Highly Specialist Clinical/Counselling Psychologist

Job summary

The Tower Hamlets Perinatal Service has an exciting opportunity for an experienced practitioner psychologist to join the team in a part time role. This role will be shared with the existing 8a psychologist in the team who works 3 days a week.

You will work with pregnant and postnatal women who have moderate to severe and complex mental health needs and help develop the service to meet the 'long-term plan' objectives and increase access to specialist evidence based mental health care. The Tower Hamlets Perinatal Service provides specialist care for women during their pregnancy, and for up to 24 months post-delivery.

You will be part of a dedicated MDT delivering high quality care to women and their babies. Experience of working within a secondary mental health and community setting is preferable, as you will be expected to take on an autonomous role, as well as being an integral part of the wider MDT.

The post holder should demonstrate knowledge/experience in the field of perinatal mental health and development of newborn babies and children.

Applicants are required to also have excellent interpersonal skills, the ability to work in partnership with other teams and agencies, excellent communication skills and a passion for working with children and families.

Main duties of the job

• The systematic provision of a high quality specialist clinical /counselling psychology service to the Perinatal Service, including specialised assessments and the development and delivery of specialised programmes of care to Perinatal service users
• To be jointly responsible for the day to day management of psychological provision to the team, identifying areas for development or challenges and work closely with the clinical leads, operational manager and psychology leadership at Borough and Trust levels, to implement and address these.
• To develop and support the psychosocial work of other staff through teaching, training supervision and consultation.
• To provide psychosocial assessment, formulation and interventions to service users.
• To promote and facilitate psychological capability within the team and to promote psychosocial interventions within the team, providing specialist advice to the team and voluntary sector agencies concerning the assessment, treatment and management of service users accessing team.
• To work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of psychological practice within the team.
• To utilise research skills for audit, policy and service development and research.
• Participate in CPD and other developmental activities
• Follow defined practices and procedures under the management and co-ordination of psychological leadership at Borough and Trust levels.

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

12 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

363-TH7663510

Job locations

Tower Hamlets Perinatal Service, Mile End Hospital

Bancroft Road

London

E1 4DG

Job description

Job responsibilities

Provide specialist psychological assessments of service users with mental health problems in the Perinatal Service. 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. This can include the interpretation and explanation of the results of cognitive and neuropsychological tests in the context of the service users circumstances and current difficulties and the communication of these findings to those involved in the network of care and in care planning.

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, (NICE) across the full range of care settings.

Be responsible for implementing a range of specialist psychological interventions for individual service users, carers and groups, employed singly and in combination, adjusting and refining psychological formulations as practice and experience demand, and drawing upon different explanatory models to maintain a number of provisional hypotheses.

Evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical, development and cultural processes and systems which have shaped the individual, family or group.

Be responsible for providing and receiving highly complex, sensitive, distressing and emotional information in relation to mental and physical health issues, where there are often difficulties in terms of acceptance or understanding.

Communicate across language and cultural barriers, including working for sustained periods of time by communicating with service users, carers or groups through professional interpreters or advocates.

Spend sustained amounts of time with individuals who may be aggressive and hostile to themselves or others, who may have poor communication and/or self-care skills and special physical and/or mental needs.

Be responsible for recording, monitoring and reporting on clinical work and communicating, in a skilled and sensitive manner, complex clinical information (including assessment, formulation, treatment plans and progress) to a variety of recipients (e.g. Service users, carers, other professionals, formal panels, statutory and voluntary organisations) orally, in writing and electronically.

Undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual service users as appropriate.

Provide specialist psychological advice, supervision, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to the formulation and treatment plans of individual service users; including advice on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management and in the use of objective/standardised measures.

Employ a broad theoretical knowledge of psychology and specialist clinical skills to develop and support the psychological skills of others (including assistant, and trainee psychologists, and members of other staff groups) through the development and delivery of teaching, training and supervision programmes.

Ensure that all members of the multidisciplinary team have access to a psychologically-based framework for the understanding and care of service users referred to the service, through the provision of advice and consultation and the dissemination of psychological research and theory. This includes ensuring that a psychological perspective is provided in a wide range of settings where service user care is discussed, planned and organised.

Ensure the provision of advice, consultation, training and clinical supervision to other members of the team, including CPA meetings, ward rounds, case discussions, team meetings, particularly in terms of the provision of psychologically-based interventions, as agreed with the management team.

