Job summary
- Main area
- Psychology
- Grade
- Band 8a
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time
- Part time
- Job ref
- 130-PST037-0525
- Employer
- Swansea Bay University Health Board
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Cefn Coed Hospital
- Town
- Swansea
- Salary
- £54,550 - £61,412 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 03/06/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Senior Practitioner Psychologist
Band 8a
Welcome to Swansea Bay University Health Board. We welcome applications from people who share our values: caring for each other, working together and always improving.
Swansea Bay University Health Board reserve the right to close this vacancy after 24 hours if a large number of suitable applications are received. Therefore we encourage early applications to ensure consideration for this post.
Prior consideration for this vacancy will be given to staff currently awaiting redeployment and we therefore reserve the right to withdraw this advert at any stage.
Please be advised that there is a temporary top up for Bands 2 and 3 to reflect the incorporation of the top up to the living wage of £12.60 per hour - £24,638 per annum.
This temporary top up will be in place until the annual pay uplift for 2025/26 is confirmed.
Applications may be submitted in Welsh. Applications submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.
Job overview
We are seeking an enthusiastic, Senior Practitioner Psychologist to provide a specialised, practitioner psychology service across the adult acute care pathway based on the male and female acute wards at the Cefn Coed hospital site in Swansea.
The two acute wards provide acute care, rehabilitation and recovery focus to adults coping with an acute mental health crisis. Clyne ward is a 14 bedded female ward and Fendrod ward is a 21 bedded male ward for adults with a mental health diagnosis who are in acute crisis and require a hospital admission. The post holder will join an established multi-disciplinary team that includes another practitioner psychologist, assistant psychologist as well as nurses, psychiatry, OT, and pharmacy. The team are focused , supportive and collaborative.
The acute care pathway is part of Adult Services. You will be joining the Adult Psychology Service which is a group of practitioner psychologists working across the multi-disciplinary teams (MDT's) in secondary care. The Adult Psychology Service emphasises the development of practice-based evidence and service evaluation, in order to inform service development, delivery and quality improvement.
This permanent post is being advertised at band 8a. However, we would welcome applications from newly qualified psychologists, and would consider the opportunity for preceptorship and career progression within the role, with associated support.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be expected to provide a specialised, practitioner psychology service across the two acute adult inpatient wards. The post holder will provide specialised psychological, neurocognitive and risk assessment as well as contributing to risk management and safety planning. Furthermore, the post holder will provide and have opportunity to provide, specialised psychological intervention to service users, staff training, consultation and support, team formulation, group based interventions, reflective practice.
The post holder will join a vibrant Adult Psychology team, that supports a trauma-informed, strengths-based and collaborative approach, drawing on a range of psychological models and approaches, including recovery, positive psychology, compassion-focused, good lives and relational. The Adult Psychology team cover services across Swansea Bay Health Board, so some short-distance travel can be anticipated.
Psychologists in the adult service have close links with local clinical and counselling doctoral courses and offer trainee placements. There are also opportunities to link with wider psychology colleagues across Swansea Bay Health Board who work in mental health, forensic, primary care, health psychology and neuropsychology settings among others.
The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post but not required; English and/or Welsh speakers are equally welcome to apply.
Working for our organisation
We believe staff are our best asset and we want you to be happy and confident about starting your career here in Swansea Bay University Health Board. The Health Board supports a range of CPD opportunities, including for those who are newly qualified for the purpose of gaining experience and skill development at the outset of their qualified career.
As one of the biggest healthcare groups in the UK we can offer a wealth of professional training and development opportunities in an innovative, forward-thinking organisation.
We are an inclusive employer and welcome applications from everyone whatever their sex; religion or belief; race; age; sexual orientation; gender identity or, whether they are pregnant or have recently been on maternity leave, married or are in a civil partnership; or, whether they are disabled.
Our values - Caring For Each Other, Working Together and Always Improving, show that our commitment to equality is at the heart of everything we do.
If you want excellent career and training opportunities while living on the doorstep of some of Europe's most spectacular scenery, with all the benefits of a thriving and cosmopolitan city - look no further.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click “Apply now” to view in Trac.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- HCPC registration as practitioner psychologist
- Doctoral level/ advanced knowledge of practitioner psychology theory, practice, therapies and their application, neuropsychological and psychometric assessment
- Evidence of Continuing Professional Development as recommended by the BPS and HCPC.
- Training in clinical supervision of doctoral trainee practitioner psychologists
Desirable criteria
- Post-doctoral/qualification training courses in specific areas of practitioner psychology
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies i
Experience
Essential criteria
- Substantial experience of working as a qualified practitioner psychologist, within adult mental health settings with a rehabilitation and recovery focus
- Demonstration of further specialist training / experience, across a range of care settings and clients
- Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients’ psychological care,
- Experience of specialised assessment and treatment across a range of care settings
Desirable criteria
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision
- Experience of representing psychology within the context of multi-disciplinary care
- Experience of the application of practitioner psychology in diverse cultural contexts.
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.
Welsh language skills are desirable
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Dr Darren George
- Job title
- Consultant Clinical Psychologist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07977859817
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