Job summary
OP Courage: Southwest Veterans Mental Health & Wellbeing Service
Base: Any appropriate Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP) base
OP Courage in the Southwest is growing, and we're seeking a compassionate, skilledSenior Practitioner Psychologist (Band 8a) to join our specialist veterans' mental health service. This is a meaningful role where you'll help shape high-quality, trauma-informed care for those who have served.
About the Role
You'll play a key part in delivering and developing psychologically informed care across the region, working with veterans experiencing a range of mental health needs linked to trauma, transition, and complex life experiences. The post combines direct clinical work within one AWP locality (in an agreed upon locality covered by the service) with wider service development and leadership responsibilities across the Southwest.
About You
You bring clinical expertise, reflective practice, and a commitment to compassionate, veteran-centred care. You enjoy balancing autonomy with collaboration and contributing to service improvement at a regional level.
You will need:
o HCPC registration as a Practitioner Psychologist
o Experience delivering specialist interventions for adults with complex mental health needs
o Skills in supervision, consultation, and MDT working
o A passion for improving access for underserved groups
Main duties of the job
Clinical Practice
- Provide specialist psychological assessment, formulation, and evidence-based interventions for veterans, delivered both in person and via secure online platforms.
- Offer tailored, trauma-informed care aligned with NICE guidance and best practice standards.
- Contribute to multidisciplinary decision-making and care planning.
Leadership & Supervision
- Provide clinical supervision to a range of colleagues, including psychological therapists, practitioners, and multidisciplinary team members.
- Support the development of psychologically informed practice across the service.
Service Development
- Lead and contribute to initiatives that enhance equitable access to evidence-based psychological support for veterans across the region.
- Help shape pathways, processes, and innovations that strengthen the quality and reach of OP Courage services.
- Contribute to audit, evaluation, and quality improvement activity.
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.
AWP is committed to support and create a positive research and evidence-based environment and culture, which can have a beneficial impact on everyone who works for the organisation and the care we provide to those who use our services.
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.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To provide highly specialist psychological assessment and therapy to patients and carers as appropriate to the service.
To provide highly specialist advice and consultation on clients formulation and psychological management to other non-psychologist colleagues.
To use highly specialist psychological knowledge and skills to contribute to the more effective management of patients by the various teams in the area and where appropriate outside of the area.
To clinically supervise/line manage trainee clinical psychologists, assistant psychologists, CAPs and less experienced psychology staff, and other professionals.
To contribute to audit, research, policy and service development within the areas served by the Psychological Therapies Service.
To develop and deliver training in psychological therapies for multidisciplinary staff.
See Person Specification and Job Description for further information
Job description
Job responsibilities
To provide highly specialist psychological assessment and therapy to patients and carers as appropriate to the service.
To provide highly specialist advice and consultation on clients formulation and psychological management to other non-psychologist colleagues.
To use highly specialist psychological knowledge and skills to contribute to the more effective management of patients by the various teams in the area and where appropriate outside of the area.
To clinically supervise/line manage trainee clinical psychologists, assistant psychologists, CAPs and less experienced psychology staff, and other professionals.
To contribute to audit, research, policy and service development within the areas served by the Psychological Therapies Service.
To develop and deliver training in psychological therapies for multidisciplinary staff.
See Person Specification and Job Description for further information
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Doctoral Clinical Psychology or Counselling Psychology qualification or equivalent
- HCPC registration
- Post qualification and further specialist training in specified specialist intervention
Desirable
Experience
Essential
- Clinical supervision/consultation with other professionals.
- Evidence based therapeutic interventions with veterans.
- Experience of delivery of training.
- Experience of working alongside multidisciplinary colleagues.
Desirable
- Relevant R&D or clinical audit work post qualification.
- Clinical supervision of clinical psychology trainees
Skills
Essential
- Ability to work effectively and flexibly as an integral member of a team.
- Empathy/engagement skills with the client group.
- Self-awareness and emotional resilience
Desirable
- Car driver with ability and willingness to travel to locations throughout the organisation
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Doctoral Clinical Psychology or Counselling Psychology qualification or equivalent
- HCPC registration
- Post qualification and further specialist training in specified specialist intervention
Desirable
Experience
Essential
- Clinical supervision/consultation with other professionals.
- Evidence based therapeutic interventions with veterans.
- Experience of delivery of training.
- Experience of working alongside multidisciplinary colleagues.
Desirable
- Relevant R&D or clinical audit work post qualification.
- Clinical supervision of clinical psychology trainees
Skills
Essential
- Ability to work effectively and flexibly as an integral member of a team.
- Empathy/engagement skills with the client group.
- Self-awareness and emotional resilience
Desirable
- Car driver with ability and willingness to travel to locations throughout the organisation
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).
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