Highly Specialist Clinical/Counselling Psychologist

Job summary

We are excited to recruit two full time 8a posts, each to be based in CIMHS North and CIMHS South:

To support the development and leadership of community psychology approaches in Newham through working with psychology and non-psychology colleagues across a range of services

To provide highly specialist psychological assessments, formulations and interventions to secondary mental health services and those in the community, particularly those with complex mental health problem, who are vulnerable to poor health outcomes through poverty and other social inequalities, disabilities and physical health conditions.

To develop partnership working with local community organisations with the aim of community capacity building and co-production of psychological input. This includes supporting ongoing transformation work in line with a more flexible outreach psychological offer.

To develop, through co-production, psychological interventions that address the needs of those served including resilience and recovery, shared support, social connections and community engagement.

To offer and supervise adapted therapies with diverse communities such as Behavioural Activation for Muslim communities (BA-M), Islamic psychology and CBT-music for young black men.

Main duties of the job

Provide specialist psychological assessments of service users and carers. This is to be based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex psychological data from a variety of quantitative and qualitative sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and assessments with service users and others involved in their care.

Be responsible for the formulation and implementation of a broad range of specialist psychological treatment and/or management of service users' mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of those problems derived from a broad theoretical knowledge of psychology, and employing methods based upon evidence of proven efficacy, across the full range of care settings.

About us

Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.

Details

Date posted

25 November 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£61,631 to £68,623 a year per annum Inc HCAs

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

363-NEW7555481

Job locations

East Ham Memorial Buidling

Shrewsbury Road

Newham

E7 8QP

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to attached Job description and person specification

We are offering two roles one in CIMHS North and one in CIMHS South in Newham

We welcome informal visits to the team and/or phone calls/emails to discuss the role

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to attached Job description and person specification

We are offering two roles one in CIMHS North and one in CIMHS South in Newham

We welcome informal visits to the team and/or phone calls/emails to discuss the role

Person Specification

Education/Qualification/Training

Essential

• Doctorate in Clinical/Counselling Psychology
• HCPC Registration
• Clinical supervision training for doctoral clinical /counselling psychology trainees

Desirable

• Further training within systemic, narrative therapy or community psychology approaches
• Further training in a therapeutic modality relevant to complex mental health e.g. trauma interventions

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working as a specialist clinical or counselling psychologist in a multidisciplinary team for adults with complex mental health needs
• Experience of working with a wide variety of service user groups across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity
• Experience of planning and exercising full clinical responsibility for service users' psychological care and treatment within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan
• Experience of teaching, training, consultation and/or professional and clinical supervision
• Experience of work in a multi-cultural setting, including working with interpreters
• Experience of working in partnership with third sector agencies
• Experience of facilitating groups

Desirable

• Experience of facilitating reflective practice groups
• Experience of developing and delivering specialist training programmes

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Highly developed skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management, including the use of theoretical models to analyse information and to develop formulations upon which to base choice of treatment
• Highly developed skills in the effective communication of highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to a wide variety of recipients in a range of settings within and outside the NHS, including the ability to produce comprehensive and coherent letters, reports and associated documentation
• Highly developed communication skills at overcoming barriers to understanding and acceptance
• Skills in providing advice and consultation to other professional and non-professional groups
• Ability to identify, provide and promote appropriate means of support to carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and severely challenging behaviours

Desirable

• Experience of co-production with people with lived experience of mental distress

Person Specification

Education/Qualification/Training

Essential

• Doctorate in Clinical/Counselling Psychology
• HCPC Registration
• Clinical supervision training for doctoral clinical /counselling psychology trainees

Desirable

• Further training within systemic, narrative therapy or community psychology approaches
• Further training in a therapeutic modality relevant to complex mental health e.g. trauma interventions

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working as a specialist clinical or counselling psychologist in a multidisciplinary team for adults with complex mental health needs
• Experience of working with a wide variety of service user groups across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity
• Experience of planning and exercising full clinical responsibility for service users' psychological care and treatment within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan
• Experience of teaching, training, consultation and/or professional and clinical supervision
• Experience of work in a multi-cultural setting, including working with interpreters
• Experience of working in partnership with third sector agencies
• Experience of facilitating groups

Desirable

• Experience of facilitating reflective practice groups
• Experience of developing and delivering specialist training programmes

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Highly developed skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management, including the use of theoretical models to analyse information and to develop formulations upon which to base choice of treatment
• Highly developed skills in the effective communication of highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to a wide variety of recipients in a range of settings within and outside the NHS, including the ability to produce comprehensive and coherent letters, reports and associated documentation
• Highly developed communication skills at overcoming barriers to understanding and acceptance
• Skills in providing advice and consultation to other professional and non-professional groups
• Ability to identify, provide and promote appropriate means of support to carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and severely challenging behaviours

Desirable

• Experience of co-production with people with lived experience of mental distress

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

East London NHS Foundation Trust

Address

East Ham Memorial Buidling

Shrewsbury Road

Newham

E7 8QP

Employer's website

https://www.elft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

East London NHS Foundation Trust

Address

East Ham Memorial Buidling

Shrewsbury Road

Newham

E7 8QP

Employer's website

https://www.elft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)