Band 8a Clinical Psychologist (with Band 7 Preceptorship option)

Job summary

This is an excellent opportunity for Clinical/Counselling Psychologists seeking a supported, transparent pathway into a substantive Band 8A role.

We are excited to offer a Practitioner Psychologist the chance to join our forward-thinking Defence mental healthcare network, delivering evidence-based psychological therapies for serving military personnel.

Newly qualified psychologists, or those approaching qualification, will be appointed at Band 7 and offered a structured two-year preceptorship supporting progression to Band 8a through competency - based development, supervision and targeted Continual Professional Development (CPD).

The successful candidate will join a vibrant multidisciplinary network across three sites in South East England, working alongside:

• Consultant, Principal and Trainee Psychologists
• Psychiatry, Mental Health Nursing, Psychological Therapy and Social Work colleagues (military and civilian)

This is a unique clinical environment, supporting both the mental health and operational effectiveness of military personnel, with opportunities to:

• Develop specialist clinical practice with a unique population
• Participate in multidisciplinary formulation, consultation, and case discussion
• Contribute to service development, audit and quality improvement initiatives
• With strong links to the wider Defence Clinical Psychology community through peer networks, CPD events, specialist supervision and shared learning opportunities.

Main duties of the job

This post is open to:

• Qualified Clinical or Counselling Psychologists currently working at AfC Band 7 or Band 8A
• Clinical or Counselling Psychology doctorate trainees approaching qualification.

Applicants must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Practitioner Psychologist under a protected title or be eligible to obtain registration before commencing employment. Applicants who have not yet qualified must provide evidence that qualification and HCPC registration requirements will be met prior to appointment.

This programme includes:

• A clearly defined competency framework aligned to 8a practice
• Regular supervision and formal appraisal
• Access to targeted CPD, specialist supervision and professional training
• Supported development of consultation, leadership, supervision, and service development skills

Progression to Band 8a is expected within two years, subject to successful achievement of the required competencies and appraisal outcomes:

We provide:

• Comprehensive induction
• Structured clinical and professional supervision
• Clear professional development pathways
• Opportunities for career progression
• Opportunities for career progression within Defence Clinical Psychology

About us

In addition to Agenda for Change pay scales, we offer:

• AFC annual leave plus 2.5 privilege days per year
• NHS Pension Scheme
• Reimbursement of professional registration fees
• Personal CPD budget and monthly inhouse CPD
• Access to specialist supervision (e.g. CBT, EMDR, ACT)
• Flexible working options, subject to service requirements
• Free onsite parking
• Strong focus on staff wellbeing, supervision and reflective practice

Our success depends on our people, our Whole Force, regular and reservist military, civil servants and contractors, all working as one, working together seamlessly to deliver for us.

Our civil servants are a central part of this; developing strategy, making policy, supporting ministerial decision-making and Parliamentary processes. With over 2,000 different roles working across 650 sites around the world, now really is an excellent time to join one of the largest, most exciting departments in government.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to attracting and retaining people from across the full range of backgrounds and enabling flexible ways of working as the norm. We offer maternity, adoption or shared parental leave of up to 26 weeks full pay followed by 13 weeks of statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid, and paternity leave of 2 weeks full pay.

In return, you can expect a department that helps you learn and develop that recognises your expertise and contribution, both as an individual and part of a team.

Details

• Date posted: 21 July 2026
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 8a
• Salary: £47,810 to £62,682 a year (pro rata for part time) See ad for more info *pay award pending
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Full-time, Job share
• Reference number: K0003-26-0213
• Job locations: Sunny Walk, HM Naval Base, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 3LT, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for the full list of duties.

Selection Process:

The sift will be completed within 10 working days of the vacancy closing date. Interviews will be held on a date to be confirmed.

At application stage you will be assessed against the following: CV.

• Please ensure you demonstrate that you have the required skills, knowledge, experience, qualifications and memberships in the CV section of the application form.
• Please provide information of how you meet the criteria set out in the Job Description. You may wish to further include examples of how you have tackled similar tasks or demonstrated the skills outlined in the job advert.

To be considered for this role, qualifications and memberships detailed must be held in full, prior to submitting your application except where trainees approaching qualification/registration as detailed applies.

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see the supporting information link for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

http://civil-service-careers.gov.uk/artificial-intelligence-and-recruitment/

At interview you will be assessed against the following:

Civil Service Behaviours:

• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Leadership
• Delivering at Pace

If you are invited for interview, you may be asked to discuss a clinical vignette and give a short presentation

Please see the link to our YouTube channel for advice preparing your best responses with some hints and tips on answering behaviour-based questions. Hints and tips such as: Your behaviours can be based on situations from work, volunteering or home; match your situation to the behaviour requested and how to use your 250-word limit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEpdNWKQSRI

There will be no reimbursement for any travel expenses for the interview.

Additional Information

As this role has the potential to be started as a Band 7 with progression to a Band 8a, the salary will be dependant on your level of qualification and banding at the start of employment.

Requests to work flexibly and/or part time will be considered, taking into account business needs. Please note the salary will be pro-rata where part time hours are undertaken.

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and working from home as part of a non-contractual hybrid working arrangement. All office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to site capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD workplace, will also count towards this level of office attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this and other flexible working arrangements may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.

All employees joining Ministry of Defence who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a 6-month probation period (unless otherwise advised) effective from the employment start date.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.

Access to the NHS pension scheme is available to the successful candidate.

If found successful for this position, you will be required to provide evidence of your immunity to Hepatitis B. Please note that evidence of your vaccination is not a proof of your immunity, but your serology levels will be required. Failure to provide sufficient evidence may result in the offer of employment being withdrawn.

There is no requirement to deploy as this is met by our uniformed personnel, but you will form the continuity of care required by our patients when based at home.

The post does NOT offer relocation expenses (move of home, excess fares or temporary transfer). Non-Standard move applicants will be eligible for the full package, subject to eligibility.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system.

Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected, and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

This vacancy is part of the A Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

There may be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all DCS candidates that meet the minimum criteria for the job. For example, in certain recruitment situations such as a high volume of applications, seasonal demand, or peak periods, the employer may wish to limit the overall number of interviews offered to both DCS and non-DCS applicants.

If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact DBSCivPers-SGDMSResourcing@mod.gov.uk.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

Please see attached Important Information document for details on our complaints procedure.