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Job summary

Main area
Clinical/Counselling Psychology
Grade
Band 8a (Development Post at Band 7)
Contract
Permanent
Hours
  • Full time
  • Part time
  • Flexible working
37.5 hours per week
Job ref
364-B-512
Employer
Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Herrick House, East Stockwell Street
Town
Colchester
Salary
£49,387 - £64,750 per annum pro rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
25/10/2026 23:59

Employer heading

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust logo

Clinical/Counselling Psychologist - Adult Community

Band 8a (Development Post at Band 7)

Please be aware that, due to current allocation constraints, Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) are being prioritised for registered roles at this time.

Our Trust cares for more than 100,000 patients at any one time across our community health, mental health and learning disability services across Essex and parts of Bedfordshire and Suffolk. 

We want you to be part of our journey of transformation, where our patients and their families are at the heart of everything we do and to achieve our vision to be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care.

You’ll be part of a Trust where you will be supported to be your authentic self and be the best you can be, where we will help you to grow, develop and thrive. 

The Trust is recognised by the University of Essex and is a top provider of apprenticeships for people looking to be an assistant practitioner, senior health care support worker (CAP). Our trailblazing CAP apprenticeship won a national HSJ Award.

We are also recognised as a Veteran Aware Trust and holder of gold accreditation from the Ministry of Defence Employment Recognition Scheme. Our services are highlighted as an exemplar of good practice, producing the best care for more than 3.500 armed forces veterans in the past seven years. 

We have been shortlisted and won national awards. We are an inclusive organisation and Level 3 Disability Confident Leader Trust.

We are constantly innovating and looking for new ways to deliver care, such as using technology to enhance patient care and working with partners to launch new services such as the Basildon Mental Health Urgent Care Department, virtual hospitals and falls response cars.  

Join us and you’ll do the best work of your life – and make a difference to other people’s lives. What we do together, matters.

Job overview

We have a full time (37.5 hours per week) vacancy for a Senior Clinical/Counselling Psychologist to join our supportive and creative Adult Community Psychological (ACP) services in North East Essex.

The post holder will work in collaboration with colleagues, service users, carers, and other services and partner organisations towards the overall provision a high quality and trauma informed specialist mental health provision.

We are integrated within MDTs covering a broad geographical area, with bases in Colchester and Tendring. This post will be primarily Colchester based but some flexibility will be required on the basis of client and service need. 

We welcome newly qualified applicants who can initially be appointed at a band 7 with a supportive development plan to work towards an 8A position.

Main duties of the job

You will be working alongside a variety of professionals from different backgrounds. We focus on providing psychological interventions to service users with highly complex and severe presentations who are also under the care of our specialist community teams. The post-holder will be expected to become proficient in the delivery of one or more specialist evidence based psychological interventions (e.g. EMDR, DBT, CAT, Schema Therapy) and contribute to the management and running of these programmes. We are looking for someone skilled in multi-disciplinary treatment planning, who can form respectful and collegial relationships with members of various disciplines and rise to the challenges posed by working in large teams and across services. 

This is an exciting opportunity to work within supportive MDTs and highly experienced clinical/counselling psychology and psychotherapy colleagues. We are looking for someone competent and experienced in delivering psychological assessments and interventions who is capable of working compassionately and confidently in the context of high levels of risk. Experience of offering consultations and developing clinical formulations is essential. The successful candidate will need to demonstrate experience with clients who experience severe emotional dysregulation and distress, often with a history of complex trauma. 

Working for our organisation

Valuing you. Recognising your dedication. At EPUT, we look after you. 

  • Receive supervision and support to help you fulfil your potential.
  • Join an inclusive EPUT community and connect with others through engagement events and equality or champion networks.
  • If you need help, we provide mental health and wellbeing services, occupational health advice and counselling.

Benefits

  • 27 days holiday, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 10 years’ service.
  • Excellent pension of up to 14.5% of your pensionable pay.
  • Staff discounts include Blue Light Card, NHS discount offers, and staff benefits.
  • £8K relocation package if you move to Essex to join us
  • Season ticket loans are interest-free to cover the cost of travelling to and from work via tram, rail, or bus.

Work that wraps around your needs

  • Job share: Applications for job shares are welcomed.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For further details on the job description and main responsibilities, please refer to the job description and person specification documents in this advert.

To learn more about working within our Services at EPUT, please view our recruitment videos, where members of the team share their experiences and insights into their roles and what it is like working within our Psychological Services, here at EPUT. 

Please view our video link here: Psychological Services

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Doctorate qualification (or equivalent) in Clinical or Counselling Psychology and current registration with HCPC
Desirable criteria
  • Further post qualification specialist training in a relevant psychological therapy

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Relevant NHS mental health service experience
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of working in a community setting with people with serious mental health difficulties (those with difficulties associated with complex trauma, people who may attract a diagnosis of personality disorder, those with experiences of psychosis)

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoNo smoking policyMenopause Friendly EmployerPositive about disabled peopleAge positiveDisability confident leaderImproving working livesArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Essex Family Friendly Employers

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
Dr Kate Furnish
Job title
Consultant Clinical Psychologist
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01206334000
Additional information

Please feel free to approach us for an informal discussion or visit prior to application.

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