Job summary
We are delighted to advertise this varied and innovative 0.8wte Band 7 permanent post into the Neonatal and Birth in Mind Maternal Mental Health services at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust (STHFT). In our latest staff survey, 95% of staff report feeling valued and cared for and that their role makes a difference.
We aim to attract a committed, diverse, and talented workforce who are passionate about delivering psychological care within an acute hospital setting and adapting approaches to meet the needs of our services and service users. In return, we offer a supportive, dynamic work setting where you can link with colleagues and develop your career.
We welcome applications from HCPC registered Clinical or Counselling Psychologists with skills and experience relevant to this context; support will be given for anyone returning to the workplace. We also welcome applications from Trainees due to complete their course.
As a department, we recognise that diversity of workforce extends our skills, experiences, and ideas, thereby adding value and creativity to our services. The department has an active Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) group and welcomes applications from candidates from all backgrounds. We particularly encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and the LGBTQ+ community.
Please see the attachment "Department overview" for more details about working with us.
Main duties of the job
This post will work primarily into the Neonatal and Maternal Mental Health Services. These will be based primarily in Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, but there may also be some working across the South Yorkshire region.
Within this diverse role there will be opportunities for multidisciplinary team working, providing supervision and training along with guidance to the wider staff group. Working with families and team members, there is potential to have a far-reaching positive impact both directly and indirectly, making a huge difference to outcomes and quality of life for families with babies being cared for on the Neonatal Unit, and for people affected by birth trauma. There may also be opportunities to work with patients with other physical health conditions.
There may be potential for this post to be full-time. We are currently awaiting confirmation of additional funding.
About us
You will be working for an organisation which values and respects all of its staff and the community it serves. The Trust is a leader in the NHS and research sectors and provides excellent benefits for its staff. This includes commitments to professional development but also many policies to support employees in balancing their personal and professional lives.
As a member of the department, you would be part of a substantial, experienced, and enthusiastic team; benefitting from inhouse professional development including clinical supervision, special interest groups and opportunities to engage in our wider projects. The department is committed to supporting our staff and have a well-supported Staff Engagement and Wellbeing Group. The Trust has a flexible working policy, allowing for a range of flexible / hybrid working options as appropriate to the service needs. The attached document outlines our department strategy.
As a dynamic department, we have seen considerable growth in recent years and have a portfolio of new service developments. Continuing professional development is strongly supported, as appropriate to the individual's and organisation's requirements.
The department has strong links with the Sheffield, Leeds and Hull DClinPsy courses. We also offer placements to trainees on DCounsPsy courses.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please view the attached Job Description and Person Specification documents for full details regarding this post.
When completing your application please ensure that you clearly demonstrate how you meet the role criteria.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please view the attached Job Description and Person Specification documents for full details regarding this post.
When completing your application please ensure that you clearly demonstrate how you meet the role criteria.
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- Doctoral level training in clinical psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996), or counselling psychology as accredited by the HCPC, including models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics, and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology, as accredited by the British Psychological Society. Will consider applicants due to complete training in September (2025).
- Professional registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
- Eligible for Practitioner Full Membership of the BPS Divisions of Clinical or Counselling Psychology or working towards this.
Desirable
- Pre-qualification training and qualifications in other fields of applied psychology.
Experience
Essential
- Working with a wide variety of presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity
- Specialist psychological assessment and treatment of patients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and inpatient settings.
- Experience of working with patients across the lifespan
Desirable
- Experience of working in a physical health setting.
- Experience of working collaboratively within a multidisciplinary setting.
- Experience of teaching and/or training.
- Experience of delivering psychologically informed groups.
- Experience of the application of the practice of psychology in different cultural contexts.
Further Training
Essential
- Doctoral or equivalent level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology
- Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS and HCPC.
Desirable
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g., personality disorder, chronic or terminal illness, complex psychological or physical problems, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc).
- High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological or psychotherapeutic approach.
- Knowledge of legislation and national policies and guidance in relation to the patient group, specifically around their physical and mental health.
- Specialist knowledge of psychological issues.
Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management
- Skills in working effectively with other professionals in multidisciplinary settings
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour
- Ability to establish and maintain professional credibility at all levels of the organisation
Desirable
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Highly developed ability to communicate effectively (orally and in writing) highly complex and/or clinically sensitive information to patients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
- Ability to manage time effectively and prioritise workload
- Positive attitude, sensitivity, and commitment to working with patient groups affected by medical/physical health conditions
- Ability to deal with frequent exposure to highly distressing or highly emotional circumstances
- Ability to maintain intense concentration on a frequent basis
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- Doctoral level training in clinical psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996), or counselling psychology as accredited by the HCPC, including models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics, and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology, as accredited by the British Psychological Society. Will consider applicants due to complete training in September (2025).
- Professional registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
- Eligible for Practitioner Full Membership of the BPS Divisions of Clinical or Counselling Psychology or working towards this.
Desirable
- Pre-qualification training and qualifications in other fields of applied psychology.
Experience
Essential
- Working with a wide variety of presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity
- Specialist psychological assessment and treatment of patients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and inpatient settings.
- Experience of working with patients across the lifespan
Desirable
- Experience of working in a physical health setting.
- Experience of working collaboratively within a multidisciplinary setting.
- Experience of teaching and/or training.
- Experience of delivering psychologically informed groups.
- Experience of the application of the practice of psychology in different cultural contexts.
Further Training
Essential
- Doctoral or equivalent level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology
- Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS and HCPC.
Desirable
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g., personality disorder, chronic or terminal illness, complex psychological or physical problems, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc).
- High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological or psychotherapeutic approach.
- Knowledge of legislation and national policies and guidance in relation to the patient group, specifically around their physical and mental health.
- Specialist knowledge of psychological issues.
Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management
- Skills in working effectively with other professionals in multidisciplinary settings
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour
- Ability to establish and maintain professional credibility at all levels of the organisation
Desirable
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Highly developed ability to communicate effectively (orally and in writing) highly complex and/or clinically sensitive information to patients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
- Ability to manage time effectively and prioritise workload
- Positive attitude, sensitivity, and commitment to working with patient groups affected by medical/physical health conditions
- Ability to deal with frequent exposure to highly distressing or highly emotional circumstances
- Ability to maintain intense concentration on a frequent basis
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.
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
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.
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