Be responsible for the systematic governance of psychological practice within the Perinatal team.

Provide clinical placements for trainee clinical/counselling psychologists, ensuring that trainees acquire the necessary skills, competencies and experience to contribute effectively to good mental health care, and participate in the assessment and evaluation of such competencies.

Develop and deliver teaching events for clinical/counselling psychology Doctoral training programmes.

Maintain and develop skills in the area of professional pre - and post- qualification teaching, training and clinical supervision.

Ensure the development, maintenance and dissemination of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes.

In common with all clinical/counselling psychologists, receive regular clinical supervision from an appropriately qualified clinician, in accordance professional registration requirements.

Ensure the development and articulation of best practice in psychology within the service area and contribute across the service by exercising the skills of a reflexive and reflective scientist practitioner, taking part in regular clinical and professional supervision and appraisal and maintaining an active engagement with current developments in the field of clinical/counselling psychology and related disciplines, for example attendance at psychology discipline meetings and BPS Special Interest groups as appropriate.

Maintain and promulgate the highest standard of clinical record-keeping including electronic data-entry and recording, report-writing and be responsible for the exercise of professional self-governance in accordance with professional codes of practice of the British Psychological Society, Health Professions Council and Trust policies and procedures.

Maintain up-to-date knowledge of local resources and service/professional links, legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both the specific service and mental health generally.

Use and maintain knowledge and understanding of the work and approaches of other key disciplines, professions and agencies involved in the care and management network, including medication and physical health issues, employment, social, educational and criminal justice systems.

Within trust and national guidelines contribute to the development and operation of policies and procedures pertaining to inpatient activities, e.g. risk assessment, close observation and provide support and guidance for the teams as they carry out these activities.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Provide specialist psychological assessments of service users with mental health problems in the Perinatal Service. 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. This can include the interpretation and explanation of the results of cognitive and neuropsychological tests in the context of the service users circumstances and current difficulties and the communication of these findings to those involved in the network of care and in care planning.

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, (NICE) across the full range of care settings.

Be responsible for implementing a range of specialist psychological interventions for individual service users, carers and groups, employed singly and in combination, adjusting and refining psychological formulations as practice and experience demand, and drawing upon different explanatory models to maintain a number of provisional hypotheses.

Evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical, development and cultural processes and systems which have shaped the individual, family or group.

Be responsible for providing and receiving highly complex, sensitive, distressing and emotional information in relation to mental and physical health issues, where there are often difficulties in terms of acceptance or understanding.

Communicate across language and cultural barriers, including working for sustained periods of time by communicating with service users, carers or groups through professional interpreters or advocates.

Spend sustained amounts of time with individuals who may be aggressive and hostile to themselves or others, who may have poor communication and/or self-care skills and special physical and/or mental needs.

Be responsible for recording, monitoring and reporting on clinical work and communicating, in a skilled and sensitive manner, complex clinical information (including assessment, formulation, treatment plans and progress) to a variety of recipients (e.g. Service users, carers, other professionals, formal panels, statutory and voluntary organisations) orally, in writing and electronically.

Undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual service users as appropriate.

Provide specialist psychological advice, supervision, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to the formulation and treatment plans of individual service users; including advice on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management and in the use of objective/standardised measures.

Employ a broad theoretical knowledge of psychology and specialist clinical skills to develop and support the psychological skills of others (including assistant, and trainee psychologists, and members of other staff groups) through the development and delivery of teaching, training and supervision programmes.

Ensure that all members of the multidisciplinary team have access to a psychologically-based framework for the understanding and care of service users referred to the service, through the provision of advice and consultation and the dissemination of psychological research and theory. This includes ensuring that a psychological perspective is provided in a wide range of settings where service user care is discussed, planned and organised.

Ensure the provision of advice, consultation, training and clinical supervision to other members of the team, including CPA meetings, ward rounds, case discussions, team meetings, particularly in terms of the provision of psychologically-based interventions, as agreed with the management team.

Be responsible for the systematic governance of psychological practice within the Perinatal team.

Provide clinical placements for trainee clinical/counselling psychologists, ensuring that trainees acquire the necessary skills, competencies and experience to contribute effectively to good mental health care, and participate in the assessment and evaluation of such competencies.

Develop and deliver teaching events for clinical/counselling psychology Doctoral training programmes.

Maintain and develop skills in the area of professional pre - and post- qualification teaching, training and clinical supervision.

