Job summary
We have an exciting opportunity for a clinical, counselling or health Psychologist to work in a leading Adult Inherited Cardiac Conditions service. The post holder will be closely supported by colleagues within an established and highly valued and supportive Psychological Health Service.

You will have a wide range of direct clinical work covering all parts of the patient journey including 1:1 outpatient psychological assessments, a CFT group, inpatient work, support to families, opportunities for service development.

There are excellent facilities to support this role, with dedicated administrative support within the Bristol Heart Institute. We offer a very supportive Psychological Health Services group across the Trust, with strong links to regional and national networks.

As a large department Psychological Health Services provides applied psychology services to a wide range of specialist multidisciplinary teams.

Main duties of the job
The total hours currently available are 12.45 (0.34wte).

This role covers the Bristol Heart Institute and offers opportunities for onsite and remote working. The role can be offered across two days and days of working are flexible. Candidates invited to interview will be asked to express their preference for working days and hours.

Interviews will be conducted end of September 2026.

• To provide specialist psychological services, including assessment, formulation and implementation of psychological interventions for people over the age of 16 affected by Inherited cardiac conditions.
• To deliver these services in both ward-based and out-patient settings as needed.
• To undertake or support research and audit relevant to care pathways.
• To propose changes for service development, guidelines and protocols relevant to psychological health across these care pathways to the relevant Principal Clinical Psychologist or Head of Services.

About us
Bristol Foundation Trust (BFT) is one of the largest acute Trusts in the country, bringing together a combined workforce of over 28,000 staff.

As a forward-thinking multi-award winning Trust and a digital exemplar committed to improving patient care, our world-leading research and innovations are having a positive local and global impact. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone's throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer. BFT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we're meeting our pledge.

Job responsibilities
For a more detailed job description and main responsibilities, please refer to the job description document attached to this vacancy.

Person Specification
Qualifications and Training

• Postgraduate qualification in clinical, counselling or health psychology, recognised for registration by the HCPC as Practitioner Clinical or Counselling Psychologist, or about to qualify as a clinical, counselling or health psychologist
• HCPC registered as required in QT1 (or in progress)

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology.
• Formal teaching / presentation sessions to health and other professionals. (E)
• Demonstrable knowledge of legislation and guidance pertaining to safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults, consent, confidentiality and standards of psychological care within relevant NICE and other guidance.
• Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment of mental health conditions common in adults with Inherited Cardiac Conditions.
• Able to work in a specialist team providing a Service consistent with the Psychological Health Services
• Able to assess the psychological needs of adults, including the use of cognitive and developmental psychometric tests
• Able to generate systemic and individual formulations and interventions based on applying psychological theory to the complex information generated by the person, family, health and social care systems relating to individuals engaging in care pathways
• Able to demonstrate an understanding of the range of psychological implications of engagement with these care pathways for individuals and their families
• Able to demonstrate an understanding of the roles of a practitioner psychologist in relation to a patient, their family, the staff teams and the wider organisational systems around them
• Able to demonstrate successful use of strategies to prioritise and manage time when there are conflicting demands
• Advanced communication skills with the ability to provide and receive highly complex and sensitive information to and from young people/adults in a culturally appropriate manner in highly emotive situations. This will include the ability to provide complex psychological information to staff in an accessible manner.
• Ability to access, record and manage information and data pertaining to the work undertaken in medical and psychology notes, data bases and electronic records as required.
• Able to demonstrate a realistic awareness of the potential for work related stress and distress in this type of clinical work plus strategies to manage this
• Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles

Desirable

• Demonstrable consideration of the implications of acute and long-term trajectories for adults with Inherited Cardiac Conditions
• Accredited supervision training
• To be proficient in the administration of psychometric and neuropsychological tests, including those that require complex manipulation of test materials.

Experience

• Experience of supporting patients to manage the psychological impact of acute and/or long-term health conditions.
• Experience of working as a clinical psychologist providing psychological consultation, case management supervision and training to multi-professional and multi-agency teams

Desirable

• Experience of working as a clinical psychologist undertaking consultation and service development work within a multi-disciplinary physical health setting
• Experience that supports working with, and addressing issues known to be present for patient with cardiac conditions.
• Experience of supervising others.

Personal Qualities

• Empathic
• Compassionate
• Excellent communication skills at all levels
• Manage competing demands

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).

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust is an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce.