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Job summary

Main area
Psychologist
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 8a
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Part time - 15 hours per week
Job ref
395-PP068-25
Employer
NELFT NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
King George Hospital
Town
Ilford, Essex,
Salary
£53,755 - £60,504 per annum pro rata (plus HCAS)
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
12/06/2025 23:59

Employer heading

NELFT NHS Foundation Trust logo

Senior HCPC Registered Psychologist

NHS AfC: Band 8a

Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London, Essex, Kent and Medway. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.

The Trust has award winning equality and diversity initiatives and staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest heavily in your development, because when you are valued and supported, we provide the best care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been featured in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for three consecutive years, and we have achieved a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Along with our staff networks and training opportunities, we work hard to embed a just and compassionate culture here at NELFT.

Find out more about NELFT careers and what makes our Trust a great place to work, in this video

Job overview

Are you a compassionate and skilled Band 8a Psychologist looking to make a real difference in the lives of patients recovering from cardiac events? Join our dynamic and supportive Cardiac Rehabilitation Team at NELFT.

We are seeking a motivated and enthusiastic Clinical or Counselling Psychologist to provide specialist psychological assessment, therapy, and support to individuals participating in our comprehensive Cardiac Rehabilitation Programme. This is an exciting opportunity to work within a multidisciplinary team, contributing to the physical and psychological well-being of our patients as they navigate their recovery journey.

What We Offer:

  • A supportive and friendly working environment within a dedicated multidisciplinary team.
  • Regular clinical supervision and opportunities for professional development.
  • Access to internal and external training programmes.
  • Opportunities to contribute to service development and innovation.
  • Generous NHS pension scheme.
  • A commitment to staff well-being and flexible working where possible.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will provide a qualified specialist psychological service to identified patients, carers and families attending Cardiac Rehabilitation Services at Barking, Havering and Redbridge Universities Trust (BHRUT), who are presenting with psychological distress, and mental health concerns, in relation to cardiac health related conditions. The clinical focus of the work will be on providing group and individual interventions, and working within an MDT rehabilitation treatment model.  

The post holder will utilise research skills for data collection, audit, policy and research within the area served by the teams/services. The postholder will also support the development of a seamless pathway for cardiac patients across hospital and community settings, supporting the Cardiac Rehabilitation Services MDT, and offering consultation to colleagues.

The post holder will demonstrate skill in recognising more severe and enduring mental health problems in order to liaise with Psychiatric Liaison Services (BHRUT), and other secondary mental health services, to signpost to these services when required. 

Working for our organisation

Our Values 2025 - 2030

Working with our colleagues, patients and carers we have co-produced three new values that we aim to embed within our culture here at NELFT.

They are:

  • We are kind. 
  • We are respectful.
  • We work together with our communities.

These three values help us to strive to provide the best care by the best people.

Probationary Period

This post will be subject to a probationary period. 

NELFT place great importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust.  All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks, including mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment.  As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop in sessions focussing in engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes.  The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.

High Cost Area Supplement - Outer London

This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (with a minimum of £4,313 to a maximum of £5,436 p.a. pro rata for part time).

High Cost Area Supplement - Fringe

This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 5% of the basic salary (with a minimum of £1,192 to a maximum of £2,011 p.a. pro rata for part time).

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder will utilise research skills for data collection, audit, policy and research within the area served by the teams/services. The postholder will also support the development of a seamless pathway for cardiac patients across hospital and community settings, often being the first port of call for patients, but then referring on into Long Term Conditions Talking Therapies services, and community cardiac psychology services.  

 Consultation and support to the Cardiac Rehabilitation Services MDT will also be expected. This may include attending MDT clinics, offering regular supervision and reflective practice on patients’, carers’ and families’ psychological care to non-psychologist colleagues. 

The post holder will be working within a busy hospital setting and will need to show a sound ability to working autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the team’s policies and procedures. The post holder will demonstrate skill in recognising more severe and enduring mental health problems in order to liaise with Psychiatric Liaison Services (BHRUT), and other secondary mental health services, to signpost to these services when required. 

Person specification

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Experience and skills in the application and delivery of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention, management and evaluation across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and in patient settings, within the NHS, including risk assessment, mental health experience and management of complex cases.
  • Experience working with physical health patients
  • Experience of clinical supervision of staff including qualified staff and trainees. Willingness to offer training/honorary placements to suitably qualified people
  • Experience of audit or research development
Desirable criteria
  • Experience and enthusiasm for working in cardiac rehab or other cardiology-related teams
  • Experience in service development and/or pathway development

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • HCPC-registered Practitioner Psychologist.
  • Evidence of training and skill in delivering at least 2 NICE endorsed evidence-based psychological therapy approaches to a wide variety of client groups, ages, contexts and presenting problems, reflecting the full range of clinical severity.
Desirable criteria
  • Additional specialist training in advanced therapy skills, such as CBT, ACT, stress management, family interventions, pain management and bereavement work

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • An awareness of NHS Plan, NSF and clinical governance priorities
  • High level knowledge of assessment and management of clinical risk.
  • Understanding of the psychological issues relating to Cardiac Rehabilitation Services. This will include knowledge of the impact of existing mental health problems or learning disabilities, such as psychosis, personality disorders, drug and alcohol problems etc. on cardiac related conditions

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Well-developed skills in holistic care that takes into account the mind, body and spiritual aspects of human experience.
  • Skills in provision of group psychological interventions
  • Skill in working in close liaison with related services, such Talking Therapies and psychiatric liaison and signposting onward when appropriate
  • Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues within and outside the NHS.
  • Sensitivity to issues of equality and ability to apply psychological interventions in different cultural contexts
  • Skills in delivering teaching and training to patients and staff

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Employers for CarersApprenticeships logoAge positiveDisability confident employerHappy to Talk Flexible WorkingDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - GoldEmployers Network for Equality & InclusionTop Employers for Working Families 2021Top 10 Employer 2023

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

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Sylvia Puchalska
Job title
Psychological Professional Lead for CHPS
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07738861076
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