Job summary
Fixed Term| Part Time
We are looking for an enthusiastic and experienced Senior Clinical Psychologist, to join us within our Parent-Infant Relationship Service within Sheffield Community CAMHS, here at Sheffield Children's Hospital NHS FT. PAIRS is a specialist team dedicated to supporting families with complex emotional, behavioural, and developmental difficulties, with a focus on early intervention to foster healthy parent-infant relationships.
The successful candidate will demonstrate a real passion and commitment to parent-infant working, and be able to understand and appreciate the complexities of this kind of work; including working dyadically and the importance of this on the early emotional and social development of the child and implications for lifelong wellbeing.
About You:
You will ideally have prior experience in this field, or relevant transferrable skills to enable you to work with families experiencing parent-infant relational challenges confidently.
Strong communication skills and an understanding of systemic dynamics when working with highly complex families are essential.
You will demonstrate initiative and creativity to lead on and improve aspects of service delivery, alongside providing compassionate and skilled direct clinical care.
You should also be adept at collaborating within professional networks, encouraging respectful multi-agency relationships, and managing your workload by prioritising key tasks and targets for intervention.
Main duties of the job
Reporting into the Clinical Psychologist, your responsibilities will include:
- Working as a Senior Clinical Psychologist in the Parent Infant Relationship Service (PAIRS), providing community-based therapeutic support to families with complex, emotional, behavioural and developmental difficulties, with a particular focus on early intervention to support the development of healthy parent/infant relationships.
- Providing assessment and therapeutic interventions focused on supporting and enhancing the relationship between a parent/caregiver and their baby.
- Working closely with colleagues in Health Visiting, Midwifery, Perinatal MHT, Local Authority Early Years/ Family Hub Services, Children's Social Care, IAPT and other relevant Health, Local Authority and Third Sector services, acting as a specialist resource and promoting understanding of IMH.
- Providing clinical consultation and advice to professionals across Health Visiting, Midwifery, Perinatal MHT, Local Authority Early Years/ Family Hub Services, Children's Social Care, IAPT and other relevant Health, Local Authority and Third Sector services.
- Contributing to the teaching and training of professionals across all settings and agencies serving this client group in order to raise awareness and understanding of parent-infant mental health and support their work.
About us
At Sheffield Children's, our purpose is clear: to provide healthier futures for children and young people. Our three strategic aims are Outstanding Patient Care, Brilliant Place to Work, and Leaders in Children's Health.
We work with partners across local, regional, and national levels to deliver physical and mental healthcare in both acute and community settings. Many of our clinicians are nationally and internationally recognised for their expertise.
We're proud that 73% of colleagues would recommend Sheffield Children's as a place to work, placing us among the top five NHS trusts in England -- and the top-ranked trust in the North East and Yorkshire -- in the latest NHS Staff Survey.
Our nearly 4,000 colleagues bring our CARE values -- Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence -- to life every day, creating a kind, welcoming environment where patients and families feel safe and supported.
As we approach our 150th anniversary in 2026, we're excited to keep building our leadership in children's health, improve experiences for patients and staff, and focus on our communities and population health.
We also offer excellent benefits to support your wellbeing, with generous annual leave and pension schemes, health and wellbeing programmes, and exclusive discounts -- helping you thrive at work and beyond.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For more information on the main responsibilities for this post, please refer to the job description and person specification.
Please note that Sheffield Children's uplift pay to meet the Real Living Wage, which is £12.60 per hour.
*** This role has been assigned the occupation code 1171 using the CASCOT coding tool. To check the eligibility of this code for sponsorship and right to work please visit - UKVI web address https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skilled-worker-visa-eligible-occupations/skilled-worker-visa-eligible-occupations-and-codes
Please note: We do not offer visa sponsorship for part-time roles.
Diversity Statement
At Sheffield Children's, we are committed to creating an inclusive environment that celebrates diversity and supports everyone's success. We prioritise Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in our recruitment practices, creating a welcoming space for people of all backgrounds, including ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ members.
