing psychological assessment and treatment, and being a valued member of multidisciplinary teams within acute wards and a PICU. The post is suitable for candidates seeking either a Band 8a role or a Band 7 to Band 8a Development post, including those completing their doctorate. You will work with complex mental health difficulties, offering individual and group therapies, team formulation, and indirect interventions. The role offers variety, a fast-paced environment, autonomy, and leadership opportunities to influence the direction of the team.
Key responsibilities
- Provide psychological assessment and treatment.
- Be a valued member of multidisciplinary teams within acute wards and a PICU.
- Provide assessment and treatment of complex cases.
- Offer consultation and support to MDT colleagues.
- Conduct structured assessments, individual therapy, groups, team formulation, and indirect interventions.
- Provide supervision, mentoring, teaching, and training.
Essential criteria
- Doctorate in Clinical or Counselling Psychology qualification or equivalent (including pending 2026 qualification).
- HCPC Registered Practitioner Psychologist or current trainee with eligibility in 2026
- Experience of working with people from across the life span with a range of mental health issues and cognitive profiles.
- Experience across a range of psychological models including systemic, behavioural and individual therapeutic
- Candidates should demonstrate experience of working with the relevant care group.
Desirable criteria
- Completion of an appropriate clinical supervision course to enable supervision of trainees (or completion within 12 months of commencement in post)
- Experience of supervising assistant and trainee clinical psychologists (Band 8a)
- Demonstrable post registration/clinical experience and competency relevant to this care group (Band 8a)
- Experience of contributing to clinical practice/service development/project work (Band 8a)
- Demonstrable interest/skill in a relevant specialist area (Band 8a)
Useful to know
Agenda for Change 2024/25 pays Band 7 at £46,148 – £52,809 a year, across England.
This advert: £51,657 – £67,020 — outside the standard scale; check for HCAS/London weighting.
Posted 11d ago · Closes in 11d
Plenty of time to prepare a strong application.
Full advert · preview
Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Clinical/Counselling Psychologist Band 8a or 7/8a (dev.role)
The closing date is 17 September 2026
Job summary
Are you passionate about mental health and being part of a dedicated team committed to making a difference to peoples' lives?
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Practitioner Psychologist to work in our Adult Acute Mental Health Inpatient Wards in Guildford. The postholder will provide Psychological assessment, treatment, and be a valued member of the MDTs within the acute wards and a PICU.
The post is suitable for candidates seeking either a Band 8a role, or a Band 7 to Band 8a Development post, including those who are currently completing the final year of their doctorate. Please see attached Job Profiles for further details.
Our acute inpatient mental health wards are dedicated to the support of people of working age in mental health crisis. The post offers a diverse range of experience working with people with acute and complex mental health difficulties and the postholder will provide assessment and treatment of complex cases, and consultation and support to MDT colleagues. This includes structured assessments, individual therapy, groups, team formulation, indirect interventions, supervision, mentoring, and teaching and training.
You will join a friendly and supportive acute therapie
Join the community to read the full pack, responsibilities and person-specification in one place.
Your seat is reserved — activate it
CareerHive is included with your CareerHive Skool community membership. If you haven't claimed your account yet, join the community (or sign in with the same email you joined with) to unlock the full advert, the apply link, HiveMind AI interview & application suite, your private vault, and daily sponsorship alerts.