Job summary
Are you an experienced practitioner psychologist or psychotherapist ready to lead and shape the future of psychological services? We are seeking an exceptionalAssociate Director of Psychology to join our team, focusing primarily on community adult services, ranging from primary care networks to secondary mental health care. A smaller proportion of this role includes leadership responsibilities within adult acute services.
Reporting to theLocality Director of Psychology, you will provide strategic and clinical leadership to ensure psychological approaches are embedded within multidisciplinary teams, delivering safe, effective, and compassionate care. This pivotal role supports the transformation of services aligned with the Trust's objectives, driving innovation, collaboration, and excellence in psychological care.
This is a unique opportunity to lead the development and implementation of psychological pathways for adults with severe mental illness while contributing to workforce development, supervision, and training.
You will be supported in this role and CPD relevant to the role will be available and encouraged.
Main duties of the job
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Strategic Leadership:
- Lead the development and implementation of psychological pathways across community services, from primary care networks to secondary mental health services.
- Provide leadership for the emotional complex needs pathway, ensuring psychologically informed practices are integral to care delivery.
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Clinical Practice:
- Maintain a clinical caseload, offering specialist psychological assessments, formulations, and evidence-based interventions.
- Ensure psychological approaches are embedded in multidisciplinary team (MDT) work and care pathways.
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Supervision and Workforce Development:
- Supervise and/or line manage psychological professionals and trainees within community services.
- Develop and implement training strategies to equip MDTs with psychological skills, promoting a stepped care model.
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Operational and Recruitment Responsibilities:
- Take delegated responsibility for recruitment, selection, and retention of psychological professionals.
- Participate in investigations, complaints, and workforce-related processes as required by the Locality Director of Psychology.
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Collaborative Leadership:
- Work closely with locality teams and other senior leaders to implement consistent, high-quality psychological care pathways.
- Provide leadership support for adult acute services to align with community care objectives.
About us
At the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, we are proud of our commitment to innovation, diversity, and excellence in psychological services. With strong partnerships with local universities, we support teaching, supervision of doctoral trainees, and research initiatives.
Joining us means being part of a Trust that champions the TALK values: Teamwork, Accountability, Learning, and Kindness. Together, we aim to provide safer, kinder, and better care, with service users at the heart of everything we do.
Great Yarmouth and Waveney is a welcoming locality where people are known for working in a supportive, proactive, and solution-focused way. This collaborative culture creates an environment where you can thrive professionally while making a meaningful difference in the community.
Benefits
Benefits included with this role are:-
- NHS pension
- a comprehensive in house & external training programmes
- career progression
- starting annual leave of 27 days per annum increasing to 33 days pa based on length of service (plus paid bank holidays)
- staff physio service
- NHS discounts and many more.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for a detailed breakdown of responsibilities and key requirements.
If youre ready to take the next step in your career and lead with impact, click APPLY today!
For more information about this opportunity please contact Marco Pellegrini, Locality Director of Psychology at marco.pellegrini@nsft.nhs.uk, Mobile 07824 547910
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for a detailed breakdown of responsibilities and key requirements.
If youre ready to take the next step in your career and lead with impact, click APPLY today!
For more information about this opportunity please contact Marco Pellegrini, Locality Director of Psychology at marco.pellegrini@nsft.nhs.uk, Mobile 07824 547910
Person Specification
Other
Essential
- Resilient and self motivated with drive and vision, able to work on own initiative and manage a range of priorities across competing agendas.
Qualifications
Essential
- Professional Doctorate in Clinical/Counselling Psychology or equivalent post graduate qualification Or Training to Masters Level Degree in a Psychological Therapy and Core Mental Health Profession
- Full registration to relevant professional body
Desirable
- Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice
Experience
Essential
- Assessed experience of working as a qualified practitioner psychologist/psychotherapist for a significant period, including post qualification experience within the designated specialty where the post is located.
Desirable
- Experience of implementing clinical governance procedures.
Skills
Essential
- Expertise in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment formulations intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
Desirable
- Skills and experience of using leadership models and the application of models of change at a service level.
Knowledge
Essential
- Doctoral level knowledge of applied psychology including highly developed knowledge of lifespan developmental psychology, models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, and two or more distinct psychological therapies.
- Knowledge of legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to the client group and mental health.
Person Specification
Other
Essential
- Resilient and self motivated with drive and vision, able to work on own initiative and manage a range of priorities across competing agendas.
Qualifications
Essential
- Professional Doctorate in Clinical/Counselling Psychology or equivalent post graduate qualification Or Training to Masters Level Degree in a Psychological Therapy and Core Mental Health Profession
- Full registration to relevant professional body
Desirable
- Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice
Experience
Essential
- Assessed experience of working as a qualified practitioner psychologist/psychotherapist for a significant period, including post qualification experience within the designated specialty where the post is located.
Desirable
- Experience of implementing clinical governance procedures.
Skills
Essential
- Expertise in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment formulations intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
Desirable
- Skills and experience of using leadership models and the application of models of change at a service level.
Knowledge
Essential
- Doctoral level knowledge of applied psychology including highly developed knowledge of lifespan developmental psychology, models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, and two or more distinct psychological therapies.
- Knowledge of legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to the client group and mental health.
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).
