Job summary
- Main area
- Perinatal Psychology
- Grade
- 8a
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 363-BED7589557
- Employer
- East London NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- John Bunyan House, Bedford Health Village
- Town
- Bedford
- Salary
- £55,690 - £62,682 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 23/11/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Perinatal Senior Psychologist band 8A
8a
ELFT has long been recognised as a centre of excellence for mental and health care, innovation and improvement. So it is a very exciting time for you to come and work for us. Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.
Job overview
The Perinatal Mental Health Team supports birthing people in Bedfordshire and Luton with moderate to severe mental health difficulties antenatally and up to two years postnatally. It is a dedicated multi-disciplinary team involving psychiatry, psychology, nursery nurse, occupational therapy and nursing interventions.
We are currently seeking an enthusiastic, highly motivated, reflective and experienced Clinical/Counselling Psychologist to provide specialist psychological assessment and evidence-based interventions for individuals, couples and families, and supporting delivery of group interventions. For newly qualified psychologists we can offer this as a development post.
The post holder will work closely with OCEAN, the Maternal Mental Health Service who support those affected by birth loss or birth trauma as well as actively working and collaborating with mother and baby units, community mental health teams, parent-infant psychotherapy in CAMHS and local talking therapy services.
We are looking to recruit someone with experience of working within secondary mental health settings who can work proactively and collaboratively with other professionals and demonstrate compassion and sensitivity to the challenges facing birthing people with mental health difficulties during the perinatal period. An understanding of the impact of trauma in the perinatal period, and experience of delivering trauma-focused therapy, is desirable. A car owner/driver is essential.
Main duties of the job
The post holder is responsible for providing high-quality comprehensive specialist psychological services to the users of the Perinatal Mental Health Service across Bedfordshire and Luton, which offers care to women who are pregnant or have a child under 24 months old and who are presenting with moderate to severe mental health problems as a result of their perinatal experience.
The post holder will directly provide highly specialist psychological assessments, formulations and therapies, to individual patients of the perinatal mental health service, some of which may be delivered in service user’s homes. The post holder will also contribute to the planning, running and evaluation of psychologically-based group interventions. In addition, the post holder will provide specialist risk assessments and advice on risk management. The post holder may also supervise and support other qualified, trainee and assistant psychologists and psychological therapists. Some of the post holder’s time will be shared across Perinatal and OCEAN services, as agreed with the Principal Psychologist.
The post holder will also provide highly specialist consultation and support to teams, wards, other agencies in the development of care plans for service users, and will also contribute to service development initiatives and audit. The post holder will liaise closely with psychological therapists working across the wider services to develop and maintain a high standard of professional practice.
Working for our organisation
Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The post holder is responsible for providing high-quality comprehensive specialist psychological services to the users of the Perinatal Mental Health Service across Bedfordshire and Luton, which offers care to women who are pregnant or have a child under 24 months old and who are presenting with moderate to severe mental health problems as a result of their perinatal experience.
The post holder will directly provide highly specialist psychological assessments, formulations and therapies, to individual patients of the perinatal mental health service, some of which may be delivered in service user’s homes. The post holder will also contribute to the planning, running and evaluation of psychologically-based group interventions. In addition, the post holder will provide specialist risk assessments and advice on risk management. The post holder may also supervise and support other qualified, trainee and assistant psychologists and psychological therapists. Some of the post holder’s time will be shared across Perinatal and OCEAN services, as agreed with the Principal Psychologist.
The post holder will also provide highly specialist consultation and support to teams, wards, other agencies in the development of care plans for service users, and will also contribute to service development initiatives and audit. The post holder will liaise closely with psychological therapists working across the wider services to develop and maintain a high standard of professional practice.
Person specification
Education
Essential criteria
- Post Graduate Doctoral level training in Clinical or Counselling Psychology or equivalent accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). OR have an NHS Core Profession (Nurse, Allied Health Profession, Medical Doctor, Social Worker) or demonstrable equivalent knowledge, skills and attitudes AND Have completed a minimum of one year of recognised full-time (or equivalent part-time) psychological therapy or counselling training leading to a qualification, certification or accreditation recognised by a relevant professional or regulatory body plus relevant specialist short courses.
Desirable criteria
- Post Qualification Training in DBT, CFT, EMDR, CBT for trauma.
- Supervisor training.
Experience
Essential criteria
- Assessed experience of working as a qualified Clinical or Counselling psychologist at a specialist level or assessed experience of working as a qualified psychotherapist, including post qualification experience as an adult or parent-infant psychotherapist, preferably in the NHS or similar public health provider.
- Good understanding of other professionals’ theoretical perspectives of this client group.
- Experience of providing specialist psychological assessment, including cognitive and neurological assessment, and treatment of service users utilising at least two main models as appropriate across the full range of care settings and clinical severity including outpatient, community, primary care and inpatient.
- Experience of providing teaching, training and clinical supervision to junior psychologists and other professions.
Desirable criteria
- The application of psychologically informed interventions in different cultural contexts including working with interpreters.
- Experience with facilitating groups.
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- The theory and practice of psychological assessment and therapies in relation to treatment of a range of mental health disorders including CBT, CFT, and trauma informed therapies.
- Risk assessment practice and procedures.
- The value of service user participation in the delivery and development of services.
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of the presentation of complex mental health problems and range of disorders in the perinatal period.
Skills
Essential criteria
- Demonstrate excellent interpersonal, communication and active listening skills with service users, carers and staff.
- Ability to work independently to maintain agreed caseload and activity levels.
Desirable criteria
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
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
- Julie Cooke
- Job title
- Principal Clinical Psychologist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07435 733633
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