CAMHS LIST Clinical Psychologist in Milton Keynes

There’s a place for you at CNWL. CNWL (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust) has almost 8,000 staff providing integrated healthcare to a third of London's population, Milton Keynes and areas beyond. We involve service users, carers, the public, staff and partner organisations in the way that we are run. Our catchment area spans diverse communities, with over 100 first languages spoken. It contains areas of great affluence as well as areas of much deprivation. We are committed to providing services that meet the needs of the people who use them, and we actively encourage involvement from local people who can help make a difference. We’re proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME and people with disabilities to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.

We offer a generous relocation package (subject to eligibility assessment) and flexible working options, including bank assignments for most roles. For more information on these and other benefits of working for us, see our Benefits, Reward and Wellbeing page. CNWL NHS Foundation Trust are committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We follow safe recruitment practices to protect children and vulnerable adults.

Job overview

A compelling opportunity to lead and shape crisis mental health care for children and young people. We are offering an exciting opportunity for a Clinical or Counselling Psychologist to join our Liaison and Intensive Support Team (LIST) at Band 8a level. This role combines advanced psychological practice with clinical leadership, supervision, and service development. Step into a senior psychological role where your expertise will shape the delivery of crisis and intensive community mental health care. As a CAMHS LIST Psychologist, you will play a key role in supporting children and young people experiencing significant emotional distress and complex mental health needs, while influencing service development and clinical practice. Join a forward-thinking, multidisciplinary team committed to delivering compassionate, evidence-based, and responsive care at times of crisis. If you are an experienced and passionate psychologist ready to lead, innovate, and make a meaningful difference, this is your opportunity to thrive.

Main duties of the job

• You will work with children and young people presenting with moderate to severe and complex mental health needs, providing specialist psychological input within crisis and intensive support pathways.
• Deliver specialist psychological assessments and formulations for children and young people presenting in crisis.
• Provide evidence-based psychological interventions (e.g. CBT, DBT-informed, systemic or trauma-informed approaches), tailored to individual need.
• Offer psychological consultation and formulation to the multidisciplinary team to support complex decision-making.
• Provide clinical leadership within LIST, supporting psychologically informed care across the service.
• Work flexibly across community, home, and acute settings, including liaison with acute hospitals.
• Contribute to risk formulation and management of high-risk presentations.
• Supervise, mentor and support junior psychology staff, trainees and MDT colleagues.
• Contribute to the operational and clinical development of the service, including pathway design and improvement initiatives.
• Lead or support audit, service evaluation and research activities.
• Work collaboratively with partner agencies to support young people and reduce unnecessary hospital admissions.

Working for our organisation

At CNWL, our teams are united by a shared commitment to delivering outstanding, patient-centred care. You will be joining an organisation that:

• Invests in your professional and leadership development.
• Supports progression into senior clinical, academic or strategic roles.
• Encourages innovation, service transformation and continuous learning.
• Values diversity and promotes an inclusive working culture.

You will benefit from strong leadership support, regular supervision, and opportunities to influence service direction.

About Milton Keynes CAMHS

You will be part of Milton Keynes CAMHS, a growing and innovative service delivering responsive and evidence-based mental health care for children and young people. A well-established crisis pathway through the LIST service, with ongoing transformation opportunities. Strong partnership working with acute hospitals, GPs, schools, children’s services and voluntary sector organisations. A collaborative, supportive multidisciplinary team culture. A commitment to staff wellbeing, supervision and professional development.

What We’re Looking For

We are seeking a practitioner who brings:

• Doctoral level qualification in Clinical or Counselling Psychology and HCPC registration.
• Extensive CAMHS experience, including work with complex and high-risk presentations.
• Advanced skills in psychological assessment, formulation, and intervention.
• Experience of working within crisis, intensive support, or acute care pathways (desirable).
• Strong leadership capability, with experience influencing multidisciplinary clinical practice.
• Experience in supervision, teaching or mentoring of junior staff and trainees.
• An excellent team player who actively contributes to a supportive, collaborative multidisciplinary culture and role‑models psychologically informed practice.
• Strong communication and consultation skills, including multi-agency working.
• A commitment to service development, quality improvement and clinical governance.
• High levels of resilience, professionalism and a passion for improving outcomes for young people.

Join Us in Making a Difference

If you are ready to bring your psychological expertise, leadership and passion to a role that directly supports young people at their most vulnerable, we would love to hear from you. Together, we can deliver compassionate, effective care and improve outcomes for young people in crisis.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Registered with the HCPC as Practitioner Psychologist, and evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC.
• Entry‑level qualification in Applied Clinical or Counselling Psychology (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level additional training) that has been accepted by the HCPC for purposes of professional registration.
• Additional training in a specialised area of psychological practice or model of therapy through formal post‑qualification training (PG Diploma or equivalent), or a combination of specialist short courses, or an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice–based learning in a specialist area of clinical practice, assessed by an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a Postgraduate Diploma.
• Completed training course in clinical supervision.

Experience

• Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in CAMHS, or crisis and home treatment teams.
• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of children and young people with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature.
• Experience of supervising assistant and trainee psychologists having completed the relevant training.
• Post‑qualification experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities.
• Experience of carrying out post‑doctoral research, audit or service evaluation projects.

Knowledge

• Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological assessments and interventions for children and young people with mental health problems.
• Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatments.
• Advanced knowledge of psychological assessment and clinical psychometrics.
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities.
• Doctoral level knowledge of psychological research methodology and complex statistical analysis.
• Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care.

Skills

• To be skilled in the administration of psychometric and neuropsychological tests, including those that require complex manipulation of test materials.
• Well‑developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data.
• Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups.

Abilities

• Ability to work effectively within a multi disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles.
• Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate.
• Ability to develop and use complex multi media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic meetings.
• Ability to maintain concentration and to remain in restricted positions for long periods during observations, assessments and psychological interventions, and to deal with unexpected interruptions or changes during these.
• Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self‑harming or aggressive behaviour.
• Ability to manage verbal aggression and hostility directed at self.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI can be used as a support tool, not a replacement for the applicant’s own work. Applications must remain personal, accurate, and reflective of the candidate’s real experience. AI‑generated content must not misrepresent skills, qualifications, or experience. Over reliance on AI‑generated content is discouraged and may diminish the applicant's chances of success. We monitor applications for any behaviour that could create an unfair advantage, and we check all references carefully. You are likely to be tested on your experience at interview, so be honest and make sure all the information in your application is correct. Please note that the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is prohibited during the interview process.

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.

Due to the high response levels we receive for some vacancies, we may expire any of them prior to the advertised closing date and advise you to submit your application as soon as possible. Applications from job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. Before submitting your application and to avoid disappointment please check that you are eligible under the UKVI points based system. Our Agenda for Change employment contracts are subject to a contractual 13 week probationary period. If you are offered a job, information will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration. This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.