Clinical/Counselling PsychologistNHS

Job summary

Join a dynamic, forward-thinking team where your expertise can change lives.

Are you a passionate Clinical or Counselling Psychologist looking to make a meaningful impact with children and young people (CYP)? We are seeking a motivated and compassionate professional to join our supportive and innovative service.

This is an exciting time to join an established team as we evolve and develop our service model, offering real opportunities to contribute to its future direction.

You will deliver specialist psychological care to CYP with a wide range of complex needs, including those experiencing distress related to health conditions and neurodivergence. The role includes undertaking comprehensive psychological assessments and delivering creative, evidence-based interventions to individuals, families, and groups.

Alongside clinical work, there are opportunities to contribute to service development, provide supervision, support research activity, and work closely with multi-agency partners including education, social care, and CAMHS.

***Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as 'Priority' and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.***

Main duties of the job

You will provide specialist clinical/counselling psychology services to CYP with complex needs, including those experiencing psychological distress related to health difficulties/neurodivergence. Your role involves conducting comprehensive assessments using a variety of tools and techniques, formulating and delivering highly specialised interventions to individuals, families, and groups, and evaluating treatment plans based on theoretical models and individual developmental history.

This position offers an excellent opportunity to develop and refine skills in short-term interventions and caseload management. You will work in a fast-paced clinical setting, managing around 15 clinical contacts per week. This role is ideal for someone seeking rich, diverse clinical experience within a structured and supportive framework.

You will also play a key role in supporting the multidisciplinary team through consultation, supervision, and joint working, liaising with professionals across health, education, and social care. Your responsibilities will include contributing to service development, engaging in teaching, supervision, research activities, and participating in statutory processes such as EHAT and EHCP.

A strong focus is placed on multi-agency collaboration, clinical leadership, and maintaining high professional standards grounded in evidence-based practice. You will participate in clinical supervision, keep accurate records, and pursue CPD.

Job description

• To provide a specialist clinical/counselling psychology assessments of individuals, families or groups with complex needs; gathering information from a range of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews
• To formulate, develop, provide and manage psychological interventions to individuals, families, carers or groups with complex presentations through highly specialised programmes of care. Intervention may be through individual therapy and/or family work using various models (e.g. cognitive, behavioural, systemic, developmental).
• To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group.
• Utilise a range of specialist assessment techniques including, psychometric testing and developmental assessment.
• To provide support to the wider service including psychological consultation with the MDT and psychosocial assessment and intervention for children and young people as required.
• To provide support to children and young people within the service as required. The service supports those with health difficulties and those children with neurodivergence. Be flexible to respond to service needs as appropriate which may mean working within other areas of the service.
• To contribute to the design and development of the service.
• Provide consultation, specialist advice and/or supervision to colleagues and those in other agencies, in the development and management of programmes of care.
• Communicate highly complex information with empathy and sensitivity to clients and families, possibly within a highly emotive atmosphere.
• Participate within the EHAT and/or EHCP processes and other statutory processes as required; ensuring information is shared appropriately with other professionals. Convene and chair multi-disciplinary meetings as appropriate.

For further details please see attached JD&PS.

About us

We are a people business - where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment manager for this post who will put you in touch with the recruitment team. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.