Job summary
- Main area
- Mental Health
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8a
- Contract
- Fixed term: 12 months (or a Secondment)
- Hours
- Full time
- Job share
- Job ref
- 346-NYC-139-24-B
- Employer
- Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Orca House
- Town
- York
- Salary
- £53,755 - £60,504 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 26/05/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Highly Specialist Applied Psychologist
NHS AfC: Band 8a
We are the Mental Health & Learning Disability NHS Trust for County Durham and Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby.
From education and prevention, to crisis and specialist care —our talented and compassionate teams work in partnership with our patients, communities and partners to help the people of our region feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for.
We nurture the recovery journey of anyone in need of our help. In Our Trust, everyone has a say in how they are supported and treated because we listen to every person in our care until they feel understood. Our patients, their families and carers work together with us towards better mental health.
We’re committed to new thinking that improves the wellbeing of our region. We connect with our communities and partners to get mental health care right, in areas that really need it.
We won’t rest until everyone in our region has the mental health care they need, to lead their best possible life.
Job overview
A fantastic opportunity has arisen for a dynamic and motivated Highly Specialised Clinical Psychologist to join the North Yorkshire and York Eating Disorder Service for children and young people. The post will be based in Orca House, York, however there would be an expectation that the successful candidate would travel to other parts of the locality based on service need, travel expenses would be included.
We invite applications from suitably qualified Clinical Psychologists. The successful candidate will be registered with the Health and Care Professionals Council.
Main duties of the job
We are seeking to appoint a suitably experienced and skilled Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist to join our team for 12 months. We are seeking a creative and flexible psychological professional to help improve access to psychological therapies, and deliver interventions locally to children and families.
You will be expected to have the necessary skills and experience to undertake direct clinical work with children and families, offer clinical supervision and consultation, contribute to service evaluation, as well as manage the demands of service development and change. Candidates should be skilled psychological professionals with excellent interdisciplinary working skills and interested in contributing to the development of an innovative service.
Working for our organisation
We are the Mental Health & Learning Disability NHS Trust for County Durham and Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby.
From education and prevention, to crisis and specialist care —our talented and compassionate teams work in partnership with our patients, communities and partners to help the people of our region feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for.
We nurture the recovery journey of anyone in need of our help. In Our Trust, everyone has a say in how they are supported and treated because we listen to every person in our care until they feel understood. Our patients, their families and carers work together with us towards better mental health.
We’re committed to new thinking that improves the wellbeing of our region. We connect with our communities and partners to get mental health care right, in areas that really need it.
We won’t rest until everyone in our region has the mental health care they need, to lead their best possible life.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Job Summary
Accountable for own professional practice in the delivery of highly specialist psychological care to clients with highly complex mental health conditions which may include high levels of distress and/or challenging behaviours.
To be compassionate in meeting the needs of clients, their carers and families.
To provide clinical supervision and training to less experienced colleagues within the designated psychology service and to other members of the multidisciplinary team.
To undertake formal research as an integral part of the job and act as field supervisor to doctorate trainees.
To be proactive in continual service improvement within own area.
To promote at all times a positive image of people with mental ill health or learning disabilities.
Please refer to the job description for details regarding Main Duties and Responsibilities.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- HCPC registration as a Practitioner Psychologist
- Post-graduate training (doctoral level equivalent) in clinical / counselling / forensic psychology (or its equivalent prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS.
- Post doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice
- Trained in clinical supervision and the supervision of doctoral trainees
- Evidence of continuing professional development
Desirable criteria
- Registration with BPS
Experience
Essential criteria
- Working as a qualified applied psychologist within the designated service including a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and a range of clinical severity across a range of care settings.
- Exercising full clinical responsibility for clients’ psychological care as a care coordinator within the context of a multidisciplinary team.
- Teaching, training and clinical supervision and field supervisor for doctoral theses.
- Research and development
- Quality and service improvement and evaluation.
Skills
Essential criteria
- Communicate highly complex and highly sensitive information effectively, to a wide range of people
- Adapt creatively the evidence base for interventions in mental health for clients with communication difficulties / learning disabilities.
- Provide effective teaching, training and clinical supervision for the multidisciplinary team.
- Work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team and undertake care co-ordination/lead practitioner responsibilities
- Undertake complex multiagency working and liaise with multiple systems
- Identify, provide and promote appropriate interventions / means of support for carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and challenging behaviours.
- Utilise appropriate clinical governance mechanisms within own work.
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Evidence- based practice relevant to the role
- Risk assessment and risk management
- Clinical governance
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
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
- Stephanie Allerston
- Job title
- service manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
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