Job summary
- Main area
- Mental Health
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8a
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 354-AE-21178-A
- Employer
- Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- DOP Eastbourne. Coombes Valley Hospital in 2026
- Town
- Eastbourne
- Salary
- £55,690 - £62,682 pa
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 13/11/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Senior Practitioner Psychologist
NHS AfC: Band 8a
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 AI is becoming part of daily life and you may choose to use it to help prepare your application. We welcome innovation but ask that anything you submit reflects your own abilities, experience and voice. AI can support how you describe your skills and experience, but it should never replace your own words as we want to get to know you.
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 are delighted to have been awarded funding to appoint to this new post, which is funded at 8a but is open to newly qualified psychologists on a Band 7 to 8a development basis, for our inpatient wards at the Dept. of Psychiatry'. This is part of the trusts ongoing commitment to ensuring our service users have access to the best therapeutic and evidence-based inpatient support. We have two adult wards here and the successful candidate will join a large and growing psychological professions team across East Sussex and within our inpatient and urgent care services.
We are building a new hospital in Bexhill to replace our inpatient services at the Department of Psychiatry. This means that, if you are successful in your application, you will be transferred to the new facilities when it opens in 2026.
There is considerable scope to be part of exciting developments under way in East Sussex mental health services. We are currently spearheading the establishment of a dedicated Multiple Admissions Patient Pathway (MAPP) with consultant psychologist leadership based on the systemic principles of Open Dialogue.
Main duties of the job
This is post is most likely to be attractive to psychologists who are looking for a different challenge at what is an exciting time for our services. We would also be happy to consider recently qualified psychologists (or trainees soon to qualify) who could be appointed on a Band 7 to 8a development basis, where they would be supported to progress to the higher banding. As such the successful candidate will benefit from expert support and supervision to develop their skills and career within the role. They will work within the multi-disciplinary team and help in providing psychological opinion and formulations, and contribute to the development of psychological thinking, understanding and interventions/ approaches within the multi-disciplinary team. They will also be in a position to offer consultation, assessments and focused, short-term individual and group interventions.
Working for our organisation
The post holder will be a part of the wider East Sussex Psychological Professions group who work closely together and collaborate to promote and support the development and implementation of effective psychological services across our county. They will also be part of the Trust’s Adult Acute Psychological network, which provides specialist guidance and support on governance and best practice, including specialty CPD days.
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is a leading teaching and research mental health trust. We were granted teaching status in 2008 in recognition of our research background and our links with the Brighton and Sussex Medical School and other academic institutions. Currently we are in the top 12 mental health trusts in terms of research participants. Applicants with an interest in research will be welcomed.
Working here offers continued training and development, variety and a rewarding challenge, plus the benefits of living in Sussex, by the sea, in the beautiful South Downs or in any one of the exciting towns and cities we have to offer.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To provide direct and indirect clinical psychological intervention to our adult inpatient wards at Department of Psychiatry. This is likely to be one of the two wards with this to be negotiated and shared with other colleagues.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Post-graduate doctoral level training in applied psychology as approved by the HCPC, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology
Knowledge/Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience in highly specialist psychological assessment and treatment across outpatient, community, primary care, and inpatient settings.
- Post-qualification experience as a practitioner psychologist with approximately 50 hours of clinical supervision.
- Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, design and complex data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of applied psychology
- Experience working with diverse client groups across the lifespan, addressing a wide range of clinical severities, and maintaining a high degree of professionalism in challenging situations
- Skilled in teaching, training and/or supervision
- Experience of applying psychology in different cultural contexts and working within a multicultural framework.
- Experience of representing psychology within the context of multidisciplinary care.
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
- Jo Allen
- Job title
- Consultant Clinical Psychologist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Additional information
Patrick McGuinness, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Lead for East Sussex PP
07787727671
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