Recognising that inclusivity is an ongoing effort, we review our processes and welcome feedback to enhance our practices. A diverse team strengthens our organisation and the quality of care we deliver. For ideas on how we can improve, please contact our Recruitment Manager at scn-tr.recruitment.team@nhs.net. Together, we're building a workplace where everyone belongs.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For more information on the main responsibilities for this post, please refer to the job description and person specification.
Please note that Sheffield Children's uplift pay to meet the Real Living Wage, which is £12.60 per hour.
*** This role has been assigned the occupation code 1171 using the CASCOT coding tool. To check the eligibility of this code for sponsorship and right to work please visit - UKVI web address https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skilled-worker-visa-eligible-occupations/skilled-worker-visa-eligible-occupations-and-codes
Please note: We do not offer visa sponsorship for part-time roles.
Diversity Statement
At Sheffield Children's, we are committed to creating an inclusive environment that celebrates diversity and supports everyone's success. We prioritise Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in our recruitment practices, creating a welcoming space for people of all backgrounds, including ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ members.
Recognising that inclusivity is an ongoing effort, we review our processes and welcome feedback to enhance our practices. A diverse team strengthens our organisation and the quality of care we deliver. For ideas on how we can improve, please contact our Recruitment Manager at scn-tr.recruitment.team@nhs.net. Together, we're building a workplace where everyone belongs.
Person Specification
Qualifications and Training
Essential
- Doctoral level training in clinical psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuro-psychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology, as accredited by the BPS
- Further specialist supervision in specific psychological approaches and or client groups supported by case presentations, group supervision and short courses. as part of an agreed personal development plan
- Registration with the HCPC as a Clinical Psychologist (or other relevant domain as agreed by the Director of Psychological Services)
Desirable
- Specialist training in parent infant mental health and/or attachment or perinatal mental health.
- Certification in a relevant therapeutic model e.g., Video Interactive Guidance, Watch, Wait and Wonder, Circle of Security Parenting, Mellow Bumps.
- Pre-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and therapeutic interventions with children and young people with neurodevelopmental and/or neurological difficulties and their families.
- Experience of working with a wide variety of mental health problems across the full age range, reflecting all levels of severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
- Demonstrate further specialist training/experience through having received a minimum of 50 hours clinical supervision of working as a specialist clinical psychologist over a minimum of 18 months, or an alternative agreed by the Director of Psychological Services
- Commitment to multi-disciplinary team working - team player
Desirable
- Experience of working with families in a range of clinical settings.
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
- Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
- Experience of working with babies and families within the area of work specific to this post.
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional & non-professional groups.
- Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
- Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the HCPC & BPS.
Desirable
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc).
- High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
- Formal training in supervision of other psychologists.
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
- Commitment and competencies in multi-disciplinary and multi-agency working
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
Desirable
- Experience of working within a multicultural framework.
Person Specification
Qualifications and Training
Essential
- Doctoral level training in clinical psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuro-psychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology, as accredited by the BPS
- Further specialist supervision in specific psychological approaches and or client groups supported by case presentations, group supervision and short courses. as part of an agreed personal development plan
- Registration with the HCPC as a Clinical Psychologist (or other relevant domain as agreed by the Director of Psychological Services)
Desirable
- Specialist training in parent infant mental health and/or attachment or perinatal mental health.
- Certification in a relevant therapeutic model e.g., Video Interactive Guidance, Watch, Wait and Wonder, Circle of Security Parenting, Mellow Bumps.
- Pre-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and therapeutic interventions with children and young people with neurodevelopmental and/or neurological difficulties and their families.
- Experience of working with a wide variety of mental health problems across the full age range, reflecting all levels of severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
- Demonstrate further specialist training/experience through having received a minimum of 50 hours clinical supervision of working as a specialist clinical psychologist over a minimum of 18 months, or an alternative agreed by the Director of Psychological Services
- Commitment to multi-disciplinary team working - team player
Desirable
- Experience of working with families in a range of clinical settings.
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
- Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
- Experience of working with babies and families within the area of work specific to this post.
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional & non-professional groups.
- Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
- Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the HCPC & BPS.
Desirable
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc).
- High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
- Formal training in supervision of other psychologists.
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
- Commitment and competencies in multi-disciplinary and multi-agency working
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
Desirable
- Experience of working within a multicultural framework.
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).
