Clinical / Counselling Psychologist or Psychological Therapist
At a glance
- Band
- Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Pattern
- Part-time, Flexible working
- Posted
- 21/08/2026
- Closes
- 06/09/2026
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 or Psychological Therapist to join the Portsmouth & Southeast Hampshire Acute Care Pathway. The role involves working part-time within the Acute Psychology Service at The Orchards Psychiatric Unit, supporting inpatients and outpatients under the Portsmouth Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Team. The post-holder will contribute to shaping the vision and delivery of the Acute Psychology Team's assessment and intervention, and will also supervise Assistant Psychologists, HCSWs, and trainee clinical psychologists. The ideal candidate will have an interest in or experience of working with complex mental health problems and developing psychologically informed practice within a multi-disciplinary team.
Key responsibilities
- Work as an autonomous, independent member of the acute psychology team.
- Implement agreed guidelines and policies in providing a highly specialist psychological service to individuals in the acute inpatient unit and crisis resolution and home treatment team.
- Undertake assessments, formulations, and treatment, and offer consultancy and expert advice to colleagues.
- Comment and propose change to policy or service development within the psychology team.
- Contribute to audit, service development, and research.
- Provide teaching and training in line with service needs.
Essential criteria
- Post-graduate doctoral level training in psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS.
- Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council as a Practitioner Psychologist
- Or
- Diploma in CBT Therapy or equivalent
- Accreditation by an appropriate psychotherapy organisation (e.g. BABCP, SFDBT, ACAT).
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and in patient settings.
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
Desirable criteria
- Pre-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.
- Post-qualification training in a specific psychological modality relevant to the role.
- Training in DBT, EMDR, ACT or CFT.
- Training in supervising others.
- Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team.
- Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
- High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
Useful to know
Agenda for Change 2024/25 pays Band 7 at £46,148 – £52,809 a year, across England.
This advert: £49,387 – £56,515 — outside the standard scale; check for HCAS/London weighting.
Posted 17d ago · Closes in 0d
Applications close soon — apply now if this is a fit.
Full advert · preview
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Clinical / Counselling Psychologist or Psychological Therapist
The closing date is 06 September 2026
Job summary
An exciting opportunity for a Practitioner Psychologist (Clinical or Counselling) or Psychological Therapist to join the Portsmouth & Southeast Hampshire Acute Care Pathway, blending roles to provide a connected approach in working with patients who are acutely unwell. The role is an opportunity to work part time within the Acute Psychology Service based at The Orchards Psychiatric Unit, working with inpatients and outpatients under the Portsmouth Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Team.
This is an excellent opportunity for the right person to help build psychological skills within a well-established team. The post-holder will contribute to shaping the vision and delivery of the Acute Psychology Team assessment and intervention. This role will also enable you to build on your service evaluation and research skills as well as supervising Assistant Psychologists, HCSWs and trainee clinical psychologists on placement.
We are looking for a motivated and committed person, who will have an interest in or experience of working with people with complex mental health problems and developing psychologically informed practice within a multi-disciplinary team.
Portsmouth & Southeast Hampshire Psychologica
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