Practitioner Psychologist (Clinical or Counselling) - MHSOP in Penarth

We are seeking an enthusiastic Practitioner Psychologist to join the Mental Health Services for Older People (MHSOP) Inpatient Service. The successful candidate will be joining a well‑established and highly motivated Older Adult Psychology Specialty, working alongside a supportive group of Practitioner Psychologists. The specialty sits within a large and progressive Directorate of Psychology and Psychological Therapies, offering excellent access to supervision, consultation and continuing professional development.

We welcome staff from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds, holding principles of equity, diversity and inclusion central in our approach. This inpatient setting offers a context for a curious and creative psychologist to develop and extend their psychological therapy skills, including CBT, CAT and third wave approaches. There is a desire for the candidate to offer specialist cognitive assessments and to be able to work with complexity including trauma, risk and neurodiversity. This service supports individuals with dementia presenting with complex behaviours and psychologists keen to develop indirect approaches such as positive behaviour support are welcomed.

We value MDT practice, compassionate cultures and teamworking. Applications for this position are invited from psychologists with experience who meet the essential criteria for the Band 8a role, or from psychologists who meet the Band 7 criteria as a development opportunity. We can offer a 7/8a developmental post, or an 8a post. The 8a is an excellent opportunity for those looking to progress their career, and we can support you with making the move from band 7. It is also a great opportunity for established 8as who want to gain experience in working in a new speciality. We are also keen to hear from applicants who are completing training this year: we have a well-established pathway for our 7/8a developmental posts within the UHB.

We offer a professional development programme giving you the opportunity to consolidate your training, and to further develop skills and competencies to transition to 8a through successful completion of the programme.

• Provide specialist psychological assessment, formulation and intervention for older adults with complex mental health needs (mental health and dementia)
• Undertake cognitive and neuropsychological assessments where appropriate
• Work collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams to support psychologically informed care
• Provide consultation, advice and supervision to staff and teams in line with level of experience and banding
• Contribute to team formulation, care planning and risk management
• Support service development, innovation and systems improvement work
• Deliver training and skills development to staff as appropriate
• Participate in audit, research, service evaluation and quality improvement activities
• Maintain professional standards in line with HCPC, BPS and Health Board policies

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is one of the largest Integrated Health Boards in the UK, employing over 17,000 staff, providing over 100 specialist services. Working across 6 hospital sites, we have a diverse range of career opportunities to offer. Serving over 500,000 people living in Cardiff and the Vale, we are focussed on the health and care needs of our local population whilst working with our partners to develop regional services. Together we are committed to improving health outcomes for everyone, delivering excellent care and support. Our mission is “Living Well, Caring Well, Working Together”, and our vision is that every person’s chance of leading a healthy life should be equal. Our 10‑year transformation and improvement strategy, Shaping Our Future Wellbeing, is our chance to work collaboratively with the public and our workforce to make our health board more sustainable for the future.

For further details / informal visits contact Name: Dr Becci Dow Job title: Consultant Psychologist Email address: Becci.dow@wales.nhs.uk Telephone number: 029 2182 5789