University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust

Clinical Psychologist

The closing date is 09 September 2025

Job summary

Are you a passionate Clinical Psychologist looking to work in a dynamic, forward-thinking team where your expertise can truly change lives?

We're looking for a motivated, compassionate professional to join our Children's Psychological Health and Wellbeing Team, delivering specialist psychological care to CYP with a wide range of complex needs - including those experiencing psychological distress related to health conditions/neurodivergence.

You'll carry out comprehensive psychological assessments and deliver creative, evidence-based interventions to individuals, families, and groups. Alongside your clinical work, you'll have opportunities to contribute to service development, supervise trainees, support research, and collaborate across multi-agency teams including education, social care, and CAMHS.

We are a welcoming, diverse, and highly supportive team of professionals, and we're always keen to help newer colleagues find their feet. Whether you're newly qualified or bringing years of experience, we believe in learning from each other - every voice is valued here, regardless of role or seniority. You'll be part of a workplace culture that encourages open dialogue, shared learning, and mutual respect.

You'll also be supported to grow professionally, with access to ongoing CPD, clinical supervision, and potential involvement in training delivery.

If you're looking for a role where your work is valued, your development is supported, and your impact is felt - come and join us.

Main duties of the job

You will provide specialist clinical psychology services to CYP with complex needs, including those experiencing psychological distress related to health difficulties/neurodivergence. Your role involves conducting comprehensive assessments using a variety of tools and techniques, formulating and delivering highly specialised interventions to individuals, families, and groups, and evaluating treatment plans based on theoretical models and individual developmental history.

This position offers an excellent opportunity to develop and refine skills in short-term interventions and caseload management. You will work in a fast-paced clinical setting, managing around 15 clinical contacts per week. This role is ideal for someone seeking rich, diverse clinical experience within a structured and supportive framework.

You will also play a key role in supporting the multidisciplinary team through consultation, supervision, and joint working, liaising with professionals across health, education, and social care. Your responsibilities will include contributing to service development, engaging in teaching, supervision, research activities, and participating in statutory processes such as EHAT and EHCP.

A strong focus is placed on multi-agency collaboration, clinical leadership, and maintaining high professional standards grounded in evidence-based practice. You will participate in clinical supervision, keep accurate records, and pursue CPD.

About us

We are a people business - where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment manager for this post who will put you in touch with the recruitment team. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.

Details

Date posted

26 August 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year £47,810 - £54,710 per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working, Home or remote working

Reference number

216-DH-W7424778

Job locations

Child Development Centre/Derriford Hospital

Plymouth

PL2 2PQ


Job description

Job responsibilities

  • To provide a specialist clinical psychology assessments of individuals, families or groups with complex needs; gathering information from a range of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews

  • To formulate, develop, provide and manage psychological interventions to individuals, families, carers or groups with complex presentations through highly specialised programmes of care. Intervention may be through individual therapy and/or family work using various models (e.g. cognitive, behavioural, systemic, developmental).

  • To evaluate and make decisions about 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.

  • Utilise a range of specialist assessment techniques including, psychometric testing and developmental assessment.

  • To provide support to the wider service including psychological consultation with the MDT and psychosocial assessment and intervention for children and young people as required.

  • To provide support to children and young people within the service as required. The service supports those with health difficulties and thosechildren with neurodivergence. Be flexible to respond to service needs as appropriate which may mean working within other areas of the service.

  • To contribute to the design and development of the service.

  • Provide consultation, specialist advice and/or supervision to colleagues and those in other agencies, in the development and management of programmes of care.

  • Communicate highly complex information with empathy and sensitivity to clients and families, possibly within a highly emotive atmosphere.

  • Participate within the EHAT and/or EHCP processes and other statutory processes as required; ensuring information is shared appropriately with other professionals. Convene and chair multi-disciplinary meetings as appropriate.

  • The post holder will liaise, collaborate and work in an advisory capacity with health and other professionals in order to promote psychological awareness, well-being and current evidenced based practice for children and young people.

  • Undertake training and teaching both within the psychology services, and via formal and informal training of other disciplines and groups working with childrens mental health and their families. This may include contributing to the Doctorate Clinical Psychology training at Plymouth University.

  • Be responsible for the training/supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate students or assistants as appropriate/required.

  • Membership of and attendance at regional and national groups and committees relating to paediatric care and chronic conditions, where required.

  • Participate in and support clinical research and evaluation relevant to the Department and supervise clinical psychology trainees in carrying out such tasks.

  • To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping including electronic data entry and recording, report writing and the responsible exercise of professional self-governance in accordance with professional codes of practice and Trust policies and procedures.

  • Be responsible for own personal development and continue to develop own specialist interests and expertise as appropriate to the needs of the team and the service as a whole.

  • Ensure participation in regular clinical supervision appropriate to the level of work undertaken.

  • To work collaboratively with and support other members of the Children's Psychological Health and Wellbeing Team and the wider multidisciplinary team to promote psychological awareness, well-being and current evidenced based practice for children and young people.

  • To work collaboratively with and build relationships with professionals from outside agencies such as CAMHS, social work, education.

  • To attend regular meetings with the team lead

***Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as Priority and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.***

Job description

Job responsibilities

  • To provide a specialist clinical psychology assessments of individuals, families or groups with complex needs; gathering information from a range of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews

  • To formulate, develop, provide and manage psychological interventions to individuals, families, carers or groups with complex presentations through highly specialised programmes of care. Intervention may be through individual therapy and/or family work using various models (e.g. cognitive, behavioural, systemic, developmental).

  • To evaluate and make decisions about 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.

