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Job summary
37.5 hours per week. This is an exciting development opportunity for a clinical or forensic psychologist with an interest in working in in-patient settings for people with complex mental health challenges. You will be supported to develop advanced knowledge & skills in working with people with complex psychosis, including accessing additional training in relevant therapeutic approaches, such as CBTp and Family Intervention. You will be supported to develop skills in leadership & consultancy through regular mentoring with a consultant clinical psychologist.
A competency framework is in place to support progression to 8a when competencies have been achieved; timeframes are likely to depend on previous experience, and there is an expectation that required competencies will be achieved within 18 months. Progress will be reviewed regularly and addressed through organisational processes if competencies are not met.
You will join a friendly, supportive team of psychologists working in in-patient and specialist psychosis community services. We have a strong culture of being trauma-informed and welcome creative approaches to service delivery. Within the wider organisation there are over 30 psychologists & 70 psychological therapists. We have a commitment to making Livewell a great place to work as a psychologist, where everyone has access to great CPD and supervision, kind colleagues, career progression and a focus on improved outcomes for our service users.
Job Share(s) considered
Main duties of the job
The role includes work on Greenfields Unit, a 9 bedded womens recovery ward, and The Cove, a 9 bedded mens recovery service with an additional 6 stepdown beds on the same site. Syrena will be relocating from Plymstock to the Mount Gould Hospital site, marking a period of service development.
The units support people with severe and longstanding mental health difficulties, including stepdown from secure and out of area placements.
The role includes delivering psychological interventions, supporting psychologically informed care and contributing to service quality. This may involve individual and group work with service users and families, supporting team formulations, providing consultation, training, reflective practice, debrief, and contributing to service development.
This role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route; please refer to the Direct Gov website for more information with regards to eligibility.
Please note that Livewell may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline if a high number of applications are submitted. Therefore, we recommend you submit your application at the earliest opportunity.
All Livewell staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7 day service.
About us
Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise delivering integrated health and social care services across Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts of Devon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, and health hubs.
As an organisation with a strong social conscience we are guided by our values, kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, and collaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability, while empowering staff and those we serve.
We involve the people we care for, along with their families and carers, in shaping the care they receive, striving to deliver the right care at the right time and place. Centering our work on individual needs helps people lead healthy, independent lives.
We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, training pathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the Care Certificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorship programs ensure a smooth transition into our organisation.
Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mental health, neuro-diverse conditions and learning disabilities. If you need assistance or reasonable adjustments during the application process, contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the job advert.
Details
- Date posted: 03 July 2026
- Pay scheme: Agenda for change
- Band: Band 7
- Salary: £49,387 to £56,515 a year pa, pro-rata
- Contract: Permanent
- Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working
- Reference number: B9832-2026-SP-1142-3
- Job locations: Greenfields Unit, Mount Gould Hospital, Plymouth, Devon, PL47QD, United Kingdom, The Cove (Syrena), Mount Gould Hospital, Plymouth, Devon, PL747QY, United Kingdom
Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached job description and person specification, which details the full job requirements for both the Band 7 and Band 8a Clinical Pyschologist roles.
Person specification
Knowledge
Essential
- Band 7: Knowledge of evidenced based psychological therapies relevant to the clinical service.
- Knowledge and understanding of complex mental health issues and presentations and the role of in-patient recovery services.
- Knowledge of child protection/safeguarding issues, understanding of the personalised care framework and the Mental Health Act and other relevant legislation.
- Working knowledge of clinical governance, including relevant approaches and tools.
- Band 8a: Critical awareness of a range of psychological models applicable to delivering psychological approaches in in-patient recovery services.
- A working knowledge of current good practice and recent government policies relating to health services and professional guidelines.
- Knowledge of relevant legislation and its implications for clinical practice in in-patient mental health recovery services.
- Working knowledge of clinical governance, including relevant approaches and tools.
- Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including data analysis.
