Job summary
We are currently seeking an experienced Clinical/Counselling Psychologist or CBT Therapist, at Band 7/8a to work via a Bank Contract, for our Adult Community Services, based in Watford. You will be joining our Temporary Staffing Team within HPFT - Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust.

The post holder will ensure the provision of a specialist psychology service to clients with severe and enduring mental health difficulties within the quadrant, and provide expertise, advice and consultation on clients' psychological care to other members of the team. You will work closely with the local psychology team and the range of psychological therapy colleagues within the service setting and work effectively as a member of the multi-disciplinary team. You will be asked to provide supervision to band 7 Psychologists and trainee Psychologists.

HPFT provides services for service users with mental health, learning disability and children's and adolescent mental health problems. Applicants should have some experience of working in a healthcare setting. HPFT has a range of healthcare settings across the County and therefore access to a car would be beneficial unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010 which prevents you from driving.

All applicants need to hold a valid Professional Registration and can evidence this.

Main duties of the job

• Undertake specialist psychological assessment and treatment of adults with complex mental health difficulties
• Undertake specialist autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) assessment to investigate possible diagnoses; to undertake additional training for this if needed and work as part of the autism assessment group within the Trust
• Provide expertise in a specialist clinical or research area and to offer advice and consultation on clients' psychological care to other members of the teams in relation to the area of expertise
• Work closely with the local psychologist teams, and the range of psychological therapy colleagues within the service setting
• Work effectively as a member of multi-disciplinary teams
• Work autonomously within professional practice guidelines and Trust policies and procedures
• Propose and implement policy and service development, undertake research, service evaluation and audit for own team/service and to contribute to the training of clinical/counselling psychologists and others
• Ensure that systems are in place and working effectively for the clinical and professional supervision and support of trainee psychologists, more junior psychologists and other staff within the services for which the post-holder has designated professional / supervisory responsibility

About us
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is rated by the Care Quality Commission as an Outstanding provider of mental health and learning disability services. Feedback from our staff about working for the Trust is very positive and, in the NHS national staff survey, we regularly see a high percentage of staff saying their role makes a difference to our service users and that they would recommend the Trust as a place to work. Our people tell us they feel supported through a great development, wellbeing and work-life balance offer and a highly compassionate, values-driven culture. We are equally proud of our staff, who live our values of being welcoming, kind, positive, respectful and professional so that together we provide great care and great outcomes for our service users and carers.

Details
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 7
Salary: £47,810 to £55,690 a year per annum pro rata
Contract: Bank
Working pattern: Full-time, Flexible working
Reference number: 367-Bank-Psychologist-3-B
Location: Colne House, 22 Upton Road, Watford, Herts, WD18 0JP

Job responsibilities

• Provide specialist psychological assessments of clients referred to the teams, based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the clients care.
• Formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a clients complex mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the clients problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range of care settings.
• Be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions including CBT 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.
• Evaluate and make 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. This evidence-based approach includes monitoring outcomes, modifying and adapting interventions drawn from a range of theoretical models.
• Exercise autonomous professional responsibility within HCPC guidelines for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based standard care plans.

Please see JD attached for further information and responsibilities required.

Person Specification
Knowledge, training and experience (Essential)

• At least two years full-time post-registration experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment with clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature.
• Full registration
• Post-graduate doctorate in clinical psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, or fully completed training as a Counselling Psychologist.
• Experience in neuropsychological assessment.

Areas of experience and knowledge (Essential)

• Experience of working with moderate to severe mental health problems, including: medically unexplained symptoms, physical health problems, and personality difficulties.
• Assessed experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of adults of working age with a wide range of presentations of varying severity. Typically this would involve a minimum of 2 years at specialist level, or its equivalent demonstrated through CV and interview.
• Experience working within a multi-disciplinary therapy service.

Physical skills (Essential)

• Car Driver

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: Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Closing date: 28 October 2026

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.