Practitioner PsychologistNHS

Job summary

We areseekingan enthusiastic and compassionate Registered Practitioner Psychologist to join our innovative Older Adult Mental Health Service, with a particular focus on supporting people living with dementia and those who support.

You do not need to be an experienced older adult or dementia specialist to thrive in this role. We are looking for a psychologist who is curious, thoughtful, values people's rights and is passionate about developing theirknowledge andpractice. In return, we will support you to build specialistexpertisewhile giving you the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution from the outset.

This is a psychology-led service where psychological thinking,formulationand evidence-based practice influence both clinical care and service development.You willwork aspart of a highly skilledAHPmultidisciplinary team and have opportunities to contribute to research, quality improvement, workforcedevelopmentand the development of psychologically informed dementia pathways across primary and secondary care.

If you want a role where you can keep learning,develop your practice andchallenge assumptions about ageing and dementia, champion the rightsforequalityand help shape better servicesfor people living with dementia, we would love to hear from you.

This is an Annex 21 post. Please see below for further details.

Main duties of the job

You will provide specialist psychological assessment, formulation and intervention for older people living with dementia and those experiencing complex emotional,behaviouraland psychological needs. You will work collaboratively with individuals,familiesand staff, ensuring that psychological thinkingremainscentral to understanding the person rather than simply the diagnosis.

You will work alongside Advanced Practitioners and colleagues from Occupational Therapy, Dietetics, Speech and Language Therapy, Dementia Practice, Nursing and Research to develop psychologically informed approaches across primary and secondary care.

A key part of the role will betocontribute to the development and evaluation of dementia pathwaysacross settings, service improvement,researchand workforce development. You will be encouraged to bring curiosity,creativityand constructive challenge to how services are designed and delivered.

The role provides opportunities to develop specialist clinical, systemic, leadership and research skills through supervision, mentorship and continuing professional development.

We particularly welcome psychologists who are passionate aboutrights,inclusionand challenging assumptions about what life with dementia and ageing can look like.

The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; English and/or Welsh speakers are equally welcome to apply.

Job description

Annex 21:

This post is advertised as a Band 8a, however, applicantswho do not currently hold all the necessary competencies to a Band 8alevel are encouraged to applyand, ifsuccessful,will be appointed under Annex 21 rules whereby 65%of the top of Band8awill be payable in the first year, 70% in second year and 75% in third year.Applicantswould be supported to develop their competenciesrequiredto fulfil the role within a36monthperiod. Following successful completion and successful attainment of the skills and competencies for the role, the post holder will then be paid at Band8a(minimum point on the scale). Failure to achieve the competencies in the designated timeframe would follow Workforce policy.

As part of the Annex 21 process, there is no financial penalty to those who apply for this role where the percentage will cause a reduction in pay, subsequently a local protection would be put in place until the pay has caught up.

For further information about the role and essential requirements, please refer to the job description and person spec.

You will be able to find a full Job Description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click Apply now to view in Trac.

The Health Board is committed to supporting its staff to fully embrace the need for bilingualism thereby enhancing patient and service user experiences.In our commitment to increase the number of staff whoare able tocommunicate in Welsh with patients and professionals, we welcome applications from Welsh speakers.

The ability to communicate in Welsh is desirable for this post. If you do not meet the Welsh Language requirements specified, the Health Board offers a variety of learning options and staff support to help you meet these minimal desirable requirementsduring the course ofyour employment with us.

Interviews will be held on 16/10/2026.

About us

Hywel Dda University Health Board plans and provides NHS healthcare services for people living in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, and bordering counties.

We have over 13,000 staff and together we provide primary, community, in-hospital, mental health and learning disabilities services.

We work in partnership with the three local authorities, as well as public, private and third sector colleagues, including our valued team of volunteers.

Our services are provided in:

• Four main hospitals: Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth; Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen; Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli; and Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest
• Five community hospitals: Amman Valley and Llandovery hospitals in Carmarthenshire; Tregaron Hospital in Ceredigion; and Tenby and South Pembrokeshire hospitals in Pembrokeshire
• Two integrated care centres: Aberaeron and Cardigan in Ceredigion, and several other community settings
• 47 general practices (six of which are health board managed practices); dental practices (including four orthodontic); 99 community pharmacies; 43 general ophthalmic practices; and 8 ophthalmic domiciliary providers
• Numerous mental health and learning disabilities services