Practitioner Psychologist in Somerset

At Turning Point, we are recognised leaders in supporting people to recover from addiction and regain control of their lives. Our work spans substance use, learning disabilities and mental health, and we focus on providing timely, person‑centred support. By ensuring people can access the help they need through a single point of contact, we have grown into one of the largest providers of substance use services across England and Wales. We are now seeking a skilled and compassionate HCPC‑registered Clinical, Counselling or Forensic Psychologist to support the effective delivery of psycho‑social interventions across our Southwest MHTR services, covering Swindon, Somerset and North Somerset.

Our Primary Mental Health Treatment Requirement (MHTR) service offers individuals within the Criminal Justice System an opportunity to engage in psycho‑social interventions as an alternative to custodial sentences. It forms part of a national network of psychology‑led MHTR services. Turning Point’s MHTR approach places strong emphasis on tailoring support to each individual, drawing on evidence‑based interventions to develop personalised treatment plans. To ensure the consistent delivery of high‑quality, evidence-based interventions, we prioritise regular clinical supervision and the use of standardised outcome measures across the team. This is a full time, fixed term position for 12 months based in our North Somerset service.

Role Responsibility

You will provide clinical supervision, guidance and training to a team of Senior Assistant and Assistant Psychologists who deliver psycho‑social interventions to individuals subject to a Mental Health Treatment Requirement (MHTR). You will draw on your expertise to further develop the innovative approaches used within Turning Point’s MHTR services, ensuring they align with nationally agreed standards and evidence‑based practice. Alongside operational colleagues, you will contribute to the effective governance of the Southwest MHTR services and offer thoughtful, evidence‑informed advice to colleagues, local agencies and partner organisations. You will receive supervision from a Forensic Psychologist who serves as the Southwest MHTR Clinical Lead, who is in turn supported by the National MHTR Lead, a Consultant Clinical Psychologist. Supporting, developing and coordinating the team will be a core part of your role. You will help Senior Assistant and Assistant Psychologists, as well as Peer Support Workers, to strengthen their psychological formulation skills and embed a trauma‑informed approach within their practice. At times, you may also hold a small caseload, providing specialist psychological assessments and therapeutic interventions. Beyond day‑to‑day delivery, you will play a key role in shaping the strategic direction and ongoing development of the service. This will include building strong professional links with other statutory and voluntary service providers and using your expertise to develop meaningful support networks for our clients. You will also explore ways to continuously improve our services and integrate wider issues - housing, employment and finances, for example – into the overall treatment process. You will also have the opportunity to work closely with our large national team of Clinical, Counselling and Forensic Psychologists to further develop psychological and psycho‑social approaches across services, while continuing to grow your own expertise within a therapeutic specialism aligned with service needs.

The Ideal Candidate

Applicants must hold current HCPC registration as a Clinical, Counselling or Forensic Psychologist and a doctoral qualification in their professional specialism. The post‑holder will demonstrate competence in delivering psychological assessment, formulation, and evidence‑based interventions for individuals with complex and multifaceted presentations. Experience of providing clinical supervision as well as consultation to multidisciplinary professionals is essential; formal training in supervision, while not mandatory, is desirable. The successful candidate will bring excellent communication skills, professional adaptability, and a clear understanding of clinical governance frameworks, making a meaningful contribution as a vital member of the clinical leadership team.

About us

As a leading health and social care provider with more than 300 locations across England, we take real pride in the services we offer. We run all of our services on a not-for-profit basis; instead, we invest every penny back into our services and people. We never stop believing in change for the better, and we work constantly to improve the lives of the people we support.

What Benefits Will I Receive?

We know reward looks different to each person and so whether its ways to make your money go further, a culture supporting recognition and celebration, or opportunities to boost your career – we want to support you in every way we can with our total reward package: 25 days’ paid holiday a year + Bank Holidays, increasing with each year of service up to 27 days + Bank Holidays. Plus the option to buy additional holidays and spread the cost. Join our team and discover the comprehensive benefits we offer by following this link to explore all the exciting perks available to our employees.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.