Ensure the development, maintenance and dissemination of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes.

In common with all clinical/counselling psychologists, receive regular clinical supervision from an appropriately qualified clinician, in accordance professional registration requirements.

Ensure the development and articulation of best practice in psychology within the service area and contribute across the service by exercising the skills of a reflexive and reflective scientist practitioner, taking part in regular clinical and professional supervision and appraisal and maintaining an active engagement with current developments in the field of clinical/counselling psychology and related disciplines, for example attendance at psychology discipline meetings and BPS Special Interest groups as appropriate.

Maintain and promulgate the highest standard of clinical record-keeping including electronic data-entry and recording, report-writing and be responsible for the exercise of professional self-governance in accordance with professional codes of practice of the British Psychological Society, Health Professions Council and Trust policies and procedures.

Maintain up-to-date knowledge of local resources and service/professional links, legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both the specific service and mental health generally.

Use and maintain knowledge and understanding of the work and approaches of other key disciplines, professions and agencies involved in the care and management network, including medication and physical health issues, employment, social, educational and criminal justice systems.

Within trust and national guidelines contribute to the development and operation of policies and procedures pertaining to inpatient activities, e.g. risk assessment, close observation and provide support and guidance for the teams as they carry out these activities.

Person Specification

Education/ Qualification/ Training

Essential

• Post Graduate Doctoral level training in Clinical or Counselling Psychology or equivalent accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).
• Either: Recognised qualification or training in psychotherapy supervision or Clinical supervision training for doctoral clinical /counselling psychology trainees.
• Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)

Desirable

• Further training in NICE recommended interventions for the perinatal population
• Further training in neuropsychology
• Further training in attachment psychology

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working in NHS teams and settings.
• Experience of working as a specialist clinical/counselling psychologist in including relevant experience working in a multi-disciplinary team for adults with severe and enduring mental health problems.
• Experience of teaching, training and supervision.
• Work in a multi-cultural setting, including working with interpreters.

Desirable

• Experience of working in perinatal psychology services
• Experience of developing and delivering specialist training programmes.
• Experience of representing psychology within the context of multi-disciplinary care

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. Working knowledge of the practices and approaches of other key disciplines, professions and agencies involved in the care and management network, including medical, employment, social, educational and criminal justice systems.

Desirable

• Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific, relevant populations (e.g. perinatal period, complex needs, self harm, personality disorder psychosis, dual diagnosis, persons with additional disabilities etc).
• Highly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies - preferably CBT and one other.
• Knowledge of the academic literature of the specialism.

Other

Essential

• Ability to identify and employ, as appropriate, clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviors.
• Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic settings.
• presentations in public, professional and academic settings. Ability to contain and work with organisational stress and able to contain the stress of others.

Person Specification

Education/ Qualification/ Training

Essential

• Post Graduate Doctoral level training in Clinical or Counselling Psychology or equivalent accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).
• Either: Recognised qualification or training in psychotherapy supervision or Clinical supervision training for doctoral clinical /counselling psychology trainees.
• Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)

Desirable

• Further training in NICE recommended interventions for the perinatal population
• Further training in neuropsychology
• Further training in attachment psychology

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working in NHS teams and settings.
• Experience of working as a specialist clinical/counselling psychologist in including relevant experience working in a multi-disciplinary team for adults with severe and enduring mental health problems.
• Experience of teaching, training and supervision.
• Work in a multi-cultural setting, including working with interpreters.

Desirable

• Experience of working in perinatal psychology services
• Experience of developing and delivering specialist training programmes.
• Experience of representing psychology within the context of multi-disciplinary care

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. Working knowledge of the practices and approaches of other key disciplines, professions and agencies involved in the care and management network, including medical, employment, social, educational and criminal justice systems.

Desirable

• Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific, relevant populations (e.g. perinatal period, complex needs, self harm, personality disorder psychosis, dual diagnosis, persons with additional disabilities etc).
• Highly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies - preferably CBT and one other.
• Knowledge of the academic literature of the specialism.

Other

Essential

• Ability to identify and employ, as appropriate, clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviors.
• Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic settings.
• presentations in public, professional and academic settings. Ability to contain and work with organisational stress and able to contain the stress of others.

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

Tower Hamlets Perinatal Service, Mile End Hospital

Bancroft Road

London

E1 4DG

Employer's website