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Job summary

Main area
Psychology
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 8a
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
333-G-HM-0750
Employer
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Civic Centre
Town
Uxbridge
Salary
£61,631 - £68,623 per annum inc HCAS (pro rata if P/T)
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
11/01/2026 23:59

Employer heading

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust logo

Highly Specialised Clinical/Counselling Psychologist

NHS AfC: Band 8a

 

CNWL (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust) has almost 8,000 staff providing integrated healthcare to a third of London's population, Milton Keynes and areas beyond.  We involve service users, carers, the public, staff and partner organisations in the way that we are run. 

Our catchment area spans diverse communities, with over 100 first languages spoken. It contains areas of great affluence as well as areas of much deprivation.  We are committed to providing services that meet the needs of the people who use them, and we actively encourage involvement from local people who can help make a difference.  We’re proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME and people with disabilities to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.

We are recognised locally, nationally and internationally for providing high quality, innovative healthcare. We aim to employ only the best people, and our experts are frequently called upon to contribute to national health strategy and policy, and many models of our care have been adapted for use in other countries.

We offer a generous relocation package (subject to eligibility assessment) and flexible working options, including bank assignments for most roles.  For more information on these and other benefits of working for us, see our   Benefits, Reward and Wellbeing page

Become part of our team. We care for you as much as you care for others.

CNWL NHS Foundation Trust are committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We follow safe recruitment practices to protect children and vulnerable adults.

Job overview

Are you looking for an exciting and varied role where you will be able to work across a range of settings, as part of a well-established and supportive multi-disciplinary team? The Hillingdon Community Learning Disability Team have a Band 8A role available for a Clinical/Counselling Psychologist. Psychology is a valued part of the team and you would be joining an 8A psychotherapist, and Assistant Psychologist, who have strong connections to Learning Disabilities Services across the trust and in the NW London region.

This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the delivery of high-quality psychological services for adults with learning disabilities, their families, and carers.

You will play a key role in providing specialist psychological assessment, formulation, and intervention, as well as consultation and training to colleagues across health and social care.

In CNWL, psychological professions have a strong sense of leadership and a distinct professional identity. There is an emphasis on Continuing Professional Development and developing your skills in line with your career progression goals. As a Trust, we are committed to staff development and will work with you to identify your development goals and support you to access training to enhance your role.

Main duties of the job

The psychology provision within the Hillingdon Community Learning Disability Team includes assessing for learning disability, assessing service-users’ psychological needs, developing formulations to help individuals, families and systems to understand their needs and difficulties, and offering intervention at the appropriate level for the person referred (individual, family, system). As part of the multi-disciplinary team, psychologists also routinely work jointly with other professionals within and external to the service, to improve the quality of life and care for the person referred.

Working for our organisation

 

 

 

 

Here at CNWL we encourage our psychological professions staff to pursue leadership opportunities in senior roles. Various prominent leadership roles within the Trust are currently held by Psychologists including: Director of Strategy and Integration, Chief Information Officer, 3 Clinical Directors. We try to facilitate the development of our psychological professions staff across all areas.

What we can offer you:

CNWL is recognised locally, nationally and internationally for providing high quality, innovative healthcare. We aim to employ in line with our values, our experts are frequently called upon to contribute to national health strategy and policy, and many models of our care have been adapted for use in other countries. 

A Trust committed to staff personal development, with a trust wide culture change and leadership programme that has staff wellbeing at its core.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

·       Deliver specialist psychological assessments and interventions for adults with learning disabilities accessing the Hillingdon Community Learning Disability Team including specialist assessment, treatment, planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes.

·       To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.

·       Provide consultation, supervision, and training to multidisciplinary colleagues functioning as a lead specialist in Learning Disability

·       Contribute to service development, research, and audit activities.

·       Work collaboratively with families, carers, and partner agencies to promote person-centred care.

·       Support the team in embedding trauma-informed and evidence-based practice.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Entry-level qualification in Applied Psychology (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level additional training) that has been accepted by the HCPC for purposes of professional registration.
  • Additional training in a specialised area of psychological practice related to Learning Disability or autism through formal postqualification training (PG Diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses, or an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice–based learning in a specialist area of clinical practice, assessed by an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a Postgraduate Diploma.
  • Completed training course in clinical supervision
  • Registered with the HCPC as Practitioner Psychologist, and evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC
Desirable criteria
  • Further training in Positive Behaviour Support, Functional Analysis or Applied Behaviour Analysis
  • Further training in systemic or family therapy

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in Learning Disability
  • Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature in Learning Disability
  • Experience of supervising assistant and trainee psychologists having completed the relevant training
  • Post-qualification experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities
  • Experience of carrying out post-doctoral research, audit or service evaluation projects
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of working with a multidisciplinary team in the context of highly emotive or distressed behaviours

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological assessments and interventions for people with Learning Disabilities/autistic people
  • Advanced knowledge of psychological assessment and clinical psychometrics
  • Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities.
  • Doctoral level knowledge of psychological research methodology and complex statistical analysis
  • Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care.
Desirable criteria
  • Knowledge of the theory and practice of Positive Behaviour Support,

Skills

Essential criteria
  • To be skilled in the administration of psychometric and neuropsychological tests, including those that require complex manipulation of test materials.
  • Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data.
  • Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups

Abilities

Essential criteria
  • Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles.
  • Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate
  • Ability to develop and use complex multimedia materials for presentations in public, professional and academic meetings
  • Ability to maintain concentration and to remain in restricted positions for long periods during observations, assessments and psychological interventions, and to deal with unexpected interruptions or changes during these.
  • Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour
  • Ability to manage verbal aggression and hostility directed at self

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Trust IDWe are a Living Wage EmployerEmployers for CarersPurple SpaceHealthy Workplace - Excellence 2018Veteran AwareNo smoking policyMenopause Friendly EmployerDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - BronzeNational Autistic SocietyDisability confident committedStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.AccessAbleStonewall Gold 2022Step into healthCarer Confident -AccomplishedNHS Rainbow Badge - BronzeArmed Forces CovenantStonewall Top 100 2024Stonewall Gold 2024Working Chance - unlocking women's potential

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
Amelia Bhoobun
Job title
Service Manager
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07563 555800
Additional information

Dr Sarah Blainey 

[email protected]

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