Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Senior Psychological Therapist or Senior Practitioner Psychologist

The closing date is 03 November 2025

Job summary

8a Senior Psychological Therapist or 8a Senior Practitioner Psychologist

An excellent opportunity has become available for an experienced psychological therapist (BABCP registered CBT therapist, Art Therapist or HCPC registered Psychologist) to join our Acute and Urgent Care Services based in Worthing.

This full-time post will support across one of our inpatients working age adult wards, and our Crisis Resolution Home Treatment Team, (CRHT) with some input into the Haven service.

The Crisis Resolution Home Treatment Team (CRHTT):This is a multi-disciplinary team offering a 7-day service for people in acute psychiatric crisis. The team provides an alternative to hospital admission by delivering intensive community-based interventions and acts as a gatekeeper for hospital admissions. If admission is necessary, the CRHTT helps shorten the inpatient stay by facilitating a supportive discharge back to the community.

The Haven: This is a 24/7 community-based mental health crisis unit, designed as an alternative to Emergency Department (ED) attendance for those without acute physical or medical issues. The Haven provides a safe, comfortable environment for comprehensive assessment and risk formulation, aiming to develop an appropriate care plan and onward clinical pathway. The extended timeframe allows for more thorough assessment and coordination of community support.

Main duties of the job

We are looking for an innovative and resilient clinician who can offer evidenced based assessment and interventions for service users presenting with severe and enduring mental health difficulties. This post will offer a full range of evidence-based psychological interventions as well as complex assessments, formulations and consultations to colleagues from other disciplines within the team. You will be a strong team player who will support other MDT colleagues to deliver psychologically informed interventions though the provision of supervision and reflective practice and where appropriate, to supervise Band 7 Psychological therapists. We will also look to our new post-holder to support wider pathway working, working alongside other teams to support service users at points of transition between services. We are very excited about these developments and the positive impact it is likely to have on the local communities that we serve.

As part of the wider adult mental health service, you will also be joining an established community of psychologists and psychological therapists who bring a rich variety of skills. There are a significant number of psychologists and psychological therapists employed within the Trust working across different specialties and there are excellent opportunities for professional development through regular monthly psychology meetings and active peer supervision networks.

About us

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust provides mental health, learning disability and substance misuse services in and across Sussex. The Trust has teaching status and is developing into one of the country's leading teaching mental health trusts. Psychological Therapies are highly valued in Sussex Partnership and Psychological Therapists occupy a range of senior positions across the Trust. Working here offers continued training and development, variety, plus all the benefits of living in Sussex. West Sussex is a beautiful county with great schools, good transport links, vibrant communities, rural areas, and tourist attractions, including the Coast and the South Downs. We would welcome informal visits and / or a telephone call to tell you more about our service and this post. The Trust has recently been rated by the CQC as Good overall and Outstanding for care.

We welcome applications from people from diverse backgrounds who are under-represented in service delivery.

Date posted

23 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£55,690 to £62,682 a year pa

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

354-AC-21219

Job locations

Swandean

Worthing

BN13 3EP

Job description

Job responsibilities

Essential

HCPC registered Practitioner psychologist, or registered member of an appropriate professional body e.g., BABCP registered CBT Practitioner.

At least 2 years post qualifying experience

Significant MDT experience

Experience of complex adult mental health presentations

Desirable

Experience of teaching/training others

Working with diversity

Service development experience

Consultation experience

Job description

Job responsibilities

Essential

HCPC registered Practitioner psychologist, or registered member of an appropriate professional body e.g., BABCP registered CBT Practitioner.

At least 2 years post qualifying experience

Significant MDT experience

Experience of complex adult mental health presentations

Desirable

Experience of teaching/training others

Working with diversity

Service development experience

Consultation experience

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Recognised accredited post graduate level training in a psychological therapy as specified in the Appendix
Professionally registered as specified in the appendix

Knowledge/Experience

Essential

Substantial post-qualification/accreditation experience of specialist psychological therapy (assessment, formulation and treatment), as specified in the Appendix, maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
A high level of competence in applying a psychological therapy to complex difficulties appropriate for this therapy with the client group served by the post, and a proven track record of delivering positive outcomes in this therapy
Experience of offering teaching, training and supervision within a demanding organisational context.
A clear and theoretically informed approach to supervision
Experience of representing psychological therapy within the context of multi-disciplinary care within a complex organisational context
Significant experience of working with the particular client group served by the team/service
Knowledge of guidance and legislation in relation to the client group.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Recognised accredited post graduate level training in a psychological therapy as specified in the Appendix
Professionally registered as specified in the appendix

Knowledge/Experience

Essential

Substantial post-qualification/accreditation experience of specialist psychological therapy (assessment, formulation and treatment), as specified in the Appendix, maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
A high level of competence in applying a psychological therapy to complex difficulties appropriate for this therapy with the client group served by the post, and a proven track record of delivering positive outcomes in this therapy
Experience of offering teaching, training and supervision within a demanding organisational context.
A clear and theoretically informed approach to supervision
Experience of representing psychological therapy within the context of multi-disciplinary care within a complex organisational context
Significant experience of working with the particular client group served by the team/service
Knowledge of guidance and legislation in relation to the client group.

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).

Additional information