Senior Practitioner Psychologist & Group Lead in Bristol

This is an exciting opportunity for a Clinical or Counselling Psychologist to provide clinical, strategic, and operational leadership for early intervention and group-based provision across the School Based Needs service. The post holder will ensure children, young people, families, and schools have access to timely, evidence-based interventions that promote resilience and prevent escalation of need.

A key element of this role is to lead on the development, coordination and delivery of early intervention group programmes, embedding best practice across teams and ensuring consistent, high-quality provision. The post holder will use clinical expertise, data, and stakeholder insight to design and deliver high-quality group pathways, supporting improved outcomes, reducing inequalities, and strengthening school-based systems of support.

The School Based Needs Service provides preventative and early intervention low-intensity support, serving schools across Surrey. This post will be based at Gatton Place in Redhill.

Main duties of the job:

• Provide clinical leadership for early intervention and group-based provision across the SBN service ensuring consistency and quality group provision of evidence-based approaches.
• Oversee the design, delivery, and evaluation of group programmes (e.g., anxiety, behaviour, emotional regulation, parenting).
• Hold a small specialist clinical caseload, including complex or systemic interventions.
• Ensure safe, effective, and evidence-based practice, including safeguarding and risk management.
• Provide clinical supervision and consultation to staff delivering interventions.
• Work collaboratively with schools and partners to ensure interventions are accessible and contextually relevant.

Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is the leading provider of mental health, learning disability, neurodevelopmental and drug and alcohol services in Surrey and North East Hampshire. We support people of all ages and are passionate about providing high quality care that is delivered at the right time as close to home as possible to help people recover and stay well.

We are one of the top 10 mental Health, Learning Disability and Community Trusts to work for nationwide. Our Trust is an inclusive and supportive employer that offers a wide range of staff networks, flexible working, free parking and excellent health and wellbeing support. We also provide a wide range of opportunities to help staff develop and progress.

Surrey is a beautiful county lying just 30 minutes away from Central London and from the South Coast. Our historic market towns and bustling districts are enveloped in wonderful countryside, and our excellent road and rail networks bring the rest of the country within easy reach.

Please note that we reserve the right to close posts as soon as sufficient applications are received. Regrettably, due to UK Home Office requirements we cannot offer sponsorship for all our job roles. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK for the duration of the role.

We look forward to receiving your application!

Person Specification:

Qualifications:

• Essential: Doctorate in Clinical or Counselling Psychology qualification or equivalent.
• Completion of an appropriate clinical supervision course to enable supervision of trainees (or completion within 6 months of commencement in post).

Experience:

• Essential: Experience of working with people from across the life span with a range of mental health issues and cognitive profiles.
• Experience across a range of psychological models including systemic, behavioural and individual therapeutic.
• Demonstrable post registration/clinical experience and competency relevant to this care group.
• Experience of contributing to clinical practice/service development/project work.
• Experience of supervising assistant and trainee clinical psychologists.
• Demonstrable interest/skill in a relevant specialist area.
• For roles in Learning Disabilities candidates should demonstrate experience of working with people with learning disabilities within a positive behaviour support framework.
• Driving License for community-based roles involving client visits; it is essential to hold a driver's license and access to a vehicle.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Applicants must have current UK professional registration.