  • Utilise a range of specialist assessment techniques including, psychometric testing and developmental assessment.

  • To provide support to the wider service including psychological consultation with the MDT and psychosocial assessment and intervention for children and young people as required.

  • To provide support to children and young people within the service as required. The service supports those with health difficulties and thosechildren with neurodivergence. Be flexible to respond to service needs as appropriate which may mean working within other areas of the service.

  • To contribute to the design and development of the service.

  • Provide consultation, specialist advice and/or supervision to colleagues and those in other agencies, in the development and management of programmes of care.

  • Communicate highly complex information with empathy and sensitivity to clients and families, possibly within a highly emotive atmosphere.

  • Participate within the EHAT and/or EHCP processes and other statutory processes as required; ensuring information is shared appropriately with other professionals. Convene and chair multi-disciplinary meetings as appropriate.

  • The post holder will liaise, collaborate and work in an advisory capacity with health and other professionals in order to promote psychological awareness, well-being and current evidenced based practice for children and young people.

  • Undertake training and teaching both within the psychology services, and via formal and informal training of other disciplines and groups working with childrens mental health and their families. This may include contributing to the Doctorate Clinical Psychology training at Plymouth University.

  • Be responsible for the training/supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate students or assistants as appropriate/required.

  • Membership of and attendance at regional and national groups and committees relating to paediatric care and chronic conditions, where required.

  • Participate in and support clinical research and evaluation relevant to the Department and supervise clinical psychology trainees in carrying out such tasks.

  • To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping including electronic data entry and recording, report writing and the responsible exercise of professional self-governance in accordance with professional codes of practice and Trust policies and procedures.

  • Be responsible for own personal development and continue to develop own specialist interests and expertise as appropriate to the needs of the team and the service as a whole.

  • Ensure participation in regular clinical supervision appropriate to the level of work undertaken.

  • To work collaboratively with and support other members of the Children's Psychological Health and Wellbeing Team and the wider multidisciplinary team to promote psychological awareness, well-being and current evidenced based practice for children and young people.

  • To work collaboratively with and build relationships with professionals from outside agencies such as CAMHS, social work, education.

  • To attend regular meetings with the team lead

***Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as Priority and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.***

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Doctoral level training in clinical psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology, as accredited by the BPS
  • HCPC Registered (includes awaiting registration)

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

  • Demonstrable experience of complex, specialist psychological assessment and treatment of children and young people across different care settings e.g. outpatient, community and inpatient.
  • Demonstrable experience of multi-disciplinary team working
  • Awareness: up to date with the NHS Agenda for children and young people, national directives and all Governance aspects

Desirable

  • Ability to use test equipment to carry out psychometric assessment (e.g. WISC,WPPSI, developmental assessment, Schedule of Growing Skills II)
  • Clinical experience in range of children's mental health work in a community setting
  • Clinical experience in a Paediatric setting either acute or community paediatrics.
  • Computer literate e.g. knowledge of excel and use of video in therapy
  • Demonstrable experience of providing teaching/ training and/or providing supervision

Aptitude and Abilities

Essential

  • Excellent time management and organisational skills
  • Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
  • Competence in research and audit/evaluation
  • Ability to represent psychology within amulti-disciplinary team

Disposition and Attitude

Essential

  • Ability to successfully manage in a stressful environment
  • Able to work both as part of a team and independently
  • Skills to interact and communicate with a wide range of people
  • Capacity to reflect and contain intense feelings evoked by exposure to distressing situations

Desirable

  • Keen to be involved with service development

Other

Essential

  • Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for a variety of audiences
  • Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance to support and maintain clinical practice
  • Ability to travel between sites
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Doctoral level training in clinical psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology, as accredited by the BPS
  • HCPC Registered (includes awaiting registration)

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

  • Demonstrable experience of complex, specialist psychological assessment and treatment of children and young people across different care settings e.g. outpatient, community and inpatient.
  • Demonstrable experience of multi-disciplinary team working
  • Awareness: up to date with the NHS Agenda for children and young people, national directives and all Governance aspects

Desirable

  • Ability to use test equipment to carry out psychometric assessment (e.g. WISC,WPPSI, developmental assessment, Schedule of Growing Skills II)
  • Clinical experience in range of children's mental health work in a community setting
  • Clinical experience in a Paediatric setting either acute or community paediatrics.
  • Computer literate e.g. knowledge of excel and use of video in therapy
  • Demonstrable experience of providing teaching/ training and/or providing supervision

Aptitude and Abilities

Essential

  • Excellent time management and organisational skills
  • Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
  • Competence in research and audit/evaluation
  • Ability to represent psychology within amulti-disciplinary team

Disposition and Attitude

Essential

  • Ability to successfully manage in a stressful environment
  • Able to work both as part of a team and independently
  • Skills to interact and communicate with a wide range of people
  • Capacity to reflect and contain intense feelings evoked by exposure to distressing situations

Desirable

  • Keen to be involved with service development

Other

Essential

  • Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for a variety of audiences
  • Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance to support and maintain clinical practice
  • Ability to travel between sites

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).

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.

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).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust

Address

Child Development Centre/Derriford Hospital

Plymouth

PL2 2PQ


Employer's website

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


Employer details

Employer name

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust

Address

Child Development Centre/Derriford Hospital

Plymouth

PL2 2PQ


Employer's website

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


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Clinical Psychologist

Dr Georgina Davis

georginagray@nhs.net

01752439400

Details

Date posted

26 August 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year £47,810 - £54,710 per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working, Home or remote working

Reference number

216-DH-W7424778

Job locations

Child Development Centre/Derriford Hospital

Plymouth

PL2 2PQ


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)