Clinical / Counselling Psychologist


Location
Ayr, Scotland
Salary
£65,125 - £70,303
Profession
Psychologist
Grade
Band 8
Deadline
24 Sep 2026
Contract Type
Permanent
Posted Date
03 Sep 2026
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Job details

  • Job reference: 258689
  • Salary: Band 8A (£65,125 - £70,303)
  • Job closing date: 24/09/2026
  • Job Type: Other Therapeutic
  • Location: Three Towns Resource Centre
  • Employment type: Permanent
  • Hours Per Week: 28.8
  • Job posted date: 03/09/2026
  • Employer (NHS Board): NHS Ayrshire & Arran
  • Department: Psychological Services

NHS Scotland:

Who we are:

NHS Ayrshire and Arran are one of 14 territorial NHS Boards within NHS Scotland.

In support of our core purpose of Working together to achieve the healthiest life possible for everyone in Ayrshire and Arran, we are committed to a culture that is Caring, Safe, and Respectful. You will be required to work collaboratively in a safe, caring and respectful way.

To find out more about NHS Ayrshire and Arran please visit our website - NHS Ayrshire & Arran - Home (nhsaaa.net)

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Position:

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Principal Clinical / Counselling Psychologist within our Adult Mental Health Psychology Service. We are keen to hear from people who are passionate about delivering high quality specialist psychological assessment, formulation and treatment with a range of secondary care presentations. We are particularly keen to hear from people who are committed to multidisciplinary working and enjoy working in a psychology specialty team and working alongside community mental health team colleagues in a way that benefits those who use our services. We are committed to developing our patient and carer engagement processes and hope to appoint someone who is committed to ensuring that the service-user and carer experience is at the heart of what we do in Ayrshire and Arran. We look forward to hearing from you.

Hours:

28.8 hours per week.

Job share will be considered for this post.

UK Driving Licence:

A UK driving licence is essential for this role.

What you will do:

The post-holder will work closely with multidisciplinary colleagues and hold a caseload providing specialist psychological assessment (including neuropsychological testing), formulation and evidence-based psychological treatment (individual and group) to adults presenting with a wide range of complex psychological difficulties and severe mental health problems in a community mental health setting in Ayrshire. They will provide support to the wider system through consultation, supervision and training. Clinical supervision for the post-holder will be provided by an experienced Clinical Psychologist.

For further information on the role please click the link below to view the job description.

Knowledge, training and/or experience required for this post:

Postgraduate Doctorate in Clinical or Counselling Psychology.

Registration with the HCPC as a Practitioner Psychologist. Trainee Clinical Psychologists would not be expected to be HCPC registered at the point of applying for the post, but would need to have attained registration before they would be eligible to commence the post.

An excellent relocation package of up to £12,000 is available depending on eligibility.

For further information on the requirements for the role please click the link below to view the person specification.

If you would like to find out more about the role, please contact Dr Erin Toal, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Lead for Psychology Speciality in Adult Mental Health – North Ayrshire. Erin.toal@aapct.scot.nhs.uk.

Right to Work / Certificates of Sponsorship

To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service. Further information on what NHS Scotland Boards are required to do to check this as well as what your responsibilities include can be found within the attached Candidate Information Pack.

It is essential that you have checked that you either already have an appropriate right to work in the UK or that the post would be eligible to be sponsored before submitting your application form.

NHS Ayrshire & Arran may be able to offer visa sponsorship for certain roles, provided the post meets the minimum salary threshold and any other required criteria. When considering if a post meets the salary threshold for sponsorship, please note the salary advertised is based on a full-time contract and must be pro-rated for part-time positions. Sponsorship is not guaranteed and is assessed on a case-by-case basis following interview and at the commencement of pre-employment checks.

Please visit here for further information.

We are unable to provide sponsorship for Band 2 posts or bank contracts.

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Applying for this NHS job

This advert is for Clinical / Counselling Psychologist with NHS Ayrshire and Arran in Ayr, Scotland. It is listed as a Band 8 Psychologist role. The advertised salary is £65,125 - £70,303. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 24 Sep 2026.

Before you apply, compare the job description with the person specification and mirror the employer's essential criteria in your supporting information. Use the vacancy title, employer, location, salary, contract type, closing date and posted date (03 Sep 2026) to decide whether this role fits your current NHSjob search. If the employer can close applications early, prepare the application before the stated deadline rather than waiting for the final day.

For more context, review related Job Clerk pages for the same profession, band or location where they exist, then use the application-support guides to tailor your statement and prepare for interview.