Job summary
- Main area
- Primary Care CEN / PCLS Psychologist
- Grade
- Band 8a
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 342-SWN048-0625
- Employer
- Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Sandalwood Court
- Town
- Swindon
- Salary
- £53,755 - £60,504 per annum pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 08/07/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Band 8a CEN & PCLS Psychologist - Swindon
Band 8a
Job overview
We are seeking an experienced and dynamic psychologist to work across two innovative services in Swindon. This role offers the chance to develop your leadership skills by supporting a growing brief psychological intervention service as well as working within a busy MDT providing assessment, formulation, and brief interventions for a wide range of mental health needs.
The Primary Care Complex Emotional Needs Service (PC CEN) delivers brief psychological support for individuals with emotional and relational difficulties, associated with personality disorder. With additional investment the service will expand to also offer intervention to people with complex PTSD who may fall between the gap between primary and secondary MH services.
The Primary Care Liaison Service (PCLS) provides mental health triage, assessment, brief interventions, advice, and signposting for diverse mental health issues. You will work closely with the Swindon Psychological Therapies Service to deliver high-quality psychological care.
At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.
Main duties of the job
This role involves three days per week in the PC CEN Service and two days per week with the PCLS, linked to the local Psychological Therapies Service (PTS).
As PC CEN Psychologist, you will lead the locality team as the service expands, managing therapists and MHWP’s to deliver safe, evidence-based interventions for clients with complex emotional needs and cPTSD.
As PCLS Psychologist, you will collaborate within the MDT to provide assessment, formulation, brief interventions, and signposting for a wide range of mental health presentations. The service includes a trainee Clinical Associate Psychologist (CAP) and aims to expand its psychological offerings.
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 provide 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 give better care.
Swindon PTS comprises a supportive team of Clinical Psychologists, Counselling Psychologists, CBT Therapists, a Family Therapist and Arts Psychotherapists. We have strong links with local training providers in Clinical & Counselling Psychology. All PTS staff have access to regular activities to support their ongoing professional development, including a bi-monthly CPD club and support to access other specialist training. We offer a range of therapeutic approaches, including CBT, DBT, CFT, EMDR and Family Therapy. We have a well established mechanisms for supporting staff who wish to maintain their BABCP accreditation. The team has a strong emphasis on promoting staff wellbeing, including a bi-monthly reflective practice group and regular wellbeing activities
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To provide highly specialist assessment and therapy (CBT / DBT informed) to patients and carers as appropriate to the service.
To provide highly specialist advice and consultation on clients care and management in relation to the service.
To clinically supervise other therapists and other professionals in the team in addition to taking on line management responsibilities for some.
To contribute to audit, research, policy and service development within the complex emotional needs pathway.
To develop and deliver training in complex emotional needs and trauma informed care for multidisciplinary staff.
Contribute to continued service development and audit
Participate in CPD and other developmental activities
As the PCLS psychologist, you will work closely with the other members of the MDT to ensure that service users receive a high quality assessment and intervention/ onward signposting. Swindon PCLS already includes a trainee Clinical Associate Psychologist (CAP) and have had a long term aspiration to widen and develop their psychological offer.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- HPCP accredited clinical/counselling psychologist
Desirable criteria
- BABCP Accredited Therapist
- Leadership experience / training
Experience
Essential criteria
- 2 year post qualification experience
- Experience of delivering trauma focused interventions i.e. TF-CBT
- Experience of working within Access / Primary Care Mental Health Services
- Experience of working in to an MDT
Desirable criteria
- EMDR Trained
- MBT/DBT Trained
- Experience of providing brief interventions
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of delivering clinical supervision
- Experience of delivering line management supervision
Desirable criteria
- BABCP accredited supervisor
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of delivering training
Desirable criteria
- Experience of designing training
- Relevant R&D or clinical audit work post qualification
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
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Luke McNeill
- Job title
- BSW Primary Care CEN Lead
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01793 327900
- Additional information
Imogen Reid - Swindon PTS Lead - [email protected]
Sarah Hunt - BSW CEN Lead - [email protected]
List jobs with Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust in Allied Health Professions or all sectors