Job summary
Are you a Practitioner Psychologist looking to join a dedicated and welcoming Community Learning Disabilities Team?
The North Suffolk Community Learning Disabilities Service welcomes applications from HCPC registered practitioner psychologists to join our friendly, person-centred team. If you value collaboration, innovation, and making a positive impact, we are keen to hear from you.
In this role, as a qualified practitioner psychologist, you'll deliver high-quality psychological care to adults with learning disabilities, guiding the support around them and promoting independence. You'll work within a multi-disciplinary team alongside partner agencies, ensuring a flexible and responsive approach to psychological assessment and care. We will also encourage you to develop your own specialist interests within the field, as you develop within the post. As services are delivered across our catchment area, some travel will be required.
The post is open to newly qualified psychologists and those with relevant prior experience. A preceptorship at band 7 may be required for those who do not have sufficient experience to directly accept the role as an 8a post.
Based in Oulton, near Lowestoft, the location offers the perfect balance of professional fulfilment amidst the lifestyle benefits of the beautiful Suffolk coast and Broads National Park. We look forward to hearing from you.
Main duties of the job
The successful applicant will hold their own caseload of clinical work. This will cover assessment, consultation formulation, individual therapy and group work for service users accessing the Community Learning Disabilities Team (CLDT). They will be supervised by the 8b or 8c Practitioner Psychologist and may have their own supervisory responsibilities for others in the team, depending upon experience.
Engagement with others that promotes the psychological-mindedness of the team and colleagues will be expected, and this may include occasional offers of training and information sharing.
Psychology is well valued in the CLDT in North Suffolk and other duties will likely include working closely with the wider professions and partner agencies. The successful applicant will have a job plan in line with BPS guidance and which will incorporate time for CPD and learning as well as clinical duties. Please see the attached job description for further information.
About us
At Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT), we are proud of our commitment to delivering innovative, compassionate, and person-centred care. Our team is dedicated to upholding the TALK values: Teamwork, Accountability, Learning, and Kindness, creating an environment where service users and staff thrive.
We value diversity and inclusion, and actively welcome applications from all backgrounds. We are committed to supporting the growth and development of psychological professionals through strong partnerships with local universities, offering opportunities for teaching, research, and supervision of doctoral trainees.
You'll be joining a forward-thinking team where innovation is encouraged, and quality improvement is a priority. Together, we aim to provide safer, kinder, and better care to our communities.
Benefits include
- NHS pension
- 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 find attached our Job Description and Person Specification for more detail on your Key Accountabilities, then if you feel you have what it takes to make a difference in your local communities, click APPLY!
Interview dates are yet to be set; you will be contacted via email and invited to book a time. These emails may go to your SPAM, so please keep checking all your emails if applying.
Please visit our Facebook and Twitter page @NSFTjobs
We would welcome informal visits or phone calls, please do not hesitate to contact to arrange!
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please find attached our Job Description and Person Specification for more detail on your Key Accountabilities, then if you feel you have what it takes to make a difference in your local communities, click APPLY!
Interview dates are yet to be set; you will be contacted via email and invited to book a time. These emails may go to your SPAM, so please keep checking all your emails if applying.
Please visit our Facebook and Twitter page @NSFTjobs
We would welcome informal visits or phone calls, please do not hesitate to contact to arrange!
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Post-graduate degree (or its equivalent if trained prior to 1996) in clinical psychology, accredited by BPS
- Registered as a practitioner psychologist with the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) or due to be accredited within next 12 months
- Ongoing further specialist training/accredited short courses
- Supervisor training, to be a supervisor of doctoral programme clinical psychology trainees or willing to undertake training
Desirable
- Evidence of CPD in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice
- Masters Degree level study in health or psychology related area
- Evidence of additional learning disabilities or autism specific training, (for example in formal assessment procedures).
Experience
Essential
- Experience working as a qualified clinical psychologist (Band 7) and able to evidence appropriate knowledge and experience in practice to enable the post holder to clinically supervise trainee clinical psychologist
- Experience of working with a wide variety and severity of client groups & clinical problems, in various settings, including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems
Desirable
- Experience of representing psychology within MDT setting (clinical and organisational contexts)
- Experience of clinical work in a setting relevant to the post
- Experience of learning disabilities in a clinical setting
Skills
Essential
- Skilled in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management
- Skills in training and supervision. Skills in creating and delivering presentations and training programmes
Desirable
- Further qualification in a recognised psychological therapy
Knowledge
Essential
- Doctor level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis
- Knowledge of mental health legislation within specialist clinical context
- Evidence of CPD as recommended by BPS
Desirable
- Well-developed knowledge of theory and practice of specialised psychological intervention and assessment in specialist clinical service-user groups
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Post-graduate degree (or its equivalent if trained prior to 1996) in clinical psychology, accredited by BPS
- Registered as a practitioner psychologist with the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) or due to be accredited within next 12 months
- Ongoing further specialist training/accredited short courses
- Supervisor training, to be a supervisor of doctoral programme clinical psychology trainees or willing to undertake training
Desirable
- Evidence of CPD in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice
- Masters Degree level study in health or psychology related area
- Evidence of additional learning disabilities or autism specific training, (for example in formal assessment procedures).
Experience
Essential
- Experience working as a qualified clinical psychologist (Band 7) and able to evidence appropriate knowledge and experience in practice to enable the post holder to clinically supervise trainee clinical psychologist
- Experience of working with a wide variety and severity of client groups & clinical problems, in various settings, including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems
Desirable
- Experience of representing psychology within MDT setting (clinical and organisational contexts)
- Experience of clinical work in a setting relevant to the post
- Experience of learning disabilities in a clinical setting
Skills
Essential
- Skilled in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management
- Skills in training and supervision. Skills in creating and delivering presentations and training programmes
Desirable
- Further qualification in a recognised psychological therapy
Knowledge
Essential
- Doctor level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis
- Knowledge of mental health legislation within specialist clinical context
- Evidence of CPD as recommended by BPS
Desirable
- Well-developed knowledge of theory and practice of specialised psychological intervention and assessment in specialist clinical service-user groups
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).
