Clinical/Forensic/Counselling Psychologist (band 7-8a development)

Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust; Leeds; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job description

Are you looking for mental health jobs in Leeds, York or with one of our regional services operating across the country? We have a range of NHS Job opportunities, placements and specialities in our clinical, research, and professional support teams across Leeds and York.

At Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LYPFT), we strive to provide high-quality mental health and learning disability services as an employer of choice. We can only achieve this by putting our staff and the people using our services at the centre of everything we do. This starts with the people we employ. We recruit based on values and qualifications (where required) and believe lived experience is an advantage. We look for potential, not perfection, and this means that together, we are as diverse as the communities we care for.

Simply put, we seek out people who care, act with integrity and have the right skills. We want to add to our incredible colleagues, students and volunteers who share these principles, with people like you, who find empathy comes easily and who treat everyone with respect without thinking. Search our latest jobs to start your journey with us.

Clinical/Forensic/Counselling Psychologist (band 7-8a development)

Main area: Forensic Psychology
Grade: 7-8a development post
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref: 173-66824-FOR

Site: Forensic Psychology
Town: Leeds
Salary: £46,148 - £60,504 pa
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 12/01/2025 23:59

Job overview

Due to a promotion for the current post holder, we have an exciting opportunity for a Band 7-8a (development role) psychologist to join our Forensic Psychology Team. The successful candidate will be based within the women’s low secure service at our Leeds site, Newsam Centre. It provides assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation for women with complex mental health needs linked to their offending behaviours. The service takes a trauma-informed approach to understanding service user’s presentations and risks, formulating behaviours as driven by unmet needs, and informing a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to treatment with a focus on recovery. There is also a forensic outreach and liaison service that the successful applicant will input to, supporting transitions from the ward to the community.

Main duties of the job

To provide specialist psychological services to the staff and service users on the low secure women’s ward, with the clinical leadership support of senior psychologists in the department. The post holder will be responsible for assessing and treating their own specialist caseload of clients and to maintain associated records. There will be opportunity to develop and deliver enhanced group interventions; joint working with nursing teams and allied health professionals to scaffold and model low level psychological interventions. The post holder may provide clinical supervision to assistant psychologists, psychology interns, and other professionals in accordance with service need. The post holder will conduct psychologically informed risk assessments and formulations alongside the MDT and will support staff through appropriate forums e.g. case discussion, team formulations, reflective practice, and contribute to staff training.

Working for our organisation

The Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LYPFT) is the main provider of Mental Health and Learning Disability services in Leeds. We also provide specialist inpatient services in York and some highly specialised services across the country. As a teaching trust with strong links to local universities, we are a centre of excellence for teaching, research and development.

There are many benefits of working for LYPFT including fantastic employee wellbeing support, 27 - 33 days annual leave, flexible working and remote working arrangements, the NHS Pension Scheme, coaching, support and opportunities for career development and training and education support alongside a range of exclusive discounts and payment schemes including for cars, extra leave days and more NHS Discount Offers.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The substantive post in the team is banded at 8a. However this role offers the opportunity to join us in band 7 development post, which will offer you a clear pathway to achieving the experience, skills and knowledge required to secure the higher end role/pay band, within the team, once the agreed competencies have been met. In line with this being a Developmental Role, the post will be offered within a supportive learning environment to acquire the level of clinical and leadership skills necessary to progress to an 8a banding. This will include completion of a post-doctoral supervision training course, moving from supported to independent facilitation of reflective practice and consultation, and taking on leadership roles within the team. The development plan will be for a defined period. On appointment the post holder will not fully meet the requirements of the 8a role and as such will be recruited to the band 7 job description and person specification.

We are committed to supporting continued professional development, with a number of our team accessing further accredited training in therapy modalities (including CBT and EMDR) and leadership programmes. We are committed to robust professional leadership, equality, diversity and inclusion and supporting staff wellbeing and CPD. Our Psychological Professions Strategy outlines our vision. We are proud that 100% of LYPFT psychological professionals recently surveyed reported they felt supported by colleagues. There is opportunity for international applicants to be sponsored.

Person specification

Qualifications and registration

• Doctoral level training in Clinical, Forensic or Counselling Psychology (or equivalent) and HCPC registration;

Knowledge

• Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies used to treat the population of service users specified in the job summary.

Informal enquiries and visits are encouraged. Please contact Hayley Lyon ([e-mail]; 0113 85 56450)

To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience you’ll need, look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the Supporting Documents heading.

If you require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Recruitment Team or see the attached candidate guide to reasonable adjustments.

LYPFT is committed to upholding its’ statutory responsibilities in relation to safeguarding adults and children. Please refer to job description for further information.

Patient Safety is a priority at LYPFT with a focus on system-based improvement and creating opportunities for learning. We will ensure compassionate engagement with all those involved in an incident and all incidents are met with a proportionate response.

LYPFT is a member of the Disability Confident scheme and is committed to providing a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process.

As part of the Trust's commitment to its Gold Standard Armed Forces Covenant status, members of the Armed Forces Community are entitled to a guaranteed interview subject to meeting the role criteria.

We welcome applicants with lived experience of providing unpaid care and/or support to a family member or friend with a disability, health condition, frailty, mental health problem, addiction or other health needs.

Please note that the Trust reserves the right to close the vacancy before the closing date if a sufficient number of applications are received. It is in the candidates best interest to apply as soon as possible.