Job summary
- Main area
- Mental Health
- Grade
- NHS AFC: Band 8c
- Contract
- Fixed term: 22 months (Funding lapses in February 2028)
- Hours
- Part time - 30 hours per week
- Job ref
- 354-AE-21287
- Employer
- Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- St Annes Centre, Conquest Hospital
- Town
- St Leonard's
- Salary
- £76,965 - £88,682 pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 22/04/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Consultant Practitioner Psychologist
NHS AFC: Band 8c
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 have an exciting opportunity for an experienced consultant psychologist, or someone aspiring to work at this level, within older people's services in East Sussex. The role is on a fixed-term contract basis to cover the leadership gap when the current post holder is training to become an Approved Clinician. We would also consider a secondment arrangement for internal applicants. Funding is in place until February 2028.
Main duties of the job
The successful candidate will combine professional and clinical leadership for older adult psychological professionals in East Sussex, alongside direct patient care. The clinical aspect of the role will be based on St Raphael, the inpatient ward for older people at Conquest Hospital, Hastings, as well as providing a day into the Wealden older adult community team based at Uckfield.
Working for our organisation
Specialist Older Adult Mental Health Services (SOAMHS) are part of adult mental health provision but work in separate teams providing a broad range of interventions for older people and people with dementia. As such there is a strong emphasis on the importance of taking a specialist older adult informed perspective and our multidisciplinary teams reflect this.
Within East Sussex we have many psychologists, psychological therapists, trainees (psychologists and therapists), assistants and mental health and wellbeing practitioners. There are multiple opportunities to work collaboratively as part of this wider group allowing you to develop your areas of specialist interest, research and development.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
East Sussex has one of the largest populations of older people in the UK and we strive to provide an innovative and excellent mental health service. We are committed to being part of East Sussex's community transformation programme to ensure that 'older adults' are fundamental to all strategic thinking. Moreover, the dementia care pathway has been identified as a specific strategic priority for the East Sussex Mental Health Oversight Board, which includes NHS and partner organisations. As such this represents a great opportunity to support and lead on service development. The successful candidate will be joining a supportive and forward-thinking leadership team. The overall lead for psychological professions for East Sussex is an older adult psychologist and would provide clinical and professional supervision for this post.
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
- Pre-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology
- Accredited / registered with professional body / regulator as detailed above
Knowledge/Experience
Essential criteria
- Doctoral level knowledge of applied psychology and psychological therapy including highly developed knowledge of lifespan developmental psychology, models of psychopathology.
- Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology
- Highly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological practice
- Assessed extensive experience of working as a qualified or registered Practioner psychologist, Psychotherapist or psychological therapist, including significant post-qualification experience within the Specific Care Group/Service.
- Demonstrable knowledge of the theory and practice of leadership and management in mental health services
- Extensive experience of providing successful clinical leadership within a multidisciplinary mental health provider context
- High level knowledge of national policy frameworks and initiatives and the mental health economy within which the Trust services are provided
- Highly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of highly specialised psychological practice
- Experience of the successful professional management of psychotherapists, psychological therapists, Practitoner psychologists and other psychological professionals
- Experience of successfully representing the psychological professions and/or services in local or regional policy forums, across services or at equivalent level
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 Patrick McGuinness
- Job title
- East Sussex Lead for Psychological Professions
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Additional information
Candidates are warmly encouraged to request a meeting or informal visit to find out more about the post.
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