Job summary
- Main area
- Mental Health
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8a
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 437-7352591
- Employer
- Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Andersen Ward
- Town
- Manchester
- Salary
- £55,690 - £62,682 per annum pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 12/08/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Clinical/Counselling Psychologist
NHS AfC: Band 8a
Job overview
We are seeking a dedicated and experienced Clinical/Counselling Psychologist to join our specialist Mother and Baby unit in Greater Manchester.
Our Mother and Baby Unit provides specialist inpatient care for mothers/birthing people with severe perinatal mental health difficulties including postpartum psychosis, severe depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety disorders.
The unit focuses on promoting recovery while supporting the crucial early parent-infant relationship.
Main duties of the job
This role is important in ensuring patients get timely access to high quality specialist psychological treatment. As part of the role, you will:
· Conduct psychological assessments of mothers/birthing people with perinatal mental health difficulties
· Assess mother-infant attachment and bonding difficulties
· Provide evidence-based individual and group psychological interventions
· Contribute to risk assessment and management planning
· Maintain detailed clinical records and contribute to care planning
· Offer supervision, consultation, and training to both colleagues within the MDT and wider system
· Collaborate closely with psychiatrists, mental health nurses, occupational therapists, and social workers
· Participate in ward rounds and multidisciplinary team meetings
· Liaise with Specialist Perinatal Service, Outreach, Community Mental Health Teams, Parent Infant Teams and Social Services
· Support mothers/birthing people through the transition back to community care
The post offers an incredibly supportive team working environment.
You will receive regular clinical and professional supervision and connect with established psychologists working within the wider perinatal system.
There is also opportunity for professional development within a supportive department with additional training being actively encouraged.
Working for our organisation
Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) Foundation Trust employs over 7000 members of staff, who deliver services from more than 122 locations.
We provide inpatient and community-based mental health care for people living in Bolton, the city of Manchester, Salford, Trafford and the borough of Wigan, and a wide range of specialist mental health and substance misuse services across Greater Manchester, the north west of England and beyond.
Greater Manchester is one of the world's most innovative, original and exciting places to live and work. From the beauty of the surrounding countryside to the heart of the vibrant inner city with great shopping, entertainment and dining options.
Wherever you go you will experience a great northern welcome with people famed for their warmth, humour and generosity.
Our people enjoy their work, have opportunities to learn and develop their skills and are encouraged to generate new ideas that improve care for our service users.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For a detailed job description and main responsibilities please see job description and person specification
Please see attached job description and person specification
Staff benefits
- Pay Enhancements:
Band |
Saturday (midnight to midnight) and any week day after 8pm and before 6am |
All time on Sundays and Public Holidays (midnight to midnight) |
1 |
Time plus 47% |
Time plus 94% |
2 |
Time plus 41% |
Time plus 83% |
3 |
Time plus 35% |
Time plus 69% |
4 – 9 |
Time plus 30% |
Time plus 60% |
- 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays rising to 29 after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years
- Excellent pension
- Cycle to work scheme
- Salary sacrifice car scheme
- Wellbeing programme
- Blue Light Card Discounts
- fuelGenie Fuel Cards (for applicable roles)
Person specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential criteria
- • Professional qualification in Clinical / Counselling Psychology at doctoral level (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS.
- • HCPC registration as a qualified Clinical /Counselling Psychologist.
Desirable criteria
- • Additional training in an intervention relevant to this client group (e.g. EMDR, CFT, CAT, mother-infant interaction).
Experience
Essential criteria
- • Experience of working as a clinical /counselling psychologist.
- • Previous experience of delivering structured psychological interventions to clients with severe and complex mental health problems.
- • Experience in risk assessment, formulation and management.
- • Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients’ psychological care and treatment within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan.
- • Experience of working with a full range of severe mental health problems and across settings including community, outpatient/clinic and/or inpatient settings.
- • Experience of multidisciplinary teamwork.
- • Experience of consulting with other mental health care and other health care professionals.
- • Experience of providing supervision.
- • Experience of providing training.
Desirable criteria
- • Experience of working therapeutically with antenatal and/or postnatal women with severe and complex mental health problems.
- • Experience of working with mothers/parents and their infants as well as the wider family system.
- • Experience of working with professionals and services involved in work with parents and/or children and families, in specialist hospital/inpatient or community settings.
- • Experience of teaching, training and supervision of trainee clinical /counselling psychologists.
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- • Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology.
- • Knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.
- • Knowledge of legislation in relation to clients with complex, severe and enduring mental health problems including Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act.
- • Knowledge of policies and procedures that relate to child protection and safeguarding
- • Evidence of CPD.
Desirable criteria
- • Awareness of perinatal mental health service development and priorities as outlined in the Long Term Plan (LTP).
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
- Dr Kirsty Pratt
- Job title
- Consultant Clinical Psychologist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0161 2710188
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