Job summary
- Main area
- Senior Psychologist
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8a
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time
- Part time
- Job ref
- 354-AE-21286
- Employer
- Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Department of Psychiatry
- Town
- Eastbourne
- Salary
- £47,810 - £62,682 pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 14/04/2026 08:00
Employer heading
Senior Practitioner Psychologist - 8a (or band 7 - 8 preceptorship)
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
Senior Psychologist 8a (or 7-8a Preceptorship)
We are delighted to have been awarded funding to appoint to this new post 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 developing pathways for psychosis and complex emotional needs with acute care and increasing the psychological formulation offer. 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 post will be providing senior psychological support for the department of psychiatry covering 2 wards, one male and one female.
They will work within the multi-disciplinary team 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.
We would also be happy to consider psychologists who could be appointed on a Band 7 to 8a development basis, where they would be supported to progress to the higher banding.
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.
To provide individual psychological interventions to those with complex presentations on the ward
To provide formulation and consultation to the MDT
To provide supervision to assistant psychologists and band 7 psychologists and other mental health professionals
To contribute to audit and service developments for the psychology service and wider MDT
To provide psychological leadership on the wards
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Post-graduate doctoral level training in applied psychology [or its equivalent for those trained before 1996 or outside the UK*] as approved by the HCPC, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology
- For forensic psychologists working in forensic settings: Masters degree (with the award of the British Psychological Society qualification in forensic psychology or equivalent)
- Professionally registered as a Practitioner Psychologist with the Health Professions Council (HCPC
Knowledge/Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and in patient settings
- Demonstrate specialist experience gained postqualification of working as an applied psychologist with evidence of having received a substantial amount of clinical supervision (normally in the region of approximately 50 hours)
- Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
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]
- Telephone number
- 07974024931
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