Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Clinical Psychologist

The closing date is 06 August 2025

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen within the older adult CMHT and memory service covering West Cheshire (Chester, Ellesmere Port and Neston, Northwich, and rural areas), with a base in Chester. CWP community mental health services are MDTs aiming to provide person centred, psychologically and trauma informed models of care. The memory service works closely alongside the older adult CMHT to provide an assessment and diagnosis service for dementia. Psychology has been integrated and is valued within the multi-disciplinary team, providing specialist assessment and interventions, as well as contributing to the clinical thinking and decision making of the teams. Psychological skills are also applied to delivering training, staff wellbeing initiatives and service development projects.

We would like to recruit an experienced psychologist that will join an expanding older adult psychology workforce. You will support the development of a Clinical Psychologist and Associate Psychological Practitioner in your team. You will meet regularly with other senior psychologists throughout the Trust and an older adult psychology specialty group to ensure equitable service delivery.

We would also be happy to consider applicants who would be looking for part-time or full-time posts. The service currently offers flexible working with a mixture of both remote and face to face encouraged.

Main duties of the job

The post-holder will join a supportive multi-disciplinary team who are passionate about working with older adults. The post holder will be responsible for providing assessments (including neuropsychological if required), formulations, and therapeutic interventions (both individually and in group format) to people with complex psychological and mental health difficulties. Psychology also provides specialist neuropsychological assessment to inform MDT decisions within the memory service. The post holder will support the wider team to develop psychological understandings of people's difficulties through consultation, supervision, and training.

The post holder will be joining an established supportive team and there will be opportunities to develop the job plan for the role based on individual interests and new service developments. Based near the historic Roman city of Chester, the service has good links with the three local universities (Liverpool, Lancaster, and Manchester) providing opportunity to support trainees with research projects/audits and input into the teaching programmes.

The post holder will be expected to take a lead in service evaluations and ensure high standards of clinical effectiveness and clinical governance.

About us

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership (CWP) provides health and care services for a population of over one million people, including mental health, learning disability, community physical health and all-age disability care, as well as the provision of three GP surgeries in Cheshire.

We employ around 4,500 staff across 73 sites and have services across Wirral and Cheshire, as well as Trafford, Warrington, Bolton, Halton and Liverpool. We also provide specialist services for the North West as a whole.

Our aim is to help improve the lives of everyone in our communities, adopting a compassionate, person-centred approach to everything we do. We are rated as Outstanding for Caring by the Care Quality Commission, with a Good rating overall.

As a Disability Confident Employer, Rainbow Badge Scheme member, Veteran Aware organisation and proud holder of the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award, CWP is committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible and developing a culture that values differences, and welcome applications from people who have direct experience of accessing our services.We also offer up to three weeks' induction, with our Prepare to Care programme for all new starters. This aims to give you all the knowledge and guidance to help you hit the ground running with CWP.

Whether you are just starting out in your career or looking to use your existing skills and experience in a new role, you'll find something to suit you at CWP.

Details

Date posted

16 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£64,455 to £74,896 a year per annum pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Job share

Reference number

373-SMH2431

Job locations

Chester, Upton Lea Resource Centre

Bowmere Hospital, Liverpool Road

Chester

CH2 1BQ


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please download a copy of the job description (see documents to download section below) for full details of the main responsibilities for this role.

At CWP, our recruitment selection processes are based on both competence (see person specification for details) and values.

CWP recruits people that can demonstrate the Trusts Values in their everyday life and we use a values-based approach in our interviews, which explores not only what you do but how and why you do it.

Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trusts Values and think about how these align with your own personal values. The supporting information section in your application should reflect your understanding of the Trusts Values and associated behaviours and you should provide examples from your work experience and/or personal life which demonstrate these values through your behaviours.

An applicant guide to help and support you through your recruitment journey can be accessed at the bottom of this page. Further help and support for completing your application can be accessed via our website. If you need any further guidance to help you complete your application, contact our recruitment team via email at: cwp.recruitment@nhs.net or by calling 01244 393100.

If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010, and you can show that you meet the essential criteria described in the person specification for an available position, please answer YES to the question: Do you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme?

Please inform the team if you have any special support needs to be considered as part of the interview and selection processes.

The trust offers a Guaranteed Interview Scheme to any armed forces community applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post and encourages applications from armed forces reservists or cadet force adult volunteers.

Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £16 per year applies.

New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.

Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.

Good luck with your application. We hope to welcome you to Team CWP very soon!

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please download a copy of the job description (see documents to download section below) for full details of the main responsibilities for this role.

At CWP, our recruitment selection processes are based on both competence (see person specification for details) and values.

