Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist

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West London NHS Trust provides a full range of mental health, community and physical healthcare services for children, adults and older people living in the London boroughs of Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham and Hounslow.

We also provide some specialist services that are commissioned regionally, such as our medium secure services; and nationally, such as the Cassel Hospital for people with complex and severe personality disorder and our high secure services at Broadmoor Hospital.

Job overview

Psychologist (Band 8a) inpatient adult mental health

We are seeking a highly motivated, compassionate and skilled Practitioner Psychologist to join our multidisciplinary inpatient team in Hounslow. This is a pivotal role within a dynamic service committed to delivering psychologically informed, recovery‑focused care for adults experiencing acute mental health difficulties.

The post involves sharing and embedding psychological and trauma informed theory and practice within the work of the whole MDT. We require a candidate who thrives in a team environment and who can work robustly and independently in a fast‑paced environment. It is an excellent opportunity for an enthusiastic early‑career psychologist to develop as a leader, supported by a passionate and committed senior psychology team.

West London NHS Trust we want to employ talented, passionate and skilled psychological professionals, to provide the best healthcare possible for those who use our services. In return, we offer:

• Funded training opportunities
• Flexible working opportunities
• A comprehensive CPD and reflective practice program
• Opportunities to work with the North Thames Doctorate courses

Main duties of the job

You will work two female acute inpatient wards where you will:

• provide highly specialist assessments and interventions for individuals with complex mental health needs many who have experienced trauma and adverse circumstances
• develop formulations with and for service users and share these with the wider MDT to shape effective care plans and onward treatment recommendations
• perform as a member of the MDT by attending meetings, supporting and guiding staff and contributing to the therapeutic milieu of the wards
• offer formal reflective spaces and post incident support
• provide psychological consultation and guidance to the whole MDT and offer supervision and training

Previous experience in complex mental health and inpatient care is essential, as is the desire to work within an MDT to promote psychological and trauma informed ways of working and to develop your leadership skills.

You will play a key role in service development; undertaking audit and research to drive and sustain the quality of the services we deliver. There will be opportunities to collaborate with trainee psychologists, doctorate courses and psychological colleagues across the Trust.

Working for our organisation

West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse healthcare providers in the UK, delivering a range of mental health and physical healthcare and community services. The Trust runs Broadmoor Hospital, one of three high secure hospitals in the country, with an international reputation.

Our high secure services care for patients from South of England and we provide low and medium secure services across eight London boroughs. The Trust also provides mental and physical healthcare in three London boroughs (Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham). We employ over 5,000 staff, of whom 59% are BME. Our turnover for 2024-25 is over £500m.

The Trust is rated as ‘Good’ overallby the Care Quality Commission. Forensic services are rated as ‘Outstanding’.

The Trust is an established partner and contributor in the development of the evolving North West London Integrated Care System and the Integrated Care Board. The Trust leads the NW London Children and Adolescent Mental Health provider collaborative.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached.

The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Doctoral level training in clinical or counselling psychology or its equivalent, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the BPS and/or Accredited psychological practitioner with at least 3 years of experience.
• Professional registration with the Health and Care Professions Council and/or equivalent registering body.
• Training in clinical supervision for doctoral, and equivalent, trainees
• Training in the supervision of psychological therapies
• Evidence of post-doctoral training in psychological therapies relevant to severe and enduring mental health difficulties including for example DBT/ CBT-P/ Systemic Practice.

Experience

• Post qualification experience of working in mental health settings delivering specialist psychological assessment, formulation and interventions across a range of settings including community, primary care, inpatient, crisis services.
• Experience of working with a wide range of client groups across the whole life course presenting with a range of psychological problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity
• Experience of providing clinical supervision to assistant/trainee or qualified psychologists, and/or other professionals.
• Experience of working in acute mental health services (inpatient wards, HTT, crisis intervention services, psychiatric liaison).
• Experience of teaching/training
• Experience of facilitating reflective practice to teams
• Post qualification experience and/or training in working with adults affected by psychological trauma.
• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, formulation, intervention and management requiring sustained and intense concentration.
• Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to service users, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
• Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
• Knowledge and awareness of the trauma informed approach
• Knowledge of QN-CRHTT standards and accreditation process.
• Knowledge of quality improvement methodology
• Knowledge of quality improvement methodology

As an employee of West London NHS Trust, you have a responsibility to maintain a sound understanding of, and a commitment to uphold the National Health Service values and principles set out in the NHS Constitution.

We reserve the right to close adverts prior to the closing date stated should we receive a high volume of applications.

By applying for this post you are agreeing to West London NHS Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, you will be required to undergo a pre‑employment checks which can take between 4-8 weeks . After which your information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system (ESR ).

Please ensure you include email addresses for your referees which MUST be at supervisory or managerial capacity covering the last 3 years of employment to date to avoid delay in the recruitment process.

West London NHS Trust is committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We encourage the thoughtful use of technology as a demonstration of strong time management and a commitment to innovation. However, we encourage applicants to personalise their recruitment application to showcase their unique skills and experiences.

While AI‑generated content can be a helpful tool, relying solely on generic responses instead of highlighting your own strengths and achievements may impact the success of your application. The success of an application will always be assessed against the essential and desirable criteria for the role, so it is important to ensure that your application and any supporting information clearly demonstrate how you meet these requirements.

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.

Name Sunita RAJPUT Job title Principal Counselling Psychologist Email address sunita.rajput4@nhs.net

If you have problems applying, contact

Address Human Resources – Trust Headquarters
West London NHS Trust
1 Armstrong Way - Southall
UB2 4SA
Telephone Mob: 07483968676

At West London NHS Trust, we want you to support you to build a career you can be proud of and this starts before your first day with us. Our people live our values every day as they deliver, manage and work to improve our services to patients, carers, families and other professionals.

We’re committed to making our recruitment process clear and efficient. It’s in everyone’s interest that we get the very best people on board as soon as we can.