Senior Clinical Psychologist

Job summary

Following a successful pilot delivered by Portsmouth City Council alongside Portsmouth CAMHS, we are delighted to announce we are seeking a Senior Clinical Psychologist to support the new Intensive Fostering Team.

This role will specifically work within the newly developed Therapeutic Fostering Hub led by Portsmouth City Council. The successful Psychologist will be part of a multi-agency team working alongside a Team Lead, Advanced Social Worker and two Family Support workers.

The role will also be part of the established Specialist Trauma and Relational Therapies (STaRT) team within the Portsmouth Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). STaRT provides a dedicated multi-disciplinary Mental Health Service for Portsmouth children and young people who have experience in care (including unaccompanied minors seeking asylum), Care Leavers, or who are supported by the Edge of Care Team or Staying Close Team. This post would be closely supported by the senior Clinical Psychologists and Team Manager working across Portsmouth CAMHS, as well as the Head of Clinical Service for CAMHS. Supervision and development opportunities will therefore be accessed through the wider HIOW CAMHS system.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will provide a range of trauma informed formulation, consultation, networking and targeted interventions for

Ten Therapeutic Foster Carers to enable children who currently are in external children's homes to move back to their communities in Portsmouth. Two of these would provide respite care for children in the hub.

Two Specialist Therapeutic Foster Carers who will provide short-term bridging placements, supporting children to successfully transition to a longer term home arrangement.

They will be a qualified specialist Clinical Psychology service to the client group and their families/carers.

They will provide high quality therapeutic interventions to children, young people and their families/carers who are open to the service for a range of different mental health difficulties.

They will offer leadership and consultation and supervision to the multiagency team within the Therapeutic Fostering Hub.

They will provide high quality clinical supervision to other clinical psychologists, trainee clinical psychologists and assistant psychologists and to other practitioners in the service where relevant.

They will work in close partnership with and offer psychological consultation to the multiagency networks around the children and young people open within the Therapeutic Fostering Hub, and other fostering placements when required.

They will contribute where needed to core CAMHS duties as required.

About us

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides joined-up mental and physical healthcare for around two million people across our communities. With over 13,000 staff working in the community and local hospitals, we deliver care at every stage of life, helping people live their best and healthiest lives.

Our mental health services include community-based support and early intervention in psychosis (EIP) for both adults and young people, alongside a network of specialist inpatient wards covering forensic, learning disability, eating disorder and older person's care.

We deliver extensive physical health services too, from urgent community response teams helping frail and older patients remain safely at home, to hospitals at home teams providing acute-level care in familiar surroundings. Our neurological services offer rehabilitation and treatment for conditions including Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, Motor Neurone Disease, Head Injury, Cerebral Palsy and Stroke. Across Hampshire, our community hospitals provide inpatient rehabilitation as a step down from acute care, and our dedicated teams also staff Treetops Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Portsmouth, offering expert, compassionate support.

Everything we do is underpinned by our CARE values of compassion, accountability, respect and excellence

Details

• Date posted: 03 August 2026
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 8a
• Salary: £57,528 to £64,750 a year
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Full-time
• Reference number: 348-CFS-12060
• Job locations: Portsmouth Civic Offices, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 2GJ, United Kingdom, Falcon House, St James' Hospital, 22 Edenbridge Rd, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO4 8PF, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

Further information about the Trust and this role can be found on the Job Description and Person Specification document attached. It is important to us that we ensure our recruitment processes are accessible and inclusive to everyone - if as a potential candidate you are concerned a person specification may prevent or restrict your application for employment as a result of unintentional barriers on the grounds of your sex, race, age, sexual orientation, religion/belief or disability please initially contact the Trust's Recruitment team - detailed in the advert. The Trust will seek to resolve this issue wherever possible.

We are happy to talk Flexible Working - all requests for flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).