West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

Clinical Psychologist

The closing date is 11 December 2025

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our welcoming and proactive team as an assistant psychologist. The post will be based primarily on the children's ward at West Suffolk hospital working under the supervision of the principal clinical psychologist for paediatric psychology. The postholder will work collaboratively with the multi-disciplinary ward team of doctors, nurses, other psychologists, health play specialist, AHPs and non-registered staff as well as undertaking individual work, teaching, resource development and training. There will be opportunities to co-facilitate groups and workshops as well as direct work with young people and their families and carers, liaison with other agencies and education providers. For further information or to discuss the post, please contact Dr Georgina Hartley, Principal Clinical psychologist for paediatric psychology: Georgina.Hartley@wsh.nhs.uk.

Main duties of the job

For full details of the Job role and person specification please see attached Job description.

The closing date for this vacancy may change if we receive a strong response. Please ensure that you apply for any post you are interested in as soon as possible.

About us

#BeKnown at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. By us. By our patients. By our community

We are a busy, friendly, rural NHS Trust providing high-quality care and compassion to more than a quarter of a million people across west Suffolk. We care for, treat and support people in hospital, at home and in various community settings.

The West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds provides acute and secondary care services (emergency department, maternity and neonatal services, day surgery unit, eye treatment centre, Macmillan unit and children's ward). It has 500+ beds and is a partner teaching hospital of the University of Cambridge.

Adult and paediatric community services, provided in collaboration with West Suffolk Alliance partners, include a range of nursing, therapy, specialist, and ongoing temporary care and rehabilitation, some at our Newmarket Community Hospital.

We do our utmost to achieve outstanding clinical outcomes for patients and our values of fairness, inclusivity, respect, safety and team work guide how we work and behave as a team.

With nearly 5,000 staff, from all over the world, we strive to make our organisation a great place to work. Whatever your role or ambition, we want to help you be the best you can be.

We promote a diverse and inclusive community where everyones voice counts and you can #BeKnown for whoever you are.

Join us. What will you #BeKnown for?

Details

Date posted

27 November 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£27,485 to £30,162 a year Per annum Pro Rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

179-7583192-W

Job locations

West Suffolk Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Hardwick Lane

Bury St Edmunds

IP33 2QW


Job description

Job responsibilities

For full details of the Job role and person specification please see attached Job description.

The closing date for this vacancy may change if we receive a strong response. Please ensure that you apply for any post you are interested in as soon as possible.

Job description

Job responsibilities

For full details of the Job role and person specification please see attached Job description.

The closing date for this vacancy may change if we receive a strong response. Please ensure that you apply for any post you are interested in as soon as possible.

Person Specification

Education and qualifications

Essential

  • An upper second-class honours degree or higher in psychology.
  • Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society

Desirable

  • Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis.

Experience and knowledge

Essential

  • Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis.

Desirable

  • Experience working with children or families or working in medical settings

Skills and abilities

Essential

  • High level communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive.
  • An understanding of the needs of people receiving hospital care and their families and an understanding of the principles of motivation enhancement therapy.
  • An ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to this context
  • An understanding of psychology applied to health care.

Desirable

  • Experience using computers for databases or data-analysis, especially SPSS for Windows and Excel.

Personal qualities

Essential

  • An ability to interact effectively with staff from all disciplines.
  • An ability to interact with people with mental health problems and/or disabilities.
  • Ability to work independently, reliably and consistently with work agreed and managed at regular intervals.
  • Ability to accept and use supervision appropriately and effectively.

Desirable

  • A desire to explore a career in Professional Psychology
Person Specification

Education and qualifications

Essential

  • An upper second-class honours degree or higher in psychology.
  • Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society

Desirable

  • Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis.

Experience and knowledge

Essential

  • Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis.

Desirable

  • Experience working with children or families or working in medical settings

Skills and abilities

Essential

  • High level communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive.
  • An understanding of the needs of people receiving hospital care and their families and an understanding of the principles of motivation enhancement therapy.
  • An ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to this context
  • An understanding of psychology applied to health care.

Desirable

  • Experience using computers for databases or data-analysis, especially SPSS for Windows and Excel.

Personal qualities

Essential

  • An ability to interact effectively with staff from all disciplines.
  • An ability to interact with people with mental health problems and/or disabilities.
  • Ability to work independently, reliably and consistently with work agreed and managed at regular intervals.
  • Ability to accept and use supervision appropriately and effectively.

Desirable

  • A desire to explore a career in Professional Psychology

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

Address

West Suffolk Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Hardwick Lane

Bury St Edmunds

IP33 2QW


Employer's website

https://www.wsh.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

Address

West Suffolk Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Hardwick Lane

Bury St Edmunds

IP33 2QW


Employer's website

https://www.wsh.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Consultant Clinical Psychologist

Dr Emily Baker

emily.baker@wsh.nhs.uk

01284712598

Details

Date posted

27 November 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£27,485 to £30,162 a year Per annum Pro Rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

179-7583192-W

Job locations

West Suffolk Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Hardwick Lane

Bury St Edmunds

IP33 2QW


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)