Clinical/Counselling Psychologist or Psychotherapist (Preceptorship)NHS

Job summary

Are you a newly qualified Clinical/Counselling Psychologist or Psychotherapist looking to start your career in a highly supportive, innovative, and trauma-informed service?

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Southwark Acute and Crisis Psychology and Psychotherapy Team, based at the Maudsley Hospital. We are seeking an enthusiastic and reflective Psychologist or Psychotherapist who is passionate about delivering psychologically informed care within acute mental health services.

This permanent full-time post is offered as a Band 7 Preceptorship role, with a structured development pathway and progression to Band 8a within 18-24 months, subject to the achievement of agreed competencies. It is particularly well suited to newly qualified Psychologists/Psychotherapists seeking to develop and expand their skills within a nurturing and professionally stimulating environment.

This role offers a unique opportunity to work at the forefront of urgent and acute mental health care, supporting people at some of the most critical points in their mental health journey. You will work across two innovative crisis services:

• The Mental Health Urgent Treatment Centre (MHUTC)
• The Combined Place of Safety (CPoS)

As part of a highly valued psychology team, you will develop specialist skills in crisis assessment and intervention, trauma-informed care, multidisciplinary working, and service development, while receiving comprehensive support to grow your confidence and expertise.

Main duties of the job

The Role

You will provide specialist psychological assessment, formulation, and brief evidence-based interventions for individuals experiencing acute mental health crises.

You will also:

• Offer consultation and psychological expertise to multidisciplinary colleagues.
• Contribute to psychologically informed decision-making within urgent care settings.
• Support the development and evaluation of innovative clinical pathways and interventions.
• Deliver training, consultation, and reflective practice to non-psychology staff.
• Promote trauma-informed and psychologically minded approaches across urgent and crisis services.

About You

We are looking for someone who:

• Is enthusiastic about working with people experiencing acute and crisis-related mental health difficulties.
• Values multidisciplinary and collaborative working.
• Has a strong interest in trauma-informed care and psychological formulation.
• Is keen to develop skills in crisis intervention and brief psychological therapies.
• Brings curiosity, compassion, and a commitment to service improvement.

Previous experience in acute, crisis, or urgent care settings is desirable. We particularly encourage applications from newly qualified Psychologists/Psychotherapists who are looking for a supportive environment in which to develop specialist skills and establish a rewarding career pathway.

Job description

KR 1 Clinical and Client Care

To provide specialist psychological interventions according to training and experience within MHUTC and CPoS, including specialist assessment, short-term treatment, planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes.

To provide culturally appropriate psychological or psychotherapeutic interventions with carers or families of referred clients when required.

KR 2 Contributing to team or service clinical functioning

To contribute to the effective working of the service and to a psychologically/psychotherapeutically informed framework for the service.

To contribute to the team or services delivery of accessible and acceptable services to diverse local communities.

KR 3 Policy and service development

To implement policies and procedures in own area of work, and to propose improvements or beneficial changes.

KR 4 Care or management of resources

To take care of, and use carefully, the Trusts equipment and physical resources.

KR 5 Management and supervision

To supervise trainees within own area of specialism after completion of the relevant Supervision Training.

KR 6 Teaching and Training

To provide specialist training in psychological/psychotherapeutic approaches to care to other professions as appropriate.

To disseminate research/service evaluation findings through presentations and published articles.

KR 7 Record-keeping and Information Governance

To ensure that all information generated by own work is recorded as required by Trust policies and local procedures.

To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, according to professional and Trust guidelines, including electronic data entry.

KR 8 Research and development

To undertake regular service evaluation, audits or research relevant to service needs.

KR 9 Maintaining professional standards and continuing professional development

To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a more senior psychological therapist according to scope of practice, professional body and Trust guidelines.

About us

Join Us

This is a rare opportunity to start your post-qualification career in a service that combines high-quality clinical practice, excellent supervision, meaningful service development opportunities, and a clear route to progression. If you are looking for a role that will challenge, support, and inspire you, we would love to hear from you.

What We Offer

• A structured Band 7 to Band 8a development pathway.
• Excellent opportunities to develop specialist competencies.
• Regular supervision from experienced Senior Clinical Psychologists.
• Opportunities to contribute to service development and innovation within acute mental health care.
• A welcoming and reflective multidisciplinary team.
• Experience working within one of the UK's leading mental health trusts.
• Access to specialist training and continuing professional development opportunities.
• A strong commitment to staff wellbeing, learning, and professional growth.

The Maudsley Hospital located at Denmark Hill less than 5 minutes from the train station (zone 2). We also provide services and operate across other locations, such as London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark; and substance misuse services for residents of Bexley, Lambeth, Greenwich and Wandsworth.

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