Associate Director of Psychology

Job summary

Are you an experienced practitioner psychologist or psychotherapist ready to lead and shape the future of psychological services within West Suffolk? We are seeking an exceptional Associate Director of Psychologyto join our team, focusing primarily onthe Specialist Services in West Suffolk which host the Eating Disorder services and ARFID services across Norfolk and Suffolk. In Suffolk there are the under 18s and adult Eating Disorder services and Norfolk there is the under 18s ED services.

Reporting to the LocalityDirector of Psychology, you will provide strategic and clinical leadership to ensure psychological approaches are embedded within multidisciplinary teams, delivering safe, effective, and compassionate care. This pivotal role supports the transformation of services aligned with the Trust's objectives, driving innovation, collaboration, and excellence in psychological care.

This is a unique opportunity to lead the development and implementation of specialist psychological pathways for people experiencing a range of difficulties requiring specialist services, while contributing to workforce development, supervision, and training.

You will be supported in this role and CPD relevant to the role will be available and encouraged.

Main duties of the job

Provide Professional leadership for all psychology staff in the Clinical Network.

Provide professional advice on psychological practice and providing assurance on delivery of psychological approaches

Develop psychological approaches and interventions and role sot support care delivery across the clinical network.

Contribute to the supervision of staff in the service, including professional appraisal and identification of CPD needs across the service.

Lead on policy development and implementation of psychological service provision within the clinical network.

Working with the multi-professional's leadership team to embed NSFT shared culture and values.

Undertake audit, teaching and research activities, and to promote research activity within the clinical network.

To ensure that arrangements are in place for the for the systematic governance of psychological practice within the clinical network.

Provide a specialist clinical service directly to clients and through provision of expert advice, consultancy and supervision to professional colleagues.

To work closely with the director for psychology to ensure the development and governance aims of psychological services are met, within and across clinical networks and/or other functional departments of NSFT.

Lead and participate in Trust wide initiatives and projects.

About us

Here at NSFT we pride ourselves on being a welcoming, talented, friendly and supportive team who like nothing better than sharing experiences and learning from each other. In addition to ongoing training and development opportunities, we are committed to providing an environment in which you can thrive.

Why work for us? We have challenges as a Trust, but we have ambitious aspirations, are pushing ahead with exciting transformation work and we need dedicated individuals to support us on our journey. We have strong, established professional networks coupled with an exceptional leadership team who will ensure you are truly cared for and cared about.

Why Norfolk and Suffolk? The people here are warm and welcoming, you'll never be far from the beautiful coastline or Broads National Park. We're an hour and a half away from London and have an international airport in Norwich too. Our villages, towns and cities are packed full of history, independent cafes, shops and theatres. We have excellent shopping, eating out, top ranking schooling and affordable house prices too.

Details

Date posted

14 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8c

Salary

£76,965 to £88,682 a year pro-rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

246-WSU7394009

Job locations

Hospital Road

Bury St Edmunds

IP33 3JU

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for a more detailed overview of your Key Accountabilities. If you believe you have the necessary qualities to make a positive impact in your local communities, please click APPLY!

Some of the benefits you can expect:

• NHS pension
• a comprehensive in house & external training programmes
• career progression
• starting annual leave of 27 days per annum increasing to 33 days pa based on length of service (plus paid bank holidays)
• staff physio service
• NHS discounts and many more.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for a more detailed overview of your Key Accountabilities. If you believe you have the necessary qualities to make a positive impact in your local communities, please click APPLY!

Some of the benefits you can expect:

• NHS pension
• a comprehensive in house & external training programmes
• career progression
• starting annual leave of 27 days per annum increasing to 33 days pa based on length of service (plus paid bank holidays)
• staff physio service
• NHS discounts and many more.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Post graduate doctoral level training that confers HCPC registration as a Practitioner Psychologist Pscyucologist
• Registration with the Health and Care professions Council as Practitioner Psychologist

Desirable

• Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice.

Experience

Essential

• Assessed experience of working as a qualified practitioner psychologist for a significant period, including post qualification experience within the designated specialty where the post is located.
• Substantial experience of involving service users and carers in the development and improvement of services.
• Experience of providing consultation, supervision, and training to multidisciplinary staff.

Desirable

• Experience of working as a Consultant Psychologist Experience of managing staff.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Post graduate doctoral level training that confers HCPC registration as a Practitioner Psychologist Pscyucologist
• Registration with the Health and Care professions Council as Practitioner Psychologist

Desirable

• Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice.

Experience

Essential

• Assessed experience of working as a qualified practitioner psychologist for a significant period, including post qualification experience within the designated specialty where the post is located.
• Substantial experience of involving service users and carers in the development and improvement of services.
• Experience of providing consultation, supervision, and training to multidisciplinary staff.

Desirable

• Experience of working as a Consultant Psychologist Experience of managing staff.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This 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 Sponsorship

Applications 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 Check

This 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 Sponsorship

Applications 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 details

Employer name

Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Address

Hospital Road

Bury St Edmunds

IP33 3JU

Employer's website

https://www.nsft.nhs.uk/Pages/Home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Address

Hospital Road

Bury St Edmunds

IP33 3JU

Employer's website

https://www.nsft.nhs.uk/Pages/Home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)