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Job overview
Sutton adult mental health services are comprised of two multidisciplinary mental health teams within an Integrated Recovery Hub which is closely linked to Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises in the borough. Psychologists are highly valued in the service and you will work closely alongside other Psychologists at the same level and at Principal and Consultant level. You will also work with Psychiatrists, CPNs, Mental Health & Wellbeing Practitioners, Recovery & Support Workers and Specialist Employment Advisors to provide high quality treatment and recovery options for service users with severe mental health conditions, including psychosis & bipolar affective disorder, personality disorder, and severe mood & anxiety disorders including PTSD.
The Trust is committed to supporting flexible working. The 0.4 wte can be worked in a variety of ways including 2 days a week or spread over 3 or 4 days to suit your personal preference and circumstances.
Main duties of the job
The role focuses on providing evidence-based psychological therapies and assessments for severe and enduring mental health conditions, including psychosis & bipolar affective disorder, personality disorder, complex mood, anxiety disorders & PTSD.
Main duties of this job is to provide a qualified clinical/counselling psychology service to clients of the service team, across all sectors of care; providing highly specialist psychological assessment and therapy at the same time as offering advice and consultation on clients’ psychological care to non-psychologist colleagues and to other, nonprofessional carers, working autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the team’s policies and procedures; and to utilise research skills for audit, policy and service development and research within the area served by the team/service.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- To provide specialist psychological assessments of clients referred to the team based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the client’s care.
- To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a client’s mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the client’s problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range of care settings.
- To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, within and across teams employed individually and in synthesis, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining several provisional hypotheses.
- To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options considering both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group.
- To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based care plans.
- To provide specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to clients’ formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan.
- To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings and agencies serving this client group of people with severe and enduring mental health problems.
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Person specification
Other
Essential
- Ability to work effectively and efficiently and manage high clinical caseloads in a safe and effective manner
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour
Experience
Essential
- Experience of assessment and treatment of people with mental health problems, of varying severity and complexity, using evidence based psychological therapies, particularly CBT
- Demonstrate further specialist training/experience through having received a minimum of 50 hours clinical supervision of working as a specialist clinical or counselling psychologist over a minimum of 18 months, or an alternative agreed by the Head of Psychology and Psychotherapies
- Experience with routine outcome monitoring
Desirable
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision
- Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts
- Experience of mental health problems and the capacity to use that experience to the benefit of patient care
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration
- Evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HPC / BABCP.
- Leadership skills
- Knowledge of our business and how it supports patient care
Desirable
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised group and individual psychological therapies including advanced level training in CBT
- Knowledge of the academic literature concerning common mental disorders in general practice
Training & Qualifications
Essential
- Doctoral level training in clinical/counselling psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology, as accredited by the BPS
- Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS
- Formal training in supervision of other psychologists
- Registered with & Care Health Professions Council (HCPC) under the appropriate domain title
Desirable
- Eligible for accreditation for as a CBT therapist with BABCP and prepared to seek accreditation. This would include evidence of formal training in CBT such as a Post graduate
- Diploma/Masters in CBT
- BABCP Accreditation as CBT practitioner
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist with South West London and St George's Mental Health Trust NHS Trust in London, London, England. It is listed as a Band 8 Psychologist role. The advertised salary is £63,665 - £70,887 pro rata per annum inclusive of Outer London HCAS. The contract type is 12 months (Fixed Term). The application deadline is 13 Jul 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 (29 Jun 2026) to decide whether this role fits your current NHS job search. If the employer can close applications early, prepare the application before the stated deadline rather than waiting for the final day.
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