Job summary
The Forensic Mental Health Service in Hywel Dda are looking to welcome a Consultant Clinical Psychologist into our service who can:
- Ensure and be accountable for the systematic provision of a high-quality Psychology and psychological therapy service within a highlyspecialised field of Forensic Psychology
- Exercise an exceptionally high level of Forensic Mental Health Psychology expertise regarding clients of the Forensic Mental Health Team and Low Secure Service.
- Work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of psychological practice within the service.
- Be managerially and professionally responsible for all professionally qualified and unqualified Psychology staff working within Forensic Mental Health across HDUHB.
- Ensure that effective systems are in place, for the clinical and professional supervision and support of all practitioners within the service for which the post holder has designated professional responsibility, including clear systems for recruitment, professional appraisal, and the identification of CPD needs across the service/sector.
- Act as a highly specialist resource to the wider professional and stakeholder community, providing consultation and advice on clinical, policy, service and strategic issues.
- Propose and implement policy and service development changes within the area served by the service, and to facilitate service improvements through audit, research and training activities.
Main duties of the job
Working within a highly specialised clinical area, to provide highly developed specialist psychological assessments of clients based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological (and neuropsychological) tests, self-report measures, rating scales direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the client's care.
To formulate plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a client's mental health problems based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the client's problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range of community and care settings.
To be responsible for implementing a range of highly specialist psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, within and across teams employed individually and in synthesis, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.
To make highly skilled evaluations and decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group.
About us
Hywel Dda University Health Board plans and provides NHS healthcare services for people living in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, and bordering counties.
We have over 13,000 staff and together we provide primary, community, in-hospital, mental health and learning disabilities services.
We work in partnership with the three local authorities, as well as public, private and third sector colleagues, including our valued team of volunteers.
Our services are provided in:
o Four main hospitals: Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth; Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen; Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli; and Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwesto Five community hospitals: Amman Valley and Llandovery hospitals in Carmarthenshire; Tregaron Hospital in Ceredigion; and Tenby and South Pembrokeshire hospitals in Pembrokeshireo Two integrated care centres: Aberaeron and Cardigan in Ceredigion, and several other community settingso 47 general practices (six of which are health board managed practices); dental practices (including four orthodontic); 97 community pharmacies; 43 general ophthalmic practices; and 8 ophthalmic domiciliary providerso Numerous mental health and learning disabilities services
Job description
Job responsibilities
You will be able to find a full job description and person specification attached within the supporting documents.
The Health Board is committed to supporting its staff to fully embrace the need for bilingualism thereby enhancing patient and service user experiences. In our commitment to increase the number of staff who can communicate in Welsh with patients and professionals, we welcome applications from Welsh speakers.
The ability to communicate in Welsh is desirable for this post. If you do not meet the Welsh Language requirements specified, the Health Board offers a variety of learning options and staff support to help you meet these minimal desirable requirements during your employment with us.
If successfully shortlisted, you will be asked to complete psychometric assessments. Information regarding these and the stakeholder panels/interview will be sent to you following completion of shortlisting.
Stakeholder panels will be held on 18/09/2025.
Interviews will be held on 19/09/2025.
Job description
Job responsibilities
You will be able to find a full job description and person specification attached within the supporting documents.
The Health Board is committed to supporting its staff to fully embrace the need for bilingualism thereby enhancing patient and service user experiences. In our commitment to increase the number of staff who can communicate in Welsh with patients and professionals, we welcome applications from Welsh speakers.
The ability to communicate in Welsh is desirable for this post. If you do not meet the Welsh Language requirements specified, the Health Board offers a variety of learning options and staff support to help you meet these minimal desirable requirements during your employment with us.
If successfully shortlisted, you will be asked to complete psychometric assessments. Information regarding these and the stakeholder panels/interview will be sent to you following completion of shortlisting.
Stakeholder panels will be held on 18/09/2025.
Interviews will be held on 19/09/2025.
Person Specification
Qualifications and Knowledge
Essential
- Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology
- HCPC registration
- Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis as practiced within the field of Clinical Psychology
- Knowledge of legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to the client group and Mental Health
- Highly developed 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 and severely challenging behaviours etc.)
- Evidence of CPD in accordance with the requirements of the HCPC.
Desirable
- Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice.
- Formal supervisor training and accreditation
- Specialist knowledge of risk assessment methodology
- Specialist Psychotherapy qualifications recognised by UKCP, BABCP & BPS
Language Skills
Desirable
Experience
Essential
- Assessed experience of working as a qualified Clinical/Practitioner Psychologist a significant period, including significant postqualification experience within the designated specialty where the post is locate
- Experience of working with a variety of client groups, across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity, across care settings such as outpatient, community, primary care, in-patient and residential care, including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing situations
- Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment within the context of a multi-disciplinary care plan.
- Experience of teaching, training and of professional and clinical supervision
- Experience of professional management of qualified Clinical Psychologists and / or Experience of Clinical Leadership
Desirable
- Experience of representing the profession in local policy forums
- Experience of the application of Psychology in different cultural contexts
Person Specification
Qualifications and Knowledge
Essential
- Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology
- HCPC registration
- Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis as practiced within the field of Clinical Psychology
- Knowledge of legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to the client group and Mental Health
- Highly developed 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 and severely challenging behaviours etc.)
- Evidence of CPD in accordance with the requirements of the HCPC.
Desirable
- Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice.
- Formal supervisor training and accreditation
- Specialist knowledge of risk assessment methodology
- Specialist Psychotherapy qualifications recognised by UKCP, BABCP & BPS
Language Skills
Desirable
Experience
Essential
- Assessed experience of working as a qualified Clinical/Practitioner Psychologist a significant period, including significant postqualification experience within the designated specialty where the post is locate
- Experience of working with a variety of client groups, across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity, across care settings such as outpatient, community, primary care, in-patient and residential care, including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing situations
- Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment within the context of a multi-disciplinary care plan.
- Experience of teaching, training and of professional and clinical supervision
- Experience of professional management of qualified Clinical Psychologists and / or Experience of Clinical Leadership
Desirable
- Experience of representing the profession in local policy forums
- Experience of the application of Psychology in different cultural contexts
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).