Desirable
- Band 8a: Understanding of effective approaches to delivering teaching or training.
Experience
Essential
- Band 7: Experience of providing evidence based psychological interventions to adults with a range of mental health problems.
- Experience of working in mental health services
- Experience of working in multidisciplinary teams.
- Experience with routine outcome monitoring, audit and clinically related research.
- Evidence of engaging in continuing professional development.
- Band 8a: Experience of providing psychological intervention to adults with a range of mental health problems.
- Experience of working in multidisciplinary teams and supporting psychologically informed practice.
- Evidence of engaging in continuing professional development.
- Experience of carrying out research, audit and evaluation.
Desirable
- Band 7: Experience of working with adults with severe and complex mental health problems.
- Experience of working in in-patient mental health services.
- Supervision of other professions.
- Delivering teaching or training.
- Service innovation and development
- Band 8a: Experience of working with adults with severe and complex mental health problems.
- Experience of working in in-patient mental health recovery services.
- Experience of supervising other professions.
- Experience of delivering teaching or training.
- Experience of service innovation and development.
- Experience of project management
Qualifications
Essential
- Band 7: Accredited postgraduate qualification in clinical or forensic psychology conferring eligibility for Health Care Professionals Council registration as a practitioner psychologist, or anticipating becoming registered at the end of an approved programme of study.
- Systemic family therapy, Mindfulness based therapies, CAT, DBT, Mentalisation, Schema Therapy
- Band 8a: Qualified Clinical or Forensic Psychologist and registered with the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC) as a Practitioner Psychologist
- Postgraduate qualification/training in at least one specific mode of psychological therapy relevant to people with severe and long-standing mental health difficulties eg: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Systemic family therapy, Mindfulness based therapies, CAT, DBT, Mentalisation, Schema Therapy
Desirable
- Band 7: Accreditation in NICE approved therapies relevant to people with complex psychosis (eg: CBT, Family Intervention)
- Band 8a: Training in delivering clinical supervision
Specific Skills
Essential
- Band 7: Ability to work autonomously and as part of an MDT.
- High level of spoken and written communication and presentation skills.
- Ability to develop good therapeutic relationships with clients with complex mental health needs and presentations.
- Ability to communicate and liaise effectively with practitioners, secondary mental health services and other agencies.
- Ability to respond effectively with service users and carers who may be distressed angry, confrontational or violent.
- Ability to use clinical supervision and personal development positively and effectively.
- Ability to manage own caseload and time, to work under pressure and set priorities.
- Ability to maintain resilience while experiencing frequent exposure to highly distressing and emotional situations.
- Ability to provide effective support to other professionals in managing the emotional demands of their work.
- Ability to reflect on and critically appraise own performance.
- Computer literacy.
- Ability to frequently travel independently and in a timely manner between Livewell Southwest sites and community locations including areas not served by public transport.
- Band 8a: Ability to work autonomously and as part of a team.
- High level of spoken and written communication and presentation skills.
- Ability to maintain effective working relationships with relevant stakeholders.
- Ability to respond effectively with service users and carers who may be distressed angry, confrontational or violent.
- Ability to maintain resilience while experiencing frequent exposure to highly distressing and emotional situations.
- Ability to provide effective support to other professionals in managing the emotional demands of their work.
- High level of planning and decision-making skills.
- Ability to reflect on and critically appraise own performance.
- Ability to resolve professional / ethical issues of conflict
- Ability to work under pressure and set priorities.
- Computer literacy.
- Ability to frequently travel independently and in a timely manner between Livewell Southwest sites and community locations including areas not served by public transport.
Desirable
- Band 7: Skills in group work.
- Band 8a: Advanced IT skills
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Clinical Psychologist Developmental Band 7 - 8a with Livewell Southwest in Plymouth, South West, England. It is listed as a Band 7 Psychologist role. The advertised salary is £49,387 to £56,515 a year. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 24 Jul 2026.
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