Job summary
- Main area
- Research and Development
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8a
- Contract
- Fixed term: 19 months (19 months from start date)
- Hours
- Part time
- Job share
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 354-CO-21733(F)
- Employer
- Sussex Partnership NHS FoundationTrust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Sussex Education Centre
- Town
- Hove
- Salary
- £55,690 - £62,682 pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 07/09/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Clinical Psychologist
NHS AfC: Band 8a
Come and join us
We're looking for people who share our values (compassion, accountability and optimism) to help us provide high quality care to the patients, carers, families and local communities we serve. We specialise in providing NHS mental health and learning disability services.
So what can we offer you in return?
We're an organisation which puts people first. We'll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. We'll help you learn, acquire new skills and gain further experience to support your career development. And we'll provide the opportunity for you to bring your fresh ideas to work about how we can do things differently and continue improving.
You will also be joining a health and care system committed to working together to do the best we can for the communities we serve. Above all, at Sussex Partnership you'll have the chance to make a difference to the lives of the patients, carers and families across our communities.
As a Trust we are committed in making a difference. Your development is important to us, so don't forget to ask us during interview what opportunities we can offer. We can offer fully funded lifelong learning opportunities such as an apprenticeship from GCSE to Masters level.
If you like the sound of that, then come and join our team.
Job overview
Are you are interested in being part of cutting-edge research within Mental Health care? Are you looking to further develop your clinical experience and research skills?
We are seeking a clinical psychologist to join the Sleeping Better team to contribute to a new large clinical trial of psychological therapy for early psychosis.
You will deliver specialist psychological therapy as part of the Sleeping Better project – a multi-site randomised controlled trial testing the team’s 12-week treatment for sleep and circadian rhythm difficulties.
You'll assist with the set-up and delivery of the trial, direct delivery of therapy, supervising research assistants and ensuring the successful delivery of trial milestones.
You'll work with other members of the project teams across the different trial sites as well as local NHS mental health trusts. You'll work clinically in Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. There will be teaching and supervision opportunities.
A Doctorate in Clinical Psychology is required, and an in-depth understanding of the theoretical and empirical foundations of cognitive approaches; and excellent interpersonal, communication and organisational skills, and a commitment to developing evidence based psychological treatments.
This will suit a clinical psychologist keen to apply cognitive theory and therapeutic techniques to improve treatment efficacy, and those wishing to develop a clinical academic career.
Main duties of the job
This post requires excellent communication and presentation skills, together with the ability to organise and motivate others.
You'll need to demonstrate flair, enthusiasm, innovation, and leadership when faced with challenges and will provide strategic, tactical, and operational management skills in the planning and execution of the research project.
You'll provide clinical supervision support to research assistants and graduate mental health workers, and will will work within the policies, procedures, and guidelines for the Trust.
Although based in Brighton you are likely to travel throughout the trust which would be facilitated by having a valid driving licence and access to your own or other independent means of transport.
The position will suit a clinical psychologist keen to apply cognitive theory and therapeutic techniques to improve treatment efficacy. We can also support the development of clinical psychologists with an interest in a clinical academic career. The post-holder will be supervised by Prof Kathryn Greenwood, Dr Felicity Waite and Prof Daniel Freeman. We welcome discussions with potential candidates.
Working for our organisation
The R&D department in Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust is a large and vibrant department with research assistants, clinical research practitioners and clinical psychologists/psychological therapists working across a variety of projects.
You will work directly with the Senior Research Assistants, Psychology Assistant and with the Sussex Principal Investigator Professor Kathryn Greenwood (Professor of Clinical Psychology) locally.
You will also receive expert training and supervision with international leaders in their fields and through the multidisciplinary research group (Oxford, Bristol, Glasgow and Cumbria, Northumberland Tyne and Wear).
There will also be opportunities to meet staff on other projects and from different disciplines, and to take up CPD opportunities to strengthen your clinical and/or research experience. There are regular psychosis research lab meetings, and Sussex Psychosis Research interest Group (SPRiG) seminars to further strengthen your knowledge and skills.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- To contribute to the day-to-day delivery of a new large-scale project testing innovations in psychological therapy for patients with early psychosis, including young people at ultra-high risk of psychosis.
- To help support the set-up and management of the trial, and contribute to the day-to-day management of the project, ensuring milestones are achieved and the work is carried out to the highest standards.
- To deliver highly specialist psychological therapy to treat sleep problems in young people at risk of psychosis as part of a large clinical trial: Sleeping Better.
- To contribute to the supervision of assistant psychologists and graduate mental health workers in the delivery of psychological interventions.
- To contribute to the supervision of research assistants in the recruitment and assessment of trial participants.
- To coordinate the trial at the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust site, including supervising research assistants in the recruitment and assessment of trial participants.
- To work closely with the clinical teams in Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and other participating NHS Trusts, including delivering new treatments to patients in these trusts as part of the clinical research and supervising and training others in the delivery of treatments.
- To provide regular reports on the progress of the study. This will include providing information needed by the funder.
- To work closely with other members of the research group, helping to ensure the success of studies conducted within the group.
- To ensure excellent working relationships with collaborators across the project.
- To conduct good record-keeping and report writing.
- To work to standard operational procedures for the projects.
- To attend supervision and research team meetings.
- Administrative duties related to the projects.
- Treatment is provided in a number of NHS trusts. This means there will be travel across the large geographical area both to clinical teams and patient homes, which would be facilitated by having a valid driving licence and access to own or other independent means of transport.
- The projects include large multi-site clinical trials across the UK and therefore occasional travel between sites will be necessary.
- To work within the guidelines set out by the Data Protection Act, the Code of Ethics, Trust policies and procedures, and with full understanding of confidentiality issues
- Other duties appropriate to the grade as directed.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (or equivalent)
- HCPC registration
Desirable criteria
- Pre-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.
Knowledge, Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of conducting individual therapy sessions with patients with psychosis. This includes excellent cognitive therapy skills to enable treatment development and delivery.
- Experience of delivering clinical interventions with adolescents.
- Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
- 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).
- 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 specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature.
- Experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of diversity within local communities.
- Knowledge of guidance and legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialist psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc).
- Formal training in supervision of other psychologists.
- In-depth understanding of the theoretical and empirical foundations of cognitive approaches to mental health disorders.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
- Experience of representing psychology within the context of multi-disciplinary care
- Experience of clinical trials (delivery and implementing clinical research trial procedures and protocols).
- Experience of authorship of publications.
Skills
Essential criteria
- Excellent skills in engagement of patients in psychological intervention.
- To communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with clients, carers, and colleagues, and overcoming barriers to communication including sensory, and emotional difficulties, cultural differences, and hostility to or rejection of information. Including the ability to work clearly and concisely, and produce high quality reports
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
- Ability to use initiative to plan and organise complex activities and programmes, requiring formulation and adjustment as necessary.
- Excellent organisational, project management, and record keeping skills. Can work under pressure and meet strict deadlines and prioritise accordingly.
- Committed to supporting service user involvement in research.
Personal Attributes
Essential criteria
- Although based in Brighton you will be required to travel throughout Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. This would be facilitated by having a valid driving licence, and access to own or other independent means of transport.
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
- Prof Kathryn Greenwood
- Job title
- Professor of Clinical Psychology
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07879 551385
List jobs with Sussex Partnership NHS FoundationTrust in Allied Health Professions or all sectors