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Job summary

Main area
CAMHS LD
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 7-8a
Contract
12 months (Fixed Term/Secondment for 12 Months)
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
346-DDC-068-25-A
Employer
Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
North End House
Town
Durham
Salary
£47,810 - £62,682 This is a B7-8a vacancy dependant on experience (see info)
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
09/12/2025 23:59

Employer heading

Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust logo

Specialist / Highly Specialist Applied Psychologist

NHS AfC: Band 7-8a

We are the Mental Health & Learning Disability NHS Trust for County Durham and Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby.

From education and prevention, to crisis and specialist care —our talented and compassionate teams work in partnership with our patients, communities and partners to help the people of our region feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for.

We nurture the recovery journey of anyone in need of our help. In Our Trust, everyone has a say in how they are supported and treated because we listen to every person in our care until they feel understood. Our patients, their families and carers work together with us towards better mental health.

We’re committed to new thinking that improves the wellbeing of our region. We connect with our communities and partners to get mental health care right, in areas that really need it.

We won’t rest until everyone in our region has the mental health care they need, to lead their best possible life.

Job overview

This post is advertised as an 8a post, we are willing to consider applications from Psychologists who do not yet meet the essential criteria for a Band 8a, but who would be interested in undertaking the post at a Band 7 initially, with a supportive plan for development and progression in due course. 

We welcome applications from staff who are currently coming to the end of their training in Clinical or counselling psychology that on successful completion will achieve the required qualification and registration with HCPC as Practitioner Psychologist. Trainee counselling psychologists are eligible to apply for and to be shortlisted for interview and to be offered qualified posts when they are in their 3rd year of the doctoral training and have the following confirmed as completed by the university. This information may be requested prior to interview: a. All clinical competencies. b. 80% of the 450 supervised clinical practice hours (360 hours)

Trainee clinical psychologists are eligible to apply for and to be shortlisted for interview and to be offered qualified posts when they are in their third year of training, as they will have completed their core clinical competencies by this stage of the course.

Main duties of the job

This is an exciting opportunity to take up a dynamic role within LDCAMHS in the Durham and Darlington community.  You will be joining an enthusiastic and dynamic team, composed of different professionals including nursing, support workers, psychiatry, speech and language and occupational therapy.  We have strong links with the IPBS Team and the Holly Unit, as well as our colleagues in generic CAMHS.  There is a great emphasis on team working and supporting our collective wellbeing.  You will also benefit from the wealth of experience from the other established staff members in the team.  As a psychologist, you will be supported to develop professionally through opportunities for further training and effective supervision.  The role is both varied and interesting, drawing upon a wide range of skills and experiences.  It allows you to develop your therapeutic creativity in engaging with a diverse population of children and young people.  You will have the opportunity to work systemically with families and our partner agencies.  There are opportunities to pursue interests in research, audit, governance issues and leadership.  You will also be joining a supportive network of psychological practitioners across the whole of Durham and Tees Valley, offering more opportunities for support, learning, and continuing professional development.

Working for our organisation

There is a strong Psychology network across the Trust and within the CAMHS directorate. We provide training placements for the local DClinPsy and DCounsPsy courses and encourage Psychology staff to contribute to relevant research opportunities. 

Psychologists & Psychological Therapists provide key leadership roles within the Trust. To support this we have developed leadership profiles for each psychology band and the profile card associated with this post is attached. You can find more information about the NHS Leadership Academy's Healthcare Leadership Model and the profiles at their website.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for further detailed information to ensure that you meet the role criteria before applying.

      

                                     

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Post-graduate training (doctoral level equivalent) in clinical / counselling / forensic psychology (or its equivalent prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS.
  • HCPC registration as a Practitioner Psychologist
  • Trained in clinical supervision (within agreed timescale)
  • Trained in care co-ordination (within agreed timescale)
  • Evidence of continuing professional development
Desirable criteria
  • Post-graduate qualification showing evidence of supervised practice in an evidence-based psychological therapeutic model
  • Registration with BPS

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Must have experience/interest in: • Working with mental health/learning disability clients (depending on designated service area)
  • Multi-disciplinary team working
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of CBT, DBT, Psychodynamics, systematic therapy
  • Experience of research and audit

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Doctoral level knowledge of: Evidence- based practice relevant to the role
  • Risk assessment and risk management
  • Clinical governance
  • Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
  • Audit and research methodology
  • Social Inclusion agenda
Desirable criteria
  • Awareness of: • The Trust’s Quality Improvement System

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Must be able to: Communicate complex and highly sensitive information effectively, to a wide range of people
  • Adapt creatively the evidence base for interventions in mental health for clients with communication difficulties / learning disabilities.
  • Provide (within agreed timescale) effective teaching, training and clinical supervision
  • Work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team and undertake care co-ordination/lead practitioner responsibilities
  • Undertake complex multiagency working and liaise with multiple systems
  • Utilise psychometric tests competently
  • Identify, provide and promote appropriate interventions / means of support for carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and challenging behaviours.
  • Utilise appropriate clinical governance mechanisms within own work
  • Use approved breakaway techniques
  • Demonstrate effective keyboard skills
Desirable criteria
  • Skills in using multimedia materials in presentations

Employer certification / accreditation badges

We are a Living Wage EmployerVeteran AwareApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleAge positiveImproving working livesArmed Forces Covenant (Silver Award)Mindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerStep into healthArmed Forces CovenantBetter Health at Work Gold Award

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.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Neil Robson
Job title
Consultant Psychologist
Email address
[email protected]
Additional information

Gemma Lattaway Team Manager

[email protected]

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