CWP recruits people that can demonstrate the Trusts Values in their everyday life and we use a values-based approach in our interviews, which explores not only what you do but how and why you do it.

Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trusts Values and think about how these align with your own personal values. The supporting information section in your application should reflect your understanding of the Trusts Values and associated behaviours and you should provide examples from your work experience and/or personal life which demonstrate these values through your behaviours.

An applicant guide to help and support you through your recruitment journey can be accessed at the bottom of this page. Further help and support for completing your application can be accessed via our website. If you need any further guidance to help you complete your application, contact our recruitment team via email at: cwp.recruitment@nhs.net or by calling 01244 393100.

If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010, and you can show that you meet the essential criteria described in the person specification for an available position, please answer YES to the question: Do you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme?

Please inform the team if you have any special support needs to be considered as part of the interview and selection processes.

The trust offers a Guaranteed Interview Scheme to any armed forces community applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post and encourages applications from armed forces reservists or cadet force adult volunteers.

Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £16 per year applies.

New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.

Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.

Good luck with your application. We hope to welcome you to Team CWP very soon!

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996)
  • HCPC registration
  • Additional Psychotherapy qualification relevant to working with older adult clients with complex psychological and mental health difficulties

Desirable

  • Post graduate diploma in clinical neuropsychology

Knowledge and Expertise

Essential

  • Knowledge of and skills in working with older people presenting with longstanding and complex and specialist needs
  • Knowledge of and skills in conducting complex psychological assessment and intervention frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration
  • Skills in completing neuropsychological and psychometric assesssments, interpreting and reporting the results, and communicating this complex information sensitively and clearly
  • Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex and /or clinically sensitive information to clients and professional colleagues within and outside the NHS
  • Evidence of continuing professional development
  • Skills in providing Consultation to other professionals and nonprofessional groups
  • Evidence of supervisor training/qualification
  • Experience of supervising Assistant Psychologists, other psychological practitioners and/or MDT colleagues in psychological approaches
  • Experience of research, audit/service evaluation

Desirable

  • Ability to apply psychological knowledge creatively in developing new initiatives
  • Knowledge of legislation in relation to the older adult population
  • Formal leadership/management training

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of working as a clinical psychologist therapeutically with adult clients with varied complex, psychological and mental health difficulties
  • Experience of working within uni and multi-professional teams
  • Experience of engaging and sustaining work with ambivalent clients
  • Experience of exercising clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care
  • Experience of providing teaching and training

Desirable

  • Experience of liaison with other health professionals
  • Evidence of contributing to policy and service development
  • Experience of managing others
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996)
  • HCPC registration
  • Additional Psychotherapy qualification relevant to working with older adult clients with complex psychological and mental health difficulties

Desirable

  • Post graduate diploma in clinical neuropsychology

Knowledge and Expertise

Essential

  • Knowledge of and skills in working with older people presenting with longstanding and complex and specialist needs
  • Knowledge of and skills in conducting complex psychological assessment and intervention frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration
  • Skills in completing neuropsychological and psychometric assesssments, interpreting and reporting the results, and communicating this complex information sensitively and clearly
  • Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex and /or clinically sensitive information to clients and professional colleagues within and outside the NHS
  • Evidence of continuing professional development
  • Skills in providing Consultation to other professionals and nonprofessional groups
  • Evidence of supervisor training/qualification
  • Experience of supervising Assistant Psychologists, other psychological practitioners and/or MDT colleagues in psychological approaches
  • Experience of research, audit/service evaluation

Desirable

  • Ability to apply psychological knowledge creatively in developing new initiatives
  • Knowledge of legislation in relation to the older adult population
  • Formal leadership/management training

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of working as a clinical psychologist therapeutically with adult clients with varied complex, psychological and mental health difficulties
  • Experience of working within uni and multi-professional teams
  • Experience of engaging and sustaining work with ambivalent clients
  • Experience of exercising clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care
  • Experience of providing teaching and training

Desirable

  • Experience of liaison with other health professionals
  • Evidence of contributing to policy and service development
  • Experience of managing others

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

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Chester, Upton Lea Resource Centre

Bowmere Hospital, Liverpool Road

Chester

CH2 1BQ


Employer's website

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


Employer details

Employer name

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Chester, Upton Lea Resource Centre

Bowmere Hospital, Liverpool Road

Chester

CH2 1BQ


Employer's website

https://www.cwp.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 Zeshan Khawaja

zeshan.khawaja@nhs.net

Details

Date posted

16 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£64,455 to £74,896 a year per annum pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Job share

Reference number

373-SMH2431

Job locations

Chester, Upton Lea Resource Centre

Bowmere Hospital, Liverpool Road

Chester

CH2 1BQ


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

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