Senior Clinical Psychologist

Job summary

The main duties of the roles are to provide timely, proactive and preventative psychological care to parents and their babies who are admitted for specialist neonatal medical/surgical input. Co-work with neonatal professionals and advocate for babies to ensure optimal neuroprotection from the stresses incurred during their neonatal admission. Ensure the early identification, containment and emotional support for parents experiencing trauma, adjustment and/or attachment challenges, perinatal mental health and psychological health difficulties. Promote and provide compassionate care throughout the neonatal system via embedded staff support, teaching and training Please see the attached job description for further information about this vacancy.

Main duties of the job

Department of Paediatric Psychology, Leeds Childrens Hospital Senior Clinical Psychologists, Leeds Centre for Newborn Care (Neonates) 2.6 WTE AfC Band 8a Whilst these posts are suitable for band 8a, we would happily support the career development of a band 7 candidate via a well-developed preceptorship programme. An exciting opportunity has arisen to expand the existing Neonatal Psychology Service across Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. We are looking for Senior Clinical Psychologists who are caring, compassionate and dedicated to delivering proactive, preventative and flexible psychological support to parents and their newborn babies. The roles involve working within a level 3 Neonatal Unit (including neonatal intensive care, high dependency, surgical and special baby care and transitional care) across 2 neonatal wards at Leeds General Infirmary and St Jamess University Hospital. The successful candidates will be part of a large Neonatal MDT, including nursing, medical and surgical colleagues, allied health professionals and outreach.

About us

The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is committed to delivering the highest quality and safest treatment and care to every patient, every time. Our vision is to provide the highest quality specialist and integrated care. We will do this through delivery of our multi-year goals and strategic priorities, which you can read about on this page. Central to it all is The Leeds Way our values and behaviours that are at the heart of everything we do.

Details

• Date posted: 26 July 2026
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 8a
• Salary: £57,528 to £64,750 a year
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time
• Reference number: 001658
• Job locations: Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 3EX, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

For questions about this job, contact:

Name: Rachel Avison Position: Principal Clinical Psychologist Email: rachel.avison@nhs.net Phone number: 0113 3925143

Job Summary

Department of Paediatric Psychology, Leeds Children’s Hospital Senior Clinical Psychologists, Leeds Centre for Newborn Care (Neonates) – 2.6 WTE AfC Band 8a Whilst these posts are suitable for band 8a, we would happily support the career development of a band 7 candidate via a well-developed preceptorship programme. An exciting opportunity has arisen to expand the existing Neonatal Psychology Service across Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. We are looking for Senior Clinical Psychologists who are caring, compassionate and dedicated to delivering proactive, preventative and flexible psychological support to parents and their newborn babies. The roles involve working within a level 3 Neonatal Unit (including neonatal intensive care, high dependency, surgical and special baby care and transitional care) across 2 neonatal wards at Leeds General Infirmary and St James’s University Hospital. The successful candidates will be part of a large Neonatal MDT, including nursing, medical and surgical colleagues, allied health professionals and outreach.

The Neonatal Unit serves a large population across Yorkshire and Humber, providing specialist care for babies who are born early or small, those with congenital difficulties or those who become ill at the time of their birth. For this role, knowledge and skill using models such as CFT, CBT and Trauma-Informed care are beneficial. An understanding and/or experience of Infant Mental Health models, Perinatal Mental Health difficulties and Paediatric and Clinical Health Psychology domains will also be required for this role.

We believe that joining this expanding service gives the opportunity for interesting and varied work. We are a team who value the balance between work and home life. Where we can, we support agile working, e.g. partial homeworking, compressed hours and varied start/finish times and job shares. The Trust offers salary-sacrifice, lease cars, cycle-to-work and healthcare-fund schemes, as well as on-site facilities (such as day care nurseries). The Department is academically ambitious with links to the expanding DClinPsych Programme and Schools of Medicine and Psychology at the University of Leeds, Sheffield and Hull. Additionally, we have a strong track record of providing CPD opportunities and clinical supervision in a wide range of therapy modalities. http://www.leedsth.nhs.uk/patients-visitors/our-hospitals/leeds-childrens-hospital/new-childrens-hospital.

If you would like to hear more about this role, please contact Sara Matley (Consultant Clinical Psychologist) s.matley@nhs.net or Rachel Avison (Principal Clinical Psychologist for Neonates) Rachel.avison@nhs.net for an informal chat.

Why you should join our Team

The successful candidates will join the Congenital Cardiology and Neonatal Psychology Service; a team of 8 professionals (Assistant Psychologist, Senior, Principal and Consultant Clinical Psychologists and a Senior Counsellor). The team sits within the larger Paediatric Clinical Psychology Department (35 colleagues), based at Leeds General Infirmary and offering inpatient and outpatient specialist psychological care across Leeds Children's Hospital and wider region.

The Congenital Cardiology and Neonatal Psychology team meet together each week, during which there is a strong emphasis on peer support and protection of self-care. The team encourages CPD and learning activities as well as opportunities to develop professionally. The team places patient-centred work at its core, offering psychological care that is tailored to the individuals needs at any given time. We work flexibly, in a proactive manner and maintain close collaborative working with nursing, medical and surgical colleagues.

What you will bring to the role

The main duties of the roles are to provide timely, proactive and preventative psychological care to parents and their babies who are admitted for specialist neonatal medical/surgical input.

Co-work with neonatal professionals and advocate for babies to ensure optimal neuroprotection from the stresses incurred during their neonatal admission.

Ensure the early identification, containment and emotional support for parents experiencing trauma, adjustment and/or attachment challenges, perinatal mental health and psychological health difficulties.

Promote and provide compassionate care throughout the neonatal system via embedded staff support, teaching and training

Please see the attached job description for further information about this vacancy.