Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

Band 8a Clinical / Counselling Psychologist (SIS) - Swindon

The closing date is 04 August 2025

Job summary

Swindon Psychological Therapies Service are seeking a Clinical or Counselling Psychologist to provide input to the Swindon Intensive Service (SIS). Psychological input is well established and highly valued within the team.

Swindon Intensive Service (SIS) provide a crisis response to service users and their families. The role will involve working in a fast paced environment, with high levels of risk and acuity.

The post holder will work closely with MDT colleagues to provide specialist psychological assessment, formulation and brief intervention. The provision of reflective practice and team formulation are also an important aspect of the role.

The post holder will receive management & clinical supervision from the Swindon Psychological Therapies Service (PTS). They will work closely with other psychological practitioners working across the acute pathway. All psychological practitioners on the acute pathway are trained in the Comprehend, Cope and Connect approach to formulation and this is utilised across the pathway.

The team has a strong emphasis on promoting staff wellbeing, including a monthly wellbeing newsletter, and bi-monthly reflective. We actively support staff in their ongoing professional development and have a bi-monthly CPD Club.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will provide specialist assessment, formulation and brief psychological intervention for service users during their time with the team. You will work closely with the Clinical Associate Psychologist (CAP) and Assistant Psychologist who are both embedded in the team, as well as colleagues from the wider MDT. The provision of reflective practice and team formulation are also an important aspect of the role. The post holder would be expected to play a significant role in contributing to staff training, alongside other psychologists in the Locality who work in ward based and acute settings.

Swindon Intensive Service are involved in a number of service improvement projects and there would be scope to contribute to these.

About us

We are AWP (Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust):a diverse organisation with over 5,000 dedicated staff providing inpatient and community-based mental health care.

We provide services from a range of locations to approximately 1.8 million people living in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, across the county of Wiltshire and in parts of Dorset.

Our outstanding people promote mental health and wellbeing. The expertise and resources within AWP are dedicated to a person-centred approach for those who use our services and for all employees. We recognise that happy and fulfilled employees give better care.

At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.

Details

Date posted

21 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£55,690 to £62,682 a year pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

342-SWN060-0725

Job locations

Sandalwood Court

Highworth Road

Swindon

SN3 4WF


Job description

Job responsibilities

The successful applicant will be enthusiastic and highly motivated to provide a good quality, evidence based psychological service within a changing and challenging environment. They will have experience of working with individuals with complex psychological difficulties and risk issues within secondary care and a particular interest in working with individuals in acute distress. They will enjoy working as part of a team and thrive on working under pressure.

See Job description and Person Specification for full details

Job description

Job responsibilities

The successful applicant will be enthusiastic and highly motivated to provide a good quality, evidence based psychological service within a changing and challenging environment. They will have experience of working with individuals with complex psychological difficulties and risk issues within secondary care and a particular interest in working with individuals in acute distress. They will enjoy working as part of a team and thrive on working under pressure.

See Job description and Person Specification for full details

Person Specification

Education and qualifications

Essential

  • Doctoral Clinical Psychology or Counselling Psychology qualification, or equivalent.
  • HCPC Registered.
  • Post qualification and further specialist training in specialist intervention, or models relevant to the setting.

Desirable

  • Supervision Training

Experience and Knowledge

Essential

  • Experience of working alongside multidisciplinary colleagues.
  • Clinical supervision/consultation with other professionals.
  • Evidence based therapeutic interventions with client group.
  • Psychological assessment skills and knowledge.
  • Advanced theoretical and practical knowledge in the specialism. Ability to use this knowledge to think systemically/ organizationally.
  • Experience of risk assessment and management.
  • Knowledge of relevant legislation eg MH Act.
  • Experience of delivery of training.

Desirable

  • Relevant R&D or clinical audit work post qualification.
  • Clinical supervision of Clinical or Counselling psychology trainees.
  • Experience of working in an acute or crisis team setting.

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • Ability to work effectively and flexibly as an integral member of a team.
  • Good communication and liaison skills.
  • Well organised with good administration skills.
  • Empathy/engagement skills with the client group.
  • Ability to cope with workload pressure/ prioritise workload.
  • Ability to work independently.
  • Self-awareness and emotional resilience.
Person Specification

Education and qualifications

Essential

  • Doctoral Clinical Psychology or Counselling Psychology qualification, or equivalent.
  • HCPC Registered.
  • Post qualification and further specialist training in specialist intervention, or models relevant to the setting.

Desirable

  • Supervision Training

Experience and Knowledge

Essential

  • Experience of working alongside multidisciplinary colleagues.
  • Clinical supervision/consultation with other professionals.
  • Evidence based therapeutic interventions with client group.
  • Psychological assessment skills and knowledge.
  • Advanced theoretical and practical knowledge in the specialism. Ability to use this knowledge to think systemically/ organizationally.
  • Experience of risk assessment and management.
  • Knowledge of relevant legislation eg MH Act.
  • Experience of delivery of training.

Desirable

  • Relevant R&D or clinical audit work post qualification.
  • Clinical supervision of Clinical or Counselling psychology trainees.
  • Experience of working in an acute or crisis team setting.

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • Ability to work effectively and flexibly as an integral member of a team.
  • Good communication and liaison skills.
  • Well organised with good administration skills.
  • Empathy/engagement skills with the client group.
  • Ability to cope with workload pressure/ prioritise workload.
  • Ability to work independently.
  • Self-awareness and emotional resilience.

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

Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

Address

Sandalwood Court

Highworth Road

Swindon

SN3 4WF


Employer's website

http://www.awp.nhs.uk/about-us/working-for-us/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

Address

Sandalwood Court

Highworth Road

Swindon

SN3 4WF


Employer's website

http://www.awp.nhs.uk/about-us/working-for-us/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Consultant Clinical Psychologist

Dr Imogen Reid

imogen.reid@nhs.net

07879440239

Details

Date posted

21 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£55,690 to £62,682 a year pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

342-SWN060-0725

Job locations

Sandalwood Court

Highworth Road

Swindon

SN3 4WF


Supporting documents

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