Ministry of Defence (Defence Medical Services)

Band 8a Clinical Psychologist

The closing date is 04 December 2025

Job summary

Here at Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) Stanford Hall, we are an inclusive and dedicated organisation working to provide excellent care to our entitled personnel!

We are looking to recruit a dynamic, organised and enthusiastic Band 8a Clinical Psychologist who will be working here at DMRC Stanford Hall, providing a service to military personnel.

This role is a fixed term appointment which runs until 10th July 2028, working 37.5hrs per week. The post holder is required to hold a United Kingdom (UK) driving licence due to the need to travel between locations within their defined service sector.

Does this sound like the role for you?

This post will be based in the Psychological Wellbeing Service (PWS) at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) Stanford Hall and comes within the scope of the Defence Clinical Psychology Service (DCPS). DMRC is a modern, purpose-built Tri-Service (Army, Navy and Royal Air Force) rehabilitation centre opened in 2018.

DMRC provides rehabilitation for military patients with complex needs who may have significant pathology or sustained musculoskeletal (MSK) or neurological injury. Patients are referred from Defence Primary Healthcare or secondary care and are provided with multidisciplinary management at tertiary care level.

Benefits include:

  • Free parking.
  • Swimming pool and hot tub
  • Onsite shop, golf course, running track, tennis courts, cinema
  • Officers mess membership
  • NHS pension scheme.
  • Inclusive working environment.

Main duties of the job

Clinical Psychologists are required:

To provide a specialised clinical psychology service to clients of the service team, across all sectors of care; providing highly specialist psychological assessment and therapy at the same time as offering advice and consultation on clients psychological care to non-psychologist colleagues and to other, non-professional line management and carers, working autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the teams policies and procedures.

To utilise research skills for audit, policy and service development and research within the Psychological Wellbeing Service (PWS) and DMRC.

To provide clinical and professional supervision to trainees undertaking Doctoral training.

To undertake service development within own area of practice.

To act as a specialist resource to the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC).

About us

Our success depends on our people, our Whole Force regular and reservist military, civil servants and contractors, all working as one, working together seamlessly to deliver for us.

Our civil servants are a central part of this Whole Force, developing strategy, making policy, supporting ministerial decision-making and Parliamentary processes. In fact, with over 2,000 different roles working across 650 sites around the world, now really is an excellent time to join one of the largest, most exciting departments in government.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to attracting and retaining people from across the full range of backgrounds and enabling flexible ways of working as the norm. We offer maternity, adoption or shared parental leave of up to 26 weeks full pay followed by 13 weeks of statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid, and paternity leave of 2 weeks full pay.

If you want to make a difference to the lives of serving personnel with mental health difficulites, within the confines of an occupational mental health service; this exciting position is the job for you.

Details

Date posted

06 November 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£55,690 to £62,682 a year per annum (pro rata if part-time)

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

31 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Job share

Reference number

K0003-25-0496

Job locations

Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre

Stanford Hall

Stanford on Soar

Loughborough

SE18 4BW


Job description

Job responsibilities

Responsibilities include and are not limited to:

  • Providing specialist psychological assessments of clients referred to the team based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources.
  • Formulating and implementing plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a clients psychological/ mental health problems.
  • Being responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for individuals, (carers, families and groups where appropriate), 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.
  • Evaluating and making decisions about treatment options, considering both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family, or group. Account must be taken of the unique impact of the military environment, its demands and constraints on the individuals experience, and its prognostic implications for effective occupational functioning.
  • Providing specialist psychological advice guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to clients formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan.

Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification document for additional duties.

Selection Process

At application stage you will be assessed against the following:

CV:

  • Please ensure you demonstrate that you have the required skills, knowledge, experience, qualifications and memberships in your CV and that you have saved it, making sure that any reference to your personal details have been removed from your CV prior to submitting your application.
  • Please provide information of how you meet the criteria set out in the Job Description. You may wish to further include examples of how you have tackled similar tasks or demonstrated the skills outlined in the job advert.
  • Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our link https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/artificial-intelligence-and-recruitment/for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

At interview you will be assessed against the following Behaviours and technical skills:

  • Leadership
  • NHSC1 Communication
  • NHSC2 Personal & People Development
  • NHSC5 Quality
  • HWB6 Assessment & Treatment Planning
  • HWB7 Interventions & Treatment

This is a Fixed-term Appointment as a Band 8AClinical Psychologist at Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre, Stanford Hall. Your responsibilities will be as described in this job advert. The reason why you are appointed for a fixed period is due to funding being agreed up until that 10th July 2028. This post will therefore begin on your appointment and will end on 10th July 2028. You should be aware that when your Fixed-term Appointment at MOD comes to an end, arrangements will be made in line with the FTA policy.

