Job summary
- Main area
- Mental Health
- Grade
- NHS AFC: Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Part time - 15 hours per week
- Job ref
- 354-PC-20718-1
- Employer
- Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Battle Health Centre
- Town
- Battle
- Salary
- £49,387 - £56,515 pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 02/07/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Specialist Psychological Therapist
NHS AFC: Band 7
Come and join us
We’re looking for people who share our values of compassion, accountability and optimism to help us provide high quality care for the patients, carers, families and communities we serve. We specialise in NHS mental health and learning disability services and we’re proud to make a difference every day.
At SPFT we put people first. We’ll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. You’ll have opportunities to learn, grow and gain new experiences to support your career, with access to lifelong learning and professional development.
We actively promote flexible working and understand how important work life balance is, especially in healthcare. Whether it’s part time hours, hybrid working or flexible start and finish times, we’ll explore what works for you and the role.
We recognise that tools like AI are becoming part of everyday life and you may choose to use them when preparing your application. We welcome this, as long as what you submit reflects your own experience, skills and voice. AI can be helpful for structuring or refining your answers, but it should not replace your own examples or create content that isn’t based on your real experience.
Our recruitment process is designed to get to know you, and we’ll explore your examples further at interview, so it’s important your application genuinely represents what you bring. You can read more about using AI in applications and interviews on our recruitment process page.
We’re shaping a workplace where ideas are encouraged, technology supports you and everyone has a voice in how we improve. If that sounds like the kind of organisation you want to be part of, we’d love to hear from you.
Job overview
We have an exciting opportunity for a practitioner psychologist or psychological therapist with a passion for work in health psychology to join our Long-Term Neurological Conditions Service. Whether you are experienced or simply keen to work in health psychology - get in touch
You will be providing tailored psychological interventions to people with multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease and offering support to the wider Neurology MDT to promote psychological practice in physical health more widely.
You will be joining the Clinical Health Psychology team at an exciting time of innovation and growth in the wider NHS as physical health services look to further integrate psychological principles and practices into their care pathways. The Long-Term Neurological Conditions Psychology Service is an excellent example of integration of mental and physical healthcare via the provision of tailored psychological care delivered both directly to individuals and indirectly via support of other health professionals in the MDT and wider systems.
Main duties of the job
You will deliver evidence based psychological interventions, psychoeducation groups and provide psychological consultations to the neurology nurses at the Conquest Hospital and Eastbourne DGH, working in close collaboration with the Senior Practitioner Psychologist.
Psychological approaches include CBT, ACT, and CFT and reflect the wide-ranging issues typically targeted including anxiety, low mood, adjustment and symptom management amongst others.
You will attend MDT meetings with Neurology and offer consultation and support to other health professionals. You will be part of the wider Clinical Health Psychology Team, which provides access to supervision groups (e.g. CBT) and CPD opportunities.
The role provides excellent opportunities for someone who enjoys or would like experience of autonomous working, service development, delivering psychological therapy in the context of physical health issues, and MDT working.
Working for our organisation
SPFT provide mental health and learning disability care for children, young people and adults across Sussex.
Working in Sussex:
· Embrace the city life with great access to visit Brighton and London
· With easy access to Gatwick and Heathrow and excellent railway links across the UK there is plenty of opportunity for adventure
We’d love you to join our organisation that is rated ‘good’ overall and ‘outstanding’ for caring by the Care Quality Commission. Our staff agree, with 82% of people in our recent staff survey telling us that they recognise that care for patients is our top priority. [JV1]
Seethe attached ‘Partnership Perks’ document for details about our benefits package.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
REQUIREMENTS
You will:
Have recognised/accredited postgraduate level training in a psychological therapy (see appropriate Person Specification)
Be professionally registered as a psychological therapist or practitioner psychologist
Have substantial post-qualification/accreditation experience of specialist psychological therapy (assessment, formulation and treatment), as specified in the same Appendix, maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
Have a high level of competence in applying a psychological therapy to complex difficulties appropriate for this therapy with the client group, and a proven track record of delivering positive outcomes in this therapy
It would also be advantageous if you have:
Significant experience of working with MS, Parkinsons or other similar health issues
SPFT staff have the capacity to work from home remotely where applicable and in agreement with your line manager. It is expected however that this role will primarily be based at Battle Health Centre.
MAIN DUTIES
To provide a high-quality specialist psychological therapy service to people with multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease in line with best and evidence-based practice
To be responsible for holding and managing a clinical caseload and to exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the planning and prioritising of own workload and the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients, within the bounds of the service operational policy
To use analytical and judgment skills and be responsible for taking clinical management decisions in complex clinical issues
To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of clients’ mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the client’s problems, and to practice within the context of evidence based approaches and the overall therapeutic approach/ philosophy of the service.
To deliver high quality psychological therapy, working with psychological difficulties that are likely to be amenable to good outcomes using the therapy being delivered
See attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details.
Please apply using the link in this advert, or for more information explore the attachments or contact:
Dr Ian Cuthburt, Senior Clinical Psychologist: [email protected]
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Recognised/accredited postgraduate level training in a psychological therapy as specified in one of the Appendices
- Professionally registered as specified in the same Appendix
Knowledge/Experience
Essential criteria
- Substantial post-qualification/accreditation experience of specialist psychological therapy (assessment, formulation and treatment), as specified in the same Appendix, maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
- A high level of competence in applying a psychological therapy to complex difficulties appropriate for this therapy with the client group, and a proven track record of delivering positive outcomes in this therapy
- Experience of offering teaching, training and supervision within a demanding organisational context
- A clear and theoretically informed approach to supervision
- Experience of representing psychological therapy within the context of multi-disciplinary care within a complex organisational context.
- Significant experience of working with the particular client group served by the team/service
- Knowledge of guidance and legislation in relation to the client group.
- A high-level specialist knowledge of the theory and practice of specialist psychological therapy as specified in the same appendix, as applied to the client group using this service
- Experience of the application of psychological therapy in different cultural contexts and experience of working within a multicultural framework
- Evidence of continuing professional development as required by the professional registration/accrediting body specified in the same appendix
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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 Ian Cuthbert
- Job title
- Senior Clinical Psychologist
- Email address
- [email protected]
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