Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Principal Clinical psychologist

The closing date is 29 December 2025

Job summary

The ACP aims to offer meaningful, dynamic, and evidence-based interventions to support people experiencing a mental health crisis, helping them move through the crisis safely and gain a clearer understanding of its causes.

Within the Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Team (CRHTT) and Mental Health Liaison (MHL), this role will combine direct clinical work with strategic leadership to ensure both teams are effective and successful in their work.

The successful candidate will also provide line management to more junior Psychology posts within the Acute and Crisis Pathway.

CRHTTThe West Suffolk CRHTT provides a four-hour response for people experiencing acute mental distress and crisis. The team also offers a home treatment service supporting people in the community, including medication management and brief psychological interventions, with the aim of preventing hospital admission. Support is also offered to carers of those using the service.

MHLThe Mental Health Liaison Service offers a single point of access for referrals from West Suffolk Hospital and provides a range of mental health specialities within one multidisciplinary team. The team operates 24/7 and plays a vital role in supporting the acute hospital, ensuring timely, person-centred care for individuals experiencing acute mental health difficulties.

Main duties of the job

o Assess and manage risk of harm to self or others, including suicide and self-neglecto Provide evidence-based brief interventions, advice, and signposting to appropriate serviceso Offer support and education to acute hospital colleagues in managing mental health presentationso Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings and contribute to shared clinical decision-makingo Lead on the assessment and formulation of complex cases where physical and mental health needs overlapo Provide staff support, including reflective practice, clinical supervision, and debriefs within the Acute and Crisis Pathwayo Maintain awareness of current best-practice guidelines and disseminate relevant information to the teamo Provide a psychologically informed service to patients and their carerso Support engagement between services and chair multi-professional meetings

About us

Here at NSFT we pride ourselves on being a welcoming, talented, friendly and supportive team who like nothing better than sharing experiences and learning from each other. In addition to ongoing training and development opportunities, we are committed to providing an environment in which you can thrive.

Why work for us? We have challenges as a Trust, but we have ambitious aspirations, are pushing ahead with exciting transformation work and we need dedicated individuals to support us on our journey. We have strong, established professional networks coupled with an exceptional leadership team who will ensure you are truly cared for and cared about.

Why Norfolk and Suffolk? The people here are warm and welcoming, you'll never be far from the beautiful coastline or Broads National Park. We're an hour and a half away from London and have an international airport in Norwich too. Our villages, towns and cities are packed full of history, independent cafes, shops and theatres. We have excellent shopping, eating out, top ranking schooling and affordable house prices too.

Details

Date posted

16 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£64,455 to £74,896 a year pa/ pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

246-WSU7641585

Job locations

Wedgwood House

Hardwick lane

Bury St Edmunds

IP33 2QZ


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please read the job description / person specification carefully and ensure your application reflects the knowledge, skills and experience needed

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please read the job description / person specification carefully and ensure your application reflects the knowledge, skills and experience needed

Person Specification

Qalifications

Essential

  • Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical psychology, or its equivalent, including eligibility for chartered status with the BPS.
  • Further post-qualification, post-graduate training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice
  • Registered as a Practitioner Psychologist with the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC).

Desirable

  • Evidence of CPD in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice

Experience

Essential

  • Specialist complex psychological assessment and treatment of people with a wide range of mental health problems, of varying severity and complexity.
  • Application of psychology in different cultural contexts.

Desirable

  • Representing psychology within MDT setting (clinical and organisational contexts).

Knowledge

Essential

  • Well-developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnosis, people with additional disabilities etc.)
  • Practitioner level knowledge of at least two models of psychological therapy.
Person Specification

Qalifications

Essential

  • Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical psychology, or its equivalent, including eligibility for chartered status with the BPS.
  • Further post-qualification, post-graduate training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice
  • Registered as a Practitioner Psychologist with the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC).

Desirable

  • Evidence of CPD in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice

Experience

Essential

  • Specialist complex psychological assessment and treatment of people with a wide range of mental health problems, of varying severity and complexity.
  • Application of psychology in different cultural contexts.

Desirable

  • Representing psychology within MDT setting (clinical and organisational contexts).

Knowledge

Essential

  • Well-developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnosis, people with additional disabilities etc.)
  • Practitioner level knowledge of at least two models of psychological therapy.

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

Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Address

Wedgwood House

Hardwick lane

Bury St Edmunds

IP33 2QZ


Employer's website

https://www.nsft.nhs.uk/Pages/Home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Address

Wedgwood House

Hardwick lane

Bury St Edmunds

IP33 2QZ


Employer's website

https://www.nsft.nhs.uk/Pages/Home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Associate Directror Of Psychology

Oliver Hockley

Oliver.hockley@nsft.nhs.uk

01284719700

Details

Date posted

16 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£64,455 to £74,896 a year pa/ pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

246-WSU7641585

Job locations

Wedgwood House

Hardwick lane

Bury St Edmunds

IP33 2QZ


Supporting documents

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