Job summary
We are looking to recruit a highly motivated and committed Psychological Therapist (qualified HCPC registered Clinical Psychologist or Counselling Psychologist) to cover maternity leave in the Learning Disability Services in North Essex. The newly appointed clinician will be joining multidisciplinary services, consisting of Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists, Physiotherapists, Arts Therapists, and Community Nurses.

This is a fixed term contract for a year, working part-time, 15 hours per week to cover Maternity leave (0.4WTE). Applicants will need to be registered as a Practitioner Psychologist with the HCPC. It is essential that applicants can drive and have access to a car unless a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010 prevents driving.

We welcome informal enquiries and visits (Please contact Dr Alison Spencer (Alison.spencer2@nhs.net) or Nina Viljoen (n.viljoen@nhs.net)

Main duties of the job
The successful applicant will be responsible for implementing a variety of psychological assessments and therapeutic interventions for individuals across a range of ability levels, plus support for their families and carers. This would be predominantly in community services but may also continue into inpatient services, if necessary.

The post holder will be joining a well-established Psychology service and receive supervision from an appropriately experienced Clinical Psychologist. We support a range of training opportunities and ongoing professional development. There are good links with the University of Essex and the University of Hertfordshire Clinical Psychology Doctoral Training Programmes. There are great opportunities for R&D as our clinicians are already engaged in several research, teaching, and academic programs. We also actively promote further training and CPD opportunities such as systemic, EMDR, CBT, and Narrative based approaches. We offer a thoughtful and integrative model of psychological therapies for our service users.

About us
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from the Care Quality Commission.

Our family of over 4,500 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:
Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.

Person Specification
Qualifications

• Essential: Doctoral level training in Clinical Psychology.
• Essential: Registered as a clinical psychologist with Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
• Desirable: Additional post graduate training or qualification in specific psychological therapy, such as positive behaviour support, psychotherapy or systemic therapy.

Experