Clinical Psychologist Preceptorship

Job overview

Please note, at this stage, the role is open only to internal staff (including NHSP and Agency staff currently on placement within our organisation) and staff substantively employed within Kent and Medway NHS Trusts and the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB). Any individual who is at risk of redundancy will be given priority, provided they meet the essential criteria.

We are delighted to offer two opportunities for Clinical Psychologists to join our Perinatal Mental Health Community Service (PMHCS), with 0.6 WTE posts available across our East and West Kent teams. These roles are open to both experienced Band 8a Clinical Psychologists and those wishing to join us as part of our Band 7–8a preceptorship pathway.

PMHCS is a specialist, dynamic, and growing service, supporting women and birthing people experiencing moderate to severe mental health difficulties during the preconception, antenatal, and postnatal periods. With national investment driving expansion and transformation, this is an exciting time to join a team committed to trauma‑informed, compassionate, and psychologically‑led care.

For Band 7 applicants, we offer a structured preceptorship programme with access to senior psychological leadership, protected development time, and clear competency progression. Successful completion of this programme (typically 18–36 months) will enable transition into a Band 8a post.

Whether you are newly qualified, progressing in your career, or an experienced psychologist seeking a meaningful and specialist role, we would warmly welcome a conversation or informal visit.

Main duties of the job

The Perinatal Mental Health Community Service (PMHCS) provides specialist assessment, diagnosis and short‑term intervention for women and birthing people experiencing moderate to severe mental health difficulties during the preconception, antenatal and postnatal periods across Kent and Medway.

In this role, you will deliver specialist psychological assessments, develop formulations with service users and the MDT, and provide individual and group therapeutic interventions. You will have opportunities to develop competencies in evidence‑based models including tf‑CBT, EMDR, and specialist parent–infant approaches such as Video Interactive Guidance (VIG) and VIPP.

You will contribute to family‑focused work, including interventions involving partners, co‑parents and families up to 24 months, in line with national service expansion.

The role includes liaison with maternity services, health visiting, social care, primary care and wider agencies, ensuring psychologically informed, collaborative care.

You will also provide reflective practice, case discussion and psychological consultation to the multidisciplinary team, supporting safe, trauma‑informed practice and ongoing service development.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder must hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car/vehicle to use for business purposes (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).

The Perinatal Mental Health Community Service (PMHCS; formerly MIMHS) is a specialist service covering the whole of Kent and Medway. We provide assessment, diagnosis, and short‑term intervention for women aged 18+ experiencing moderate to severe mental health difficulties in the preconception, antenatal, and postnatal periods.

Please refer to the attached job description for the full details on the responsibilities and person specification

We are serious about diversity and inclusion, and we are working hard to build this into our DNA. We warmly welcome applications for any of our roles from people from diverse backgrounds, and we are proactively encouraging applications from under-represented communities for our more senior roles, like this one.