Job summary
- Main area
- Community Based Neuro Rehab Team
- Grade
- Band 8a
- Contract
- 10 months (Fixed term end date will be determined after pre-employment checks have been completed)
- Hours
- Part time - 22.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 371-CHS1321
- Employer
- Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Community Based Neuro Rehab Team, 57-59 Bath Road Reading RG30 2BA
- Town
- Reading
- Salary
- £57,528 - £64,750 per annum, pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 23/08/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Specialist Clinical/Counselling Psychologist (Neurorehabilitation)
Band 8a
Job overview
We're delighted to offer an exciting opportunity for a Band 8a Clinical Psychologist in Neuropsychology to join our Community Based Neuro Rehabilitation Team in Berkshire.
This specialist role offers the opportunity to work with adults living with a range of neurological conditions, including ABI, stroke, MS and functional neurological disorders, helping them maximise independence, wellbeing and quality of life.
You will join a highly regarded multidisciplinary team comprising Clinical Neuropsychologists, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Speech and Language Therapists, Nurses and Rehabilitation Assistants. Working across community neurorehabilitation and Early Supported Discharge for Stroke pathways, you will provide highly specialist neuropsychological assessment, formulation and intervention, whilst contributing to service development, teaching and supervision.
Based primarily in Reading/West Berkshire, the role includes work across community settings and patients' homes, with flexibility to support services across Berkshire as required. We offer a supportive and collaborative environment with excellent opportunities for professional development, clinical supervision and continuing specialist neuropsychology training.
We are looking for an enthusiastic, motivated and innovative psychologist with a strong interest in neurological rehabilitation, and a passion for delivering person-centred care.
Main duties of the job
- Provide highly specialist neuropsychological and psychological assessment for adults with acquired brain injury, stroke, progressive neurological conditions and functional neurological disorders.
- Develop and implement evidence-based psychological and neuropsychological interventions for cognitive, emotional and behavioural difficulties.
- Provide formulations and specialist consultation to multidisciplinary colleagues to support rehabilitation planning and patient outcomes.
- Undertake risk assessment and contribute to risk management planning for patients with complex presentations.
- Work closely with patients, families, carers and partner agencies to support holistic rehabilitation and adjustment to neurological conditions.
- Deliver specialist advice regarding cognitive functioning, capacity, adjustment, emotional wellbeing and behavioural management.
- Provide supervision, consultation, teaching and training to multidisciplinary staff and trainees where appropriate.
- Lead and contribute to audit, service evaluation, research and quality improvement initiatives within the service.
- Participate in service development and support the ongoing growth and innovation of community neurorehabilitation services across Berkshire.
- Maintain high standards of clinical record keeping, governance and professional practice in accordance with HCPC, BPS and Trust standards.
Working for our organisation
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated ‘outstanding’ by the CQC, we’re committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we’re committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.
Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:
- Caring for and about you is our top priority
- Committed to providing good quality, safe services
- Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions
Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:
- Flexible working options to support work-life balance
- 27 days’ annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
- Generous NHS pension scheme
- Excellent learning and career development opportunities
- ‘Cycle to Work’ and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
- Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
- Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
- Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
- Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
- Free parking across Trust sites
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The “must haves” for this role:
-
Post-graduate doctoral qualification in Clinical Psychology (or equivalent qualification recognised by the BPS).
-
HCPC registration as a Practitioner Psychologist.
-
Experience of specialist psychological assessment and intervention with adults with complex health or neurological conditions.
-
Excellent communication, consultation and multidisciplinary working skills.
-
Experience of working autonomously whilst contributing effectively within a multidisciplinary team.
-
Evidence of continuing professional development and commitment to evidence-based practice.
-
In order to meet the criterion of being able to travel independently between locations to fulfil the requirements and duties of the position, the post holder will be required to be a car driver with a full licence and access to a car for work purposes
For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.
We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.
We’re committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.
We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don’t hesitate to call the team on 0118 904 3440 or email [email protected], who will be delighted to help.
If you feel you meet you the majority of the requirements for this role and you would like to discuss your position further please do contact us. E.g. you are moving from a band 7 to an 8a role currently
Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.
Person specification
Education/Qualifications/Training
Essential criteria
- Post graduate doctorate in clinical or counselling psychology (or equivalent for those who trained prior to 1996 or for those who completed their training overseas)
- Registered as a Clinical or Counselling Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
- (Eligibility for) Chartered Membership of British Psychological Society (BPS)
- Clinical supervision training for doctorate psychology trainees (BPS Registered course) and other qualified clinicians
Desirable criteria
- Additional training and accreditations (or working towards these) in relevant therapeutic approaches or psychological models to reflect post qualification interests/ specialism (e.g., specific therapy models, Health Psychology, Neuropsychology etc.) 1
Continuous Professional Development
Essential criteria
- Evidence of post-qualification training and expert knowledge in multiple psychological models and therapeutic approaches relevant to the post and service area. Comprehensive and up to date knowledge of the current evidence-base and developments within the area of specialism
- Training, and where relevant, accreditation in clinical supervision
Experience
Essential criteria
- Demonstrable post qualification experience working as a qualified specialist practitioner in the area of specialism
- Experience of working in evidence-based ways with services users (and their carers/families) presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the range of settings, maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
- Experience of dealing with highly distressing or emotional circumstances, such as serious mental illness, child and sexual abuse, exploitation, and complex family dynamics
- Experience of delivering interventions across different modalities (e.g. individual, group and systemic-based approaches)
- Experience of working effectively in multi-disciplinary team and multi-agency environments
- Experience of providing specialist advice and consultation to multi-disciplinary and multi-agency colleagues to support the psychological care of service users
- Experience of providing effective clinical supervision, mentoring and leadership to junior staff
- Experience of developing and delivering teaching to a range of staff groups
- Experience of carrying out clinical audit, evaluative research and applying the findings
- Experience of service evaluation, quality improvement work and of implementing change from this and from a national and local health or social care change agenda that impacts across services and professions
- Experience of working with and addressing issues of diversity, including experience of working with diversity, multiculturalism, and equality of access to service
Desirable criteria
- Experience of line managing staff (including junior psychological roles)
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Essential criteria
- Demonstrable knowledge, skills and abilities in the practice of highly specialised assessment, formulation and intervention, relevant to the specialist modality and service area
- Up to date knowledge of evidence, theory, research, policy and legislation in relation to the service area
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour
- Well-developed verbal and written communication skills enabling the sensitive communication of complex, technical and/or sensitive information to multiple stakeholders both within and outside the NHS
- Well-developed interpersonal skills with the ability to support, influence and engage with clinicians, stakeholders and service users to create change and improvement.
- The ability and skills to act as an advocate for the service, to engage and foster positive relationships with all health professionals in promoting the good integration of the service within the wider health care system
- Advanced IT skills and the ability to navigate various systems and software packages (such as RiO, Outlook, databases, MS Office/Teams, One Consultation and the Internet)
Additional Requirements
Essential criteria
- Able to work flexibly around working patterns as required
- Ability to travel independently between locations in Berkshire to fulfil the requirements and duties of the position
Applicant requirements
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.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Lisa Ellis
- Job title
- Service Manager Neuro Rehabilitation
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0118 904 3440
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