Band 8a Clinical/Counselling Psychologist - Bristol

Job summary

We are looking for an experienced Clinical/Counselling Psychologist passionate about working with complex presentations to join our diverse, dynamic team of skilled practitioners in South Bristol. You would offer evidence based approaches to work with service users and excellent supervision and training for Support and Recovery staff, as well as colleagues.

The Complex Psychological Interventions Team (CPI), are part of Bristol Mental Health. CPI offers a range of activities to support psychologically informed care within the secondary mental health service. CPI has a strong presence in the Support and Recovery and the Crisis Teams. We have a unique identity as a group of highly skilled and respected professionals who liaise with senior Bristol management and meet monthly city - wide.

CPI is comprised of multidisciplinary professions and provide a range of services both direct to clients, and indirect supportive functions with staff teams. These are designed to enhance the interventions delivered by teams, as well as contributing to the resilience and well-being of staff.

The South Bristol Recovery Team are a compassionate, busy, diverse and forward thinking group of mental health practitioners who work in an area of high deprivation and need.

We are keen to continue to develop the excellence of our staff with further training, research and development opportunities. We have good links with local Universities and the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology courses.

Main duties of the job

You will provide specialist assessment, formulation, intervention and evaluation, alongside staff training, supervision, consultation, advice and support to the South Bristol Recovery team. You will also provide clinical and/or management supervision to more junior CPI staff, placements to Clinical/Counselling Psychology trainees and engage in service development work as appropriate.

To work within the Assessment & Recovery Services, it is essential for you to have experience of delivering therapy to this client group, and to have been trained in NICE guideline interventions (e.g. DBT, CBT, Family Interventions, CAT, MBT etc). You will need excellent interpersonal skills to support the development of psychological thinking and intervention within multidisciplinary teams. Experience of delivering supervision and training would be essential.

We would be especially interested in candidates with experience of supervision and management of Complex Trauma within secondary settings.

We also plan this post to include the CPI Service User Involvement lead role. This entails working with a CPI colleague to co-facilitate our monthly CPI Service User Reference group.

About us

We are AWP (Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust):a diverse organisation with over 5,000 dedicated staff providing inpatient and community-based mental health care.

We provide services from a range of locations to approximately 1.8 million people living in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, across the county of Wiltshire and in parts of Dorset.

Our outstanding people promote mental health and wellbeing. The expertise and resources within AWP are dedicated to a person-centred approach for those who use our services and for all employees. We recognise that happy and fulfilled employees give better care.

AWP is committed to support and create a positive research and evidence-based environment and culture, which can have a beneficial impact on everyone who works for the organisation and the care we provide to those who use our services.

At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.

Details

Date posted

01 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£55,690 to £62,682 a year pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

342-BR190-1225

Job locations

Petherton Resource Centre

Petherton Road

Bristol

BS13 9BP

Job description

Job responsibilities

1. To offer a highly specialist and entirely autonomous systematic Complex Psychological Intervention service in specified lead areas.

2. To provide an advanced and specialist assessment and treatment role in the South Bristol Assessment and Recovery Team, using relevant CPD qualifications for clients presenting with high levels of distress/emotion/ behavioural disturbance.

3. To offer regular Clinical supervision (both individual and group) to peers, trainees and other professionals from the locality and other parts of the service.

4. To undertake regular teaching, as appropriate, in psychological approaches to healthcare to trainees, team members and associate CPI practitioners.

5. To plan and implement service developments regarding specialist areas of skill linked to service priorities in collaboration with the Director of the CPI service and local clinical managers (e.g. collaborating with colleagues in developing a strategy for the development of an identified service area).

6. To develop specialist lead roles for the CPI. In this post we are especially wishing for a CPI Service User Involvement lead. This will entail working with a CPI colleague to co-facilitate our monthly CPI Service User Reference group.

Job description

Job responsibilities

1. To offer a highly specialist and entirely autonomous systematic Complex Psychological Intervention service in specified lead areas.

2. To provide an advanced and specialist assessment and treatment role in the South Bristol Assessment and Recovery Team, using relevant CPD qualifications for clients presenting with high levels of distress/emotion/ behavioural disturbance.

3. To offer regular Clinical supervision (both individual and group) to peers, trainees and other professionals from the locality and other parts of the service.

4. To undertake regular teaching, as appropriate, in psychological approaches to healthcare to trainees, team members and associate CPI practitioners.

5. To plan and implement service developments regarding specialist areas of skill linked to service priorities in collaboration with the Director of the CPI service and local clinical managers (e.g. collaborating with colleagues in developing a strategy for the development of an identified service area).

6. To develop specialist lead roles for the CPI. In this post we are especially wishing for a CPI Service User Involvement lead. This will entail working with a CPI colleague to co-facilitate our monthly CPI Service User Reference group.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Doctorate in Clinical or Counselling Psychology
• HCPC registration
• Relevant Specialist CPD qualification (CBT, DBT, CAT, Systemic Family approaches, MBT, etc)

Desirable

• Completion of CBTp Training
• Completion of Post-qualification training in supervision
• Completion of a second evidence based post qualification therapy training
• Training in Neuro-psychological Assessment

Experience

Essential

• Substantial experience of using highly specialist therapeutic interventions within Secondary services AMH client group using relevant CPD qualifications
• Substantial Clinical Supervision experience with colleagues and Trainees
• Substantial Clinical Supervision experience with other professions, both in formal groups and individually
• Substantial Teaching/Training experience with psychologists and other professions
• R&D / clinical audit experience relevant to role
• Experience of Service development/project work
• Experience of working with a diverse population and the ability to consider issues of diversity, accessibility and equality of access to CPI services.
• Ability to manage high levels of distress/emotion/behavioural disturbance in others and sustain professional practice in adverse situations
• Well organised with good administration skills

Desirable

• Evidence of appropriate self - reflection in application
• Experience and passion for Co-production and Service User involvement
• Publishing and disseminating research findings and ideas at a professional level

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Doctorate in Clinical or Counselling Psychology
• HCPC registration
• Relevant Specialist CPD qualification (CBT, DBT, CAT, Systemic Family approaches, MBT, etc)

Desirable

• Completion of CBTp Training
• Completion of Post-qualification training in supervision
• Completion of a second evidence based post qualification therapy training
• Training in Neuro-psychological Assessment

Experience

Essential

• Substantial experience of using highly specialist therapeutic interventions within Secondary services AMH client group using relevant CPD qualifications
• Substantial Clinical Supervision experience with colleagues and Trainees
• Substantial Clinical Supervision experience with other professions, both in formal groups and individually
• Substantial Teaching/Training experience with psychologists and other professions
• R&D / clinical audit experience relevant to role
• Experience of Service development/project work
• Experience of working with a diverse population and the ability to consider issues of diversity, accessibility and equality of access to CPI services.
• Ability to manage high levels of distress/emotion/behavioural disturbance in others and sustain professional practice in adverse situations
• Well organised with good administration skills

Desirable

• Evidence of appropriate self - reflection in application
• Experience and passion for Co-production and Service User involvement
• Publishing and disseminating research findings and ideas at a professional level

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

Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

Address

Petherton Resource Centre

Petherton Road

Bristol

BS13 9BP

Employer's website

http://www.awp.nhs.uk/about-us/working-for-us/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

Address

Petherton Resource Centre

Petherton Road

Bristol

BS13 9BP

Employer's website

http://www.awp.nhs.uk/about-us/working-for-us/ (Opens in a new tab)