If you are a permanent MoD civil servant and are found successful for an advertised Fixed-term Appointment (FTA) you should move into the post under a Temporary Transfer (for up to a maximum of 3 years). At the end of the posting, you will return to your previous MoD Business area. If this posting is at a higher grade, your promotion will be temporary, and you will return to your substantive grade at the end of the Temporary Transfer. If a Temporary Transfer cannot be agreed between all parties then a transfer on an FTA contract is possible, read the FTA and Change of Work Location in the UK policy for further information.

If you are transferring to MoD from another government department (OGD) you should join the MoD on an inward loan. At the end of the loan, you will return to your home (OGD) department. If a loan cannot be agreed between all parties then a transfer on an FTA contract is possible, read the FTA policy for further information.

The sift will be completed within 10 working days of the vacancy closing date. Interviews will be held on a date to be confirmed.

There will be no reimbursement for any travel expenses for the interview.

Requests to work flexibly and/or part time will be considered, taking into account business needs.

Please note the salary will be pro-rata where part time hours are undertaken.

All employees joining Ministry of Defence who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a 6-month probation period (unless otherwise advised) effective from the employment start date.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.

If found successful for this position, you will be required to provide evidence of your immunity to Hepatitis B. Please note that evidence of your vaccination is not a proof of your immunity, but your serology levels will be required. Failure to provide sufficient evidence may result in the offer of employment being withdrawn.

To be considered for this role, qualifications and memberships detailed must be held in full, prior to submitting your application.

There is no requirement to deploy as this is met by our uniformed personnel, but you will form the continuity of care required by our patients when based at home.

The post does NOT offer relocation expenses (move of home, excess fares or temporary transfer). Non-Standard move applicants will be eligible for the full package, subject to eligibility.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system.

Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected, and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

This vacancy is part of the A Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative, <a href=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans/>Making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans</a>

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact dbscivpers-sgdmsresourcing@mod.gov.uk.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Responsibilities include and are not limited to:

  • Providing specialist psychological assessments of clients referred to the team based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources.
  • Formulating and implementing plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a clients psychological/ mental health problems.
  • Being responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for individuals, (carers, families and groups where appropriate), 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.
  • Evaluating and making decisions about treatment options, considering both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family, or group. Account must be taken of the unique impact of the military environment, its demands and constraints on the individuals experience, and its prognostic implications for effective occupational functioning.
  • Providing specialist psychological advice guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to clients formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan.

Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification document for additional duties.

Selection Process

At application stage you will be assessed against the following:

CV:

  • Please ensure you demonstrate that you have the required skills, knowledge, experience, qualifications and memberships in your CV and that you have saved it, making sure that any reference to your personal details have been removed from your CV prior to submitting your application.
  • Please provide information of how you meet the criteria set out in the Job Description. You may wish to further include examples of how you have tackled similar tasks or demonstrated the skills outlined in the job advert.
  • Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our link https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/artificial-intelligence-and-recruitment/for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

At interview you will be assessed against the following Behaviours and technical skills:

  • Leadership
  • NHSC1 Communication
  • NHSC2 Personal & People Development
  • NHSC5 Quality
  • HWB6 Assessment & Treatment Planning
  • HWB7 Interventions & Treatment

This is a Fixed-term Appointment as a Band 8AClinical Psychologist at Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre, Stanford Hall. Your responsibilities will be as described in this job advert. The reason why you are appointed for a fixed period is due to funding being agreed up until that 10th July 2028. This post will therefore begin on your appointment and will end on 10th July 2028. You should be aware that when your Fixed-term Appointment at MOD comes to an end, arrangements will be made in line with the FTA policy.

If you are a permanent MoD civil servant and are found successful for an advertised Fixed-term Appointment (FTA) you should move into the post under a Temporary Transfer (for up to a maximum of 3 years). At the end of the posting, you will return to your previous MoD Business area. If this posting is at a higher grade, your promotion will be temporary, and you will return to your substantive grade at the end of the Temporary Transfer. If a Temporary Transfer cannot be agreed between all parties then a transfer on an FTA contract is possible, read the FTA and Change of Work Location in the UK policy for further information.

If you are transferring to MoD from another government department (OGD) you should join the MoD on an inward loan. At the end of the loan, you will return to your home (OGD) department. If a loan cannot be agreed between all parties then a transfer on an FTA contract is possible, read the FTA policy for further information.

The sift will be completed within 10 working days of the vacancy closing date. Interviews will be held on a date to be confirmed.

There will be no reimbursement for any travel expenses for the interview.

Requests to work flexibly and/or part time will be considered, taking into account business needs.

Please note the salary will be pro-rata where part time hours are undertaken.

All employees joining Ministry of Defence who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a 6-month probation period (unless otherwise advised) effective from the employment start date.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.

If found successful for this position, you will be required to provide evidence of your immunity to Hepatitis B. Please note that evidence of your vaccination is not a proof of your immunity, but your serology levels will be required. Failure to provide sufficient evidence may result in the offer of employment being withdrawn.

To be considered for this role, qualifications and memberships detailed must be held in full, prior to submitting your application.

There is no requirement to deploy as this is met by our uniformed personnel, but you will form the continuity of care required by our patients when based at home.

The post does NOT offer relocation expenses (move of home, excess fares or temporary transfer). Non-Standard move applicants will be eligible for the full package, subject to eligibility.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system.

Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected, and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

This vacancy is part of the A Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative, <a href=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans/>Making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans</a>

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact dbscivpers-sgdmsresourcing@mod.gov.uk.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

Person Specification

Registration Details

Essential

  • Please provide your membership registration number.
  • You are required to be registered with the relevant professional body, as detailed in the advert, prior to submitting your application.
  • Your application will not progress should you fail to provide a valid membership registration number.

Qualifications

Essential

  • UK Driving licence
  • Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) Registered as a Practitioner Psychologist under protected title.
  • Doctoral level training in clinical psychology (or equivalent as accredited by The British Psychological Society (BPS) conferring eligibility for Chartership & full membership of Division of Clinical Psychology.) Training must have included models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
  • Experience working as a qualified clinical psychologist (Band 7 or above) and able to evidence appropriate knowledge and experience in practice to enable the post holder to clinically supervise trainee clinical psychologists.
  • Post-doctoral training in two or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice; including NICE recommended psychological therapies and supervisor training for doctoral programme clinical psychology trainees.
  • Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and in the full range of care settings including inpatient, outpatient, primary care, inpatient and residential settings.

Provide a CV

Essential

  • Please copy and paste your full CV as your response to this question - you will not be able to upload your CV as an attachment.
  • Please ensure to refer to the essential criteria where applicable as your application may be rejected should insufficient information to shortlist be included.
  • Please use double spacing where possible.

Behaviour Statement

Essential

  • Have you been dismissed for gross misconduct relating to bullying, harassment, discrimination or victimisation from any role in the past five years, or resigned or otherwise left a role but would have been dismissed for such gross misconduct because of an adverse decision, had you continued in that employment?
  • Please respond with Yes or No as appropriate.
Person Specification

Registration Details

Essential

  • Please provide your membership registration number.
  • You are required to be registered with the relevant professional body, as detailed in the advert, prior to submitting your application.
  • Your application will not progress should you fail to provide a valid membership registration number.

Qualifications

Essential

  • UK Driving licence
  • Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) Registered as a Practitioner Psychologist under protected title.
  • Doctoral level training in clinical psychology (or equivalent as accredited by The British Psychological Society (BPS) conferring eligibility for Chartership & full membership of Division of Clinical Psychology.) Training must have included models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
  • Experience working as a qualified clinical psychologist (Band 7 or above) and able to evidence appropriate knowledge and experience in practice to enable the post holder to clinically supervise trainee clinical psychologists.
  • Post-doctoral training in two or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice; including NICE recommended psychological therapies and supervisor training for doctoral programme clinical psychology trainees.
  • Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and in the full range of care settings including inpatient, outpatient, primary care, inpatient and residential settings.

Provide a CV

Essential

  • Please copy and paste your full CV as your response to this question - you will not be able to upload your CV as an attachment.
  • Please ensure to refer to the essential criteria where applicable as your application may be rejected should insufficient information to shortlist be included.
  • Please use double spacing where possible.

Behaviour Statement

Essential

  • Have you been dismissed for gross misconduct relating to bullying, harassment, discrimination or victimisation from any role in the past five years, or resigned or otherwise left a role but would have been dismissed for such gross misconduct because of an adverse decision, had you continued in that employment?
  • Please respond with Yes or No as appropriate.

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.

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.

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

Ministry of Defence (Defence Medical Services)

Address

Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre

Stanford Hall

Stanford on Soar

Loughborough

SE18 4BW


Employer's website

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-defence (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Ministry of Defence (Defence Medical Services)

Address

Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre

Stanford Hall

Stanford on Soar

Loughborough

SE18 4BW


Employer's website

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-defence (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

.

Dr Tammy Walker

tammy.walker128@mod.gov.uk

Details

Date posted

06 November 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£55,690 to £62,682 a year per annum (pro rata if part-time)

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

31 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Job share

Reference number

K0003-25-0496

Job locations

Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre

Stanford Hall

Stanford on Soar

Loughborough

SE18 4BW


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Ministry of Defence (Defence Medical Services)'s privacy notice (opens in a new tab)