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Job summary

Main area
Clinical Psychologist
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 8a
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
455-NLFT-1018
Employer
North London NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Islington Learning Disabilities Partnership (ILDP)
Town
London
Salary
£66,274 - £73,496 per annum including HCAS
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
06/08/2026 23:59

Employer heading

North London NHS Foundation Trust logo

Highly Specialist Psychologist - Islington LD Partnership (ILDP)

NHS AfC: Band 8a

Thank you for your interest in North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT).

As of 1 April 2026, NLFT has formally merged with Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust—marking the start of an exciting new chapter. This is a unique opportunity to join a forward-thinking organisation at a time of transformation, where we are strengthening access to mental health services, responding more effectively to complex and specialist needs, and advancing our work in education, research and innovation.

By bringing together our combined expertise, we are building a stronger, more collaborative Trust—one that delivers consistent, high-quality care and improved outcomes for the diverse communities we serve.

At the heart of our approach is The North London Way. We are committed to:

  • Working collaboratively at every level, guided by our shared values
  • Shaping a positive, inclusive culture where staff and service users thrive
  • Empowering our teams with the skills, tools and autonomy to drive meaningful change
  • Delivering excellence and continuously improving the quality of care we provide
  • Embedding research, innovation and technology across our services
  • Taking a trauma-informed approach in everything we do

We are proud to be an inclusive employer that values diversity. We actively welcome applicants from all backgrounds, particularly from our local communities, and are committed to creating opportunities for everyone—including apprentices, veterans and care leavers.

The North London Way to deliver: Better Mental Health, Better Lives, Better Communities.

Our trust website is:  https://www.northlondonmentalhealth.nhs.uk/ 

As a values‑driven Trust, we recruit through our values. Our selection processes focus on behaviours, attitudes, and examples that reflect our organisational values and commitment to compassionate, high‑quality care.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a set of technology that can perform various tasks that typically required human intelligence. Your application is your opportunity to demonstrate to us how you meet the requirements of the role.

We recognise that AI tools can support accessibility, equity and confidence for applicants. However, it’s important that examples and responses genuinely reflect your own experience and abilities, as these will be explored further during the selection process. AI must not be used to provide misleading or false information during any stage of the application journey.

Further guidance can be found in the NLPSS Applicant Toolkit  https://royalfree.pagetiger.com/cuuomnr/1.

North London NHS Foundation Trust is committed to fair and transparent recruitment and requires applicants to provide accurate information, as misleading details may affect their application or employment and may be verified in line with the Fraud Act 2006. For further information please visit https://royalfree.pagetiger.com/cuuomnr/1.

Job overview

We are pleased to offer this Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist post in the Islington Learning Disabilities Partnership (ILDP) and the LD Psychology service.This post provides psychological interventions and expertise within the Integrated Health and Social Care Team. 

We would be happy to accept applications from Band 7 colleagues who will enter into an Band 7/8a Development post. 

Main duties of the job

The postholder will support the delivery of a systematic provision of a high-quality specialist clinical psychology service to users, relatives, carers and all appropriate specialist services for people with learning disabilities in Islington. They will provide interventions including specialist psychological assessment; advice and consultation on psychological care through direct and indirect care; and working autonomously within professional guidelines and the framework of the Service’s policies and procedures. The post will also take on the supervision of more junior staff and trainees, lead on pathways and deputise for the Lead Psychologist as required.

Working for our organisation

North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT) is committed to improving mental health care across North London to deliver excellent services to our local people.

Our Five-Year Strategy:  

  1.  We will provide consistently high-quality care closer to home.
  2. With our partners in North London and each borough we will ensure equity of outcome for all
  3. We will offer great places to work, providing staff with supportive environment to deliver outstanding care.

Why NLFT?

  • We develop and retain our staff through leadership behaviours and managers programme and many more opportunities.
  • We promote flexible working and support staff with a range of health and wellbeing initiatives.
  • NHS Discounts, generous annual leave and NHS pension scheme
  • Excellent internal staff network

In order to meet the needs of the Trust you may be required from time to time to work at different locations to your normal place of work. This may mean that you are required to work at any location that fall under Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey or Islington. The Trust reserves the right to require staff to work at such other places or locations as it considers reasonable and necessary on a temporary or permanent basis.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification attached for more detailed information.

Person specification

Qualifications/ Registrations

Essential criteria
  • Post-graduate doctoral level qualification in clinical or counselling psychology as accredited by the British Psychological Society, or British Psychological Society Statement of Equivalence
  • Current registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a clinical psychologist or a counselling psychologist
  • Formal training in supervision of other psychologists.
Desirable criteria
  • Completion of pre- or post-doctoral post-qualification specialist training in areas of practice relevant to the post (e.g. Positive Behaviour Support, ADOS-2)

Skills/ Abilities

Essential criteria
  • Skills in the use of a range of methods of psychological assessment (including psychometric assessments), intervention and management for the full range of problems presented by adults with Global Learning Disabilities, including behaviours that challenge
  • Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and inpatient settings.
  • Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings
  • Interest and ability to consider the role and responsibilities of psychologists in embedding non-discriminatory practice
  • Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups
Desirable criteria
  • Highly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc)
  • Interest and ability to contribute to service development

Experience/ Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the full range of care settings including outpatient, community, primary care, in-patient and residential care settings severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
  • Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients’ psychological care and treatment, both as a qualified clinician leading the care and also within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan
  • Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology
  • Knowledge in the areas of Global Learning Disabilities, Mental Health, Autism, ADHD, behaviours that challenge (including Positive Behaviour Support) and dementia
  • Evidence of continuing professional development as required by the Health Care Professions Council and British Psychological Society
  • Experience of representing psychology within the context of multidisciplinary care/services
  • Experience of working with people with autism and/ or severe learning disabilities
  • Experience of working with people whose behaviour challenges
  • Ability to form good working relationships with others in a multidisciplinary setting
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of working within a multicultural framework.

Personal Qualities

Essential criteria
  • Good conflict resolution skills
  • Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary service setting including a ‘can-do/ attitude and motivation towards continuous improvement and change.
  • Ability to demonstrate Trust Values
  • Ability to identify, provide and promote appropriate means of support to carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and severe behaviours of concern

Other Requirements

Essential criteria
  • Ability to identify, and employ, as appropriate, clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and behaviours of concern
  • Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic settings
  • Ability to articulate and interpret clearly the role of the profession of clinical psychology based upon a good understanding of the framework, government and national professional policy
Desirable criteria
  • Record of having published in either peer reviewed or academic or professional journals and/or books

Employer certification / accreditation badges

NHS Pastoral Care Quality AwardVeteran AwareApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleJob share policyAge positiveImproving working livesCare quality commission - GoodArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerCare Leaver CovenantStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.Step into healthAccredited Living Wage Employer

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
Ayo Sodeke-Gregson
Job title
Associate Director for Psychological Professions
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
0208 702 6898
Additional information

Nehemiah Small

Assistant Director ILDP.

Islington Council

222 Upper Street

London

N1 1XR

Mob: 07802 490 300

Email: [email protected]

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