Psychological Therapist
At a glance
- Band
- Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Pattern
- Part-time
- Posted
- 01/09/2026
- Closes
- 11/09/2026
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 role involves providing specialist psychological therapy services to patients within the Health and Justice Services Directorate. Key duties include conducting psychological assessments, delivering therapy, and offering training and consultation to staff on patient psychological needs. The post holder will also utilise research skills for service development and work autonomously within professional guidelines. This position supports the team and Service Line.
Essential criteria
- Doctoral level training in clinical, counselling or forensic psychology or its equivalent, accredited by the BPS. Training in models of developmental lifespan psychology, psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology and two or more distinct psychological therapies. HCPC Registered as a Practitioner Psychologist.
- OR A recognised post graduate qualification in Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy (or equivalent). Accreditation with the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy (BABCP) (via having a recognised qualification in one of the core mental health professions e.g. nursing, psychology, medicine, social work, occupational therapy or evidence of having achieved the Knowledge Skills and Attitudes (KSA) route)
- OR A recorded/registered qualification in counselling or psychotherapy and further post accreditation qualification in a nice recommended or evidence-based therapy (e.g. CBT; EMDR) Accreditation with a Professional Standards Authority recognised Accreditation Body.
Desirable criteria
- Other relevant CPD qualifications, pre- or post-training. Especially training in working with people with trauma presentations, research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology. Training in more than one psychological therapy.
- Training in more than one psychological therapy.
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and inpatient 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. Maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
- Experience working with and delivering psychological therapy to those with a diagnosis of personality disorder and/or a history of self-harm and substance misuse and experience of working with complex trauma.
- Experience of delivering brief, primary care, CBT interventions or equivalent
- Experience of working effectively in multidisciplinary settings.
- Experience of teaching and training.
- Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural and specialist contexts.
- Experience of working in secure settings, either prison or secure hospitals.
- Experience of working with service-users to develop peer facilitated support or treatment initiatives.
- Experience in supervising others in the delivery of psychological therapy
- Experience of working using multitherapeutic approaches
- KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
- 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 training, advice and psychological information and consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnoses).
- Ability to work intensively with people who present challenges in the complexity of their problems and needs, including sexual and violent offending and self-harming and suicidal behaviours.
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
- High level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
- High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies
- Other
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviouR
- Good understanding of the current context of service provision within the NHS.
- Willingness to work flexibly to meet demands of contracts, commissioners and other stake-holders to provide high-quality and effective care
- Willingness to work flexibly to meet demands of contracts, commissioners and other stake-holders to provide high-quality and effective care
- Experience of working within a multicultural framework.
- TRAINING & QUALIFICATIONS
- Doctoral level training in clinical, counselling or forensic psychology or its equivalent, accredited by the BPS. Training in models of developmental lifespan psychology, psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology and two or more distinct psychological therapies. HCPC Re
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 6d ago · Closes in 5d
Plenty of time to prepare a strong application.
Full advert · preview
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Psychological Therapist
The closing date is 11 September 2026
Job summary
o To provide a comprehensive, specialist psychological therapy service to patients of the Health and Justice Services Directorate.o To provide specialist psychological assessment and therapy.o To provide training, advice and consultation to other staff about the psychological needs of the patients.o To utilise research skills for audit, policy and service development and research within the Health and Justice Services Directorate.o To work autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the Trust's policies and procedures.o To support the team and Service Line.
Main duties of the job
1.To contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes, in consultation with the postholder's professional and service manager.
2.To contribute to the development and articulation of best practice in psychology across the service, by continuing to develop the skills of a reflexive and reflective scientist practitioner, taking part in regular professional supervision and appraisal and maintaining an active engagement with current developments in the field of applied psychology and related discip
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