Ocean Psychologist, Psychotherapist or CBT Therapist
At a glance
- Band
- Band 7
- Contract
- Fixed-term
- Pattern
- Part-time
- Posted
- 01/09/2026
- Closes
- 13/09/2026
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 a 0.8 WTE fixed-term 12-month maternity cover for a Band 7 psychologist or psychotherapist within the Ocean maternal mental health service. The service supports women and birthing people experiencing moderate-severe mental health difficulties related to baby loss, birth trauma, and parent-infant separation. The role involves providing specialist psychological input, conducting assessments, contributing to group work, and developing training and partnerships with community groups and maternity services. The successful candidate will work with diverse populations across East London.
Essential criteria
- Postgraduate Doctorate in Clinical/Counselling Psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS OR appropriate Psychotherapy qualification OR CBT qualification Registration with the Health Professionals Council or other appropriate regulatory body. Relevant specialist training or qualifications. Additional relevant clinical and/or managerial knowledge and skills acquired through formal training, long or short courses, formal supervision (individual and/or group), structured self-study or experience (or a combination of these) to an appropriate level approved by the Lead of Psychological Services and demonstrated by certification, documented supervision logs, management appraisal documentation and/or assessment at interview
Desirable criteria
- Post Qualification Training in EMDR or CBT for trauma.
- Community psychology or narrative therapy training
- Assessed experience of working as a qualified Clinical or Counselling psychologist at a specialist level or assessed experience of working as a qualified psychotherapist within NHS
- Good understanding of other professionals' theoretical perspectives of this client group.
- Experience of providing specialist psychological assessment, and treatment of service users utilising at least two main models as appropriate (including EMDR or tfCBT) across the full range of care settings and clinical severity including outpatient, community, primary care and inpatient.
- Experience of providing teaching, training and clinical supervision to junior psychologists and other professions.
- The application of psychologically informed interventions in different cultural contexts including working with interpreters.
- Previous experience of working in maternal mental health or perinatal services
- The theory and practice of psychological assessment and therapies in relation to treatment of a range of mental health disorders including EMDR, (tf)CBT, CFT, and other trauma informed therapies.
- Risk assessment practice and procedures.
- The value of service user participation in the delivery and development of services.
- Knowledge of the presentation of complex mental health problems arising from maternal trauma and loss.
- Demonstrate excellent interpersonal, communication and active listening skills with service users, carers and staff.
- Ability to work independently to maintain agreed caseload and activity levels.
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Education
- Postgraduate Doctorate in Clinical/Counselling Psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS OR appropriate Psychotherapy qualification OR CBT qualification Registration with the Health Professionals Council or other appropriate regulatory body. Relevant specialist training or qualifications. Additional relevant clinical and/or managerial knowledge and skills acquired through formal training, long or short courses, formal supervision (individual and/or group), structured self-study or experience (or a combination of these) to an appropriate level approved by the Lead of Psychological Services and demonstrated by certification, documented supervision logs, management appraisal documentation and/or assessment at interview
- Post Qualification Training in EMDR or CBT for trauma.
- Community psychology or narrative therapy training
- Assessed experience of working as a qualified Clinical or Counselling psychologist at a specialist level or assessed experience of working as a qualified psychotherapist within NHS
- Good understanding of other professionals' theoretical perspectives of this client group.
- Experience of providing specialist psychological assessment, and treatment of service users utilising at least two main models as appropriate (including EMDR or tfCBT) across the full range of care settings and clinical severity including outpatient, community, primary care and inpatient.
- Experience of providing teaching, training and clinical supervision to junior psychologists and other professions.
- The application of psychologically informed interventions in different cultural contexts including working with interpreters.
- Previous experience of working in maternal mental health or perinatal services
- The theory and practice of psychological assessment and therapies in relation to treatment of a range of mental health disorders including EMDR, (tf)CBT, CFT, and other trauma informed therapies.
- Risk assessment practice and procedures.
- The value of service user participation in the delivery and development of services.
- Knowledge of the presentation of complex mental health problems arising from maternal trauma and loss.
- Demonstrate excellent interpersonal, communication and
Useful to know
Agenda for Change 2024/25 pays Band 7 at £46,148 – £52,809 a year, across England.
Posted 6d ago · Closes in 7d
Plenty of time to prepare a strong application.
Full advert · preview
East London NHS Foundation Trust
Ocean Psychologist, Psychotherapist or CBT Therapist
The closing date is 13 September 2026
Job summary
Ocean is offering a 0.8 WTE fixed term 12 month maternity cover for a band 7 psychologist or psychotherapist. OCEAN is a psychology-led maternal mental health service combining psychology and specialist midwifery to support women and birthing people who are experiencing moderate-severe mental health difficulties relating to baby loss, birth trauma and parent-infant separation. Ocean is a community based service, offering a range of interventions including one to one psychology, group work and indirect work with maternity services.Ocean is a service that prioritises addressing maternal mental health inequalities and developing inclusive services. Therefore, the successful candidate must be keen to embrace the privileges of working in diverse boroughs and have experience of working with women and birthing people from a range of social, religious, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds to deliver accessible and psychologically informed care.
A significant part of this role will focus on the provision of specialist, co produced, psychological input to women who have experienced loss and trauma on their maternal journeys. In addition to holding their own caseload, the successful candidate will contribute to screening of new referrals into the
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