Job summary
- Main area
- Psychology
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 7
- Contract
- 12 months (Fixed term contract for 12 months.)
- Hours
- Full time
- Part time
- Job share
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 395-PP121-25
- Employer
- NELFT NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Barking Community Hospital
- Town
- Barking
- Salary
- £47,810 - £54,710 p.a. (plus HCAS) pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 14/10/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 23/10/2025
Employer heading

Clinical / Counselling Psychologist - B&D Mental Health Adults
NHS AfC: Band 7
Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London, Essex, Kent and Medway. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.
The Trust has award winning equality and diversity initiatives and staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest heavily in your development, because when you are valued and supported, we provide the best care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been featured in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for five consecutive years, and we have achieved a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Along with our staff networks and training opportunities, we work hard to embed a just and compassionate culture here at NELFT.
Find out more about NELFT careers and what makes our Trust a great place to work, in this video
Job overview
We are looking to appoint a Clinical or Counselling Psychologist to work in the Barking and Dagenham Mental Health and Wellness Teams (MHWTs). The post is based at Barking Community Hospital, and the post holder will be required to work on site a minimum of 3 days per week.
The post holder will join a well-established psychological professions team, working across the Mental Health and Wellness Teams in Barking and Dagenham. The post holder will provide assessment and evidence-based interventions for clients experiencing severe and complex mental health difficulties.
The post will suit an enthusiastic psychologist with an interest in developing skills in applying evidence-based psychological therapies with this client group and working with multi-disciplinary teams.
The post holder will be part of a supportive psychological therapies service who work closely alongside a range of professionals, including community psychology.
Main duties of the job
- Provide specialist psychological assessments for service users based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of highly complex, sensitive information.
- Undertake risk assessment and risk management for relevant individual clients and provide both general and specialist advice for psychologists and other professionals on psychological aspects of risk assessment and management.
- To formulate evidence based treatment plans, based on sound and current theoretical knowledge and good practice.
- Make highly skilled evaluations and decisions about a range of treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group.
- To involve service users and their carers in planning and delivery of care.
- To provide interventions in a manner that is consistent with evidence-based practice.
Working for our organisation
Our Values 2025 - 2030
Working with our colleagues, patients and carers we have co-produced three new values that we aim to embed within our culture here at NELFT.
They are:
We are kind.
We are respectful.
We work together with our communities.
These three values help us to strive to provide the best care by the best people.
Starting with NELFT
NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers, and attend a number of drop-in sessions focusing on engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.
Probationary Period
This post will be subject to a probationary period.
High Cost Area Supplement - Outer London
This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (minimum payment of £4,714 and a maximum payment of £5,941 - per annum, pro rata for part time)
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about this role and working at North East London NHS Foundation Trust. We encourage you to refer to this when completing your application.
We welcome your application even if you do not meet all the criteria listed in the person specification. Please apply as soon as possible as some posts close early to limit the number of applications.
Certificates of Sponsorship
Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for all job roles. Please check your eligibility under the UKVI points-based system. When calculating the basic salary for sponsorship, HCAS (High-Cost Area Supplement) is not included to ensure fairness and consistency within our Trust.
Use of AI
Please see attached document regarding acceptable use of AI during the recruitment process.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- HCPC registered practitioner psychologist
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of working in secondary care with clients experiencing severe and complex mental health difficulties
- Experience of working in a range of secondary care settings, including MDT working
Skills
Essential criteria
- Skills in delivering evidence based interventions for people with severe and complex mental health problems
- Skills in offering assessments for complex clinical presentations
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Knowledge of a wide range of psychological approaches relevant to the client group
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
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Abi Harris
- Job title
- Consultant Clinical Psychologist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0300 555 1014
- Additional information
Eleanor Shoultz, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, [email protected]
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