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Job summary

Main area
Psychology
Grade
Band 8a
Contract
Permanent
Hours
  • Part time
  • Flexible working
22.5 hours per week
Job ref
342-SS016-0226
Employer
Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Callington Road Hospital
Town
Bristol
Salary
£55,690 - £62,682 per annum, pro rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
01/03/2026 23:59
Interview date
11/03/2026

Employer heading

Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust logo

Band 8a Senior Perinatal Psychologist - Bristol

Band 8a

Job overview

We’re seeking an enthusiastic and highly skilled Clinical/Counselling Psychologist to join our remarkable Community Perinatal Mental Health Team, where compassion, innovation and inclusivity are at the heart of everything we do.

A unique opportunity has arisen for a Senior Psychologist to join the team. The role involves providing specialist psychological assessments and interventions to service users, in line with the needs of the service. There is a strong emphasis on evidence‑based psychological interventions and the development of complex formulations to support the systemic needs of individuals on our caseload. The role also includes providing clinical supervision to other registered psychologists, trainee and assistant psychologists, and a range of other professionals. The post‑holder should hold a relevant qualification and ideally have experience working in perinatal mental health settings, although this is not essential.

We are a dynamic, multidisciplinary team providing specialist perinatal mental health support to women, birthing people, partners and families. Our clinical team includes psychiatrists, mental health nurses, nursery nurses, clinical psychologists, occupational therapists, social workers, mental health workers and parent‑infant specialists. Our work is rooted in empathy, collaboration and holistic care, and we are proud to serve a richly diverse community.

Main duties of the job

  • To provide highly specialist psychological assessment and therapy to patients and carers, as appropriate to the service.
  • To provide highly specialist advice and consultation on clients’ formulation and psychological management to non‑psychologist colleagues.
  •  To use highly specialist psychological knowledge and skills to contribute to the more effective management of patients by teams within the area, and where appropriate, outside the area.
  • To clinically supervise and/or line manage trainee clinical psychologists, assistant psychologists, CAPs, less experienced psychology staff, and other professionals.
  • To contribute to audit, research, policy development and service improvement within the Perinatal Mental Health Team.
  • To develop and deliver training in psychological therapies for multidisciplinary staff

Please see the attached Job Description for the full list of duties and responsibilities.

Working for our organisation

We are AWP (Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust), a diverse organisation with over 5,000 dedicated staff providing inpatient and community-based mental health care.

We deliver services from a range of locations to approximately 1.8 million people living in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, across the county of Wiltshire, and in parts of Dorset.

Our outstanding people promote mental health and wellbeing. The expertise and resources within AWP are dedicated to a person‑centred approach for those who use our services and for all employees. We recognise that happy and fulfilled employees provide better care.

At AWP, we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds. We are particularly keen to receive applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

  • To provide a high‑quality, largely autonomous and systematic clinical/counselling psychology service.
  • To undertake highly specialist assessments, including neuropsychological assessments, risk assessments, and assessments for suitability for specialist psychological therapies, with clients and their carers (as appropriate to the role).
  •   To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of clients’ mental health problems, based on an appropriate conceptual framework and using evidence‑based methods across the full range of care settings.
  •  To be responsible for providing a range of psychological interventions for individuals, carers and groups, within and across teams, delivered individually or in combination. This includes adjusting and refining psychological formulations by drawing on different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.
  • To provide at least one specialist, evidence‑based psychological intervention as required by the needs of the service.
  • To provide highly specialist consultation to members of various teams within the area and beyond, regarding formulation and psychological management of clients.
  • To use highly specialist psychological knowledge and skills to contribute to the more effective management of patients by multidisciplinary teams.
  • To be involved in the development and delivery of training within the Trust.

Please see the attached Job Description for the full list of duties and responsibilities.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Doctorate in Clinical/Counselling/Forensic psychology or equivalent.
  • HPCP Registered.
  • Training within specialist evidence based interventions.
Desirable criteria
  • Specialist training for perinatal mental health issues/parent infant difficulties.

Experience, Knowledge and Skills

Essential criteria
  • Advanced theoretical and practical knowledge of perinatal mental health. Ability to use this knowledge to understand the needs of the service, and systemic pressures on the client group.
  • Experience delivering evidence based psychological interventions.
  • Empathy/engagement skills with individuals with complex mental health difficulties.
  • Experience of risk assessment and management.
  • Experience of clinical supervision/consultation with other professionals.
  • Ability to work effectively and flexibly as an integral member of a team.
  • Ability to work independently.
  • Self-awareness and emotional resilience.
  • Experience delivering groups.
Desirable criteria
  • Experience delivering interventions within perinatal mental health settings.
  • Experience of audit/data review.
  • Experience of setting up programmes/services and following them through to completion.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

NHS Pastoral Care Quality AwardVeteran AwareMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerInclusive Top 50 LogoThe Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion (enei) is the UK's leading employer network covering all aspects of equality and inclusion issues in the workplace.Armed Forces CovenantInclusive Top 50 UK Employers Ranking at 26th logo this yearOnvero (formerly enei) Siler Standard Award for 2024 /2025, known as TIDE

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.

Application numbers

This vacancy may close early if it receives a high number of applications. Please complete and submit your application in good time to avoid disappointment.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Vaneeta Sadhnani
Job title
Principal Clinical Psychologist
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
0117 9195826
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