Job summary
- Main area
- Psychology
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8a
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Part time - 15 hours per week
- Job ref
- 418-AHP1974-SSJ
- Employer
- Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Bedford Hospital
- Town
- Bedford
- Salary
- £57,528 - £64,750 pa pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 22/06/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Paediatric Clinical Psychologist
NHS AfC: Band 8a
Job overview
The Paediatric Psychology Service at Bedfordshire Hospitals is a friendly, compassionate, and community-focused team dedicated to supporting children, young people, and their families living with long-term medical conditions. Psychology is a valued and integral part of our approach to care, and we work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to help our patients thrive.
We are looking for an enthusiastic professional to join our team on a part-time basis at the Bedford site. This role is ideal for someone passionate about paediatric health and interested in making a meaningful impact at both a clinical and systemic level—supporting not only patients and families, but also the wider staff team.
You will become part of a small, supportive, and forward-thinking team with experience across a range of psychological approaches and medical specialties. Clinical supervision and ongoing professional support will be provided by the Lead Paediatric Clinical Psychologist, offering an excellent opportunity for development within a nurturing environmen
Main duties of the job
You will provide specialist psychological assessments, formulations, and short-term interventions for patients and families who may be experiencing psychological and emotional difficulties associated with their physical health condition. You will also support our staff teams, using your knowledge and experience to provide teaching, advice and consultation to help develop and embed psychologically-informed care within our organisation.
You will have a British Psychological Society accredited post-graduate doctoral degree in clinical psychology and HCPC registration. You will have experience of working with children, young people, and families (ideally in a physical health setting or with chronic health conditions), and the systems that support them.
Working for our organisation
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.
Our values
We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.
Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The Job Description and Person Specification are attached to this job, please review for the full details and responsibilities
Providing highly specialist psychological assessment, formulation, and brief intervention for children and families on inpatient wards who are experiencing psychological and emotional adjustment difficulties associated with a range of health conditions.
Providing advice and consultation on patients’ psychological care to colleagues from other disciplines, working autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the team’s policies and procedures.
To support the professional development of more junior team members.
To contribute to the analysis, development, evaluation and monitoring of operational policies and services, through the deployment of skills in research and service audit.
Maintain electronic systems for referrals, appointments, activity, and outcome monitoring.
Person specification
Qualification
Essential criteria
- BPS accredited doctorate in clinical psychology (or equivalent)
- Registration with HCPC as practitioner psychologist (or equivalent)
Desirable criteria
- Formal training in supervision of trainee clinical psychologists
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of working psychologically and providing evidence-based assessment, formulation and intervention for children, young people and their families across a range of settings, including inpatient, outpatient, and community settings
- Experience of working within a multidisciplinary health team and with children and families affected by acute or long-term physical health difficulties
- Understanding of current NHS/Social Care policies/ practices relating to mental health and services, and of safeguarding and child protection policies
Desirable criteria
- Supervision of other clinicians
- Experience of working in an acute hospital setting, and of representing psychology within the context of multidisciplinary care
Knowledge and Skills
Essential criteria
- Evidence of personal resilience and aptitude for dealing with potentially distressing and highly emotive clinical work.
- The application of psychology in different cultural contexts
- Skills in working across multidisciplinary settings and in multi-agency liaison and care planning
- Planning and organisational skills for caseload management and good time-management
Desirable criteria
- Skills in providing consultancy and teaching/training to other professional and non-professional groups
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Megan Maidment
- Job title
- Lead Clinical Psychologist - Children's Services
- Email address
- [email protected]
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