# 7/8a Clinical/Counselling Psychologist - Inpatient Psychology Mid > NHS job listing from Job Clerk for Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust. ## Canonical URLs - **HTML:** https://www.jobclerk.com/job/78a-clinicalcounselling-psychologist-inpatient-psychology-mid/615e3b90-5781-4a2b-8660-1635f636f6df - **Markdown:** https://www.jobclerk.com/job/78a-clinicalcounselling-psychologist-inpatient-psychology-mid/615e3b90-5781-4a2b-8660-1635f636f6df.md ## Summary - **Status:** Live - **Employer:** Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust - **Location:** The Linden Centre - **Workplace type:** onsite - **Profession:** Psychologist - **Grade:** Band 8 - **Salary:** £49,387 - £64,750 per annum - **Contract type:** Permanent - **Employment type:** Full time - 37.5 hours per week - **Closing date:** 2026-08-26T22:59:00.000Z - **Posted:** 2026-08-14T16:20:38.051Z - **Source information URL:** https://www.healthjobsuk.com/job/UK/Essex/Chelmsford/Essex_Partnership_University_NHS_Foundation_Trust/ClinicalCounselling_Psychologist_Inpatient_Psychology/ClinicalCounselling_Psychologist_Inpatient_Psychology-v8227524 - **Application URL:** https://apps.trac.jobs/job-advert/8227524?ShowJobAdvert=&feedid=9002 - **Employer website:** https://www.eput.nhs.uk ## Job Content ### Job overview An exciting opportunity has arisen for a 1.0 WTE Band 7/8a Clinical or Counselling Psychologist to join our Adult Inpatient Psychological Services Team in Chelmsford and Colchester. This role offers an excellent opportunity to help shape and enhance psychological provision across our rehabilitation ward in Colchester and one of our acute inpatient wards at the Linden Centre, creating a varied and rewarding clinical role. The successful candidate will provide specialist psychological assessment, formulation, therapy, interventions and consultation for people experiencing acute mental health crises, as well as those requiring longer-term rehabilitation and recovery-focused support. You will join a supportive, compassionate and forward-thinking psychological team committed to improving outcomes for people experiencing acute mental health difficulties, while also prioritising staff wellbeing, professional development and opportunities for innovation We value staff wellbeing and offer a range of flexible working options, including compressed hours. Part-time and job-share applications are warmly welcomed. If you are passionate about trauma-informed care, enjoy working in dynamic multidisciplinary teams, and want to help shape the future of inpatient mental health services in Essex, we would love to hear from you! Applications from newly qualified clinical/counselling psychologists or those about to complete training are welcomed under a development post arrangement. ### Main duties of the job The successful candidate will have a strong interest in inpatient mental health care, working with people experiencing acute mental health crises as well as those requiring longer-term rehabilitation and recovery-focused support. They will be skilled in undertaking specialist psychological assessment, formulation and intervention with individuals presenting with a wide range of severe, enduring and complex mental health difficulties. This unique role provides a varied and rewarding clinical role across different stages of the recovery journey. The post holder will work closely with multidisciplinary colleagues to develop psychologically informed understandings of crisis presentations, helping teams make sense of complexity and identify pathways towards recovery. The ability to formulate risk, make professional recommendations and contribute confidently to clinical decision-making alongside ward team is central to this role. A key aspect of the role will be supporting and developing staff and will include supervision of junior staff. The post holder will also contribute to teaching, training, reflective practice groups, post-incident debriefs and psychologically informed consultations, helping to build the confidence and psychological skills of ward teams. ### Detailed job description and main responsibilities The Adult Inpatient Psychological Services Team is committed to delivering high-quality psychological care to people experiencing acute mental health difficulties during their inpatient admission. We work collaboratively with multidisciplinary and Care Unit colleagues to support recovery-focused care, helping service users make the most of their admission and achieve timely, meaningful discharges. Our service spans six inpatient sites across Essex, with each site led by a Principal Psychologist. We are a large, supportive and innovative team comprising Principal and Senior Psychologists, Arts Psychotherapists, Clinical Associate Psychologists (CAPs), Assistant Psychologists and Trainees. We are proud of both the dedication of our staff and our commitment to service development, with innovations including nationally recognised staff training programmes and significant investment in inpatient psychological services. This is an exciting time to join the team. We actively encourage creativity, service improvement, leadership development, teaching and research. Strong links with the University of East Anglia and University of Essex and provide excellent opportunities to contribute to the training and supervision of future psychologists. Staff are supported to pursue specialist interests, research, formal training and wider learning opportunities across the Trust. We are committed to supporting our staff to thrive in their roles. As part of a large and supportive psychological service, the successful candidate will have access to regular clinical and managerial supervision, specialist therapy supervision, reflective practice spaces, case discussion forums, and opportunities to connect with and learn from the wider psychological services team. We place a strong emphasis on professional development, peer support and creating a culture where staff feel valued, connected and supported in managing the complexities of inpatient work. We offer flexible approaches to working wherever possible. Part-time, job-share and flexible working requests are welcome and will be considered. We are able to offer this post as a band 7 development post (to an 8a) for the right candidate. We currently have several opportunities available across Adult Inpatient Psychological Services. If you would like to be considered for more than one role, please indicate this in your application and outline any preferences. To support applicants and streamline the recruitment process, we would normally seek to interview you once and consider you for all relevant posts. Please contact Dr Sophie Bellringer, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, sophie.bellringer@nhs.net (07583136523) for further discussion. ### 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. ## Person Specification ### Education/Qualifications **Essential** - Post graduate doctoral level training in clinical or counselling psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996), including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the BPS - Training in supervision of other psychologists/psychological therapists - HCPC Registration and eligibility for BPS accreditation - Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration **Desirable** - Post accreditation training in additional specialised areas of psychological practice e.g. CBT, CBTp, EMDR, DBT, CAT or other. ### Knowledge/Skills/Experience **Essential** - Knowledge of mental health legislation, NHS Constitution, CPA and risk assessment and management - Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration **Desirable** - Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS for Clinical/Counselling Psychologist ## Documents - [staff benefits (pdf, 152.7kb)](https://www.healthjobsuk.com/documents?edoc=2990) - [job description (pdf, 672.5kb)](https://www.healthjobsuk.com/documents?vdoc=10536889) - [person specification (pdf, 584.3kb)](https://www.healthjobsuk.com/documents?vdoc=10536888) - [candidate privacy policy (pdf, 336.6kb)](https://www.healthjobsuk.com/documents?edoc=1853) - [right to work information (pdf, 293.6kb)](https://www.healthjobsuk.com/documents?edoc=2355) - [values of the nhs pension (pdf, 151.3kb)](https://www.healthjobsuk.com/documents?edoc=2659) - [employer recognition scheme - gold award (pdf, 27.7kb)](https://www.healthjobsuk.com/documents?edoc=2451) ## Agent Notes - This Markdown page is generated from the same Job Clerk job record as the HTML job detail page. - Use the canonical HTML URL for user-facing references. - Use the application URL when the user wants to apply on the source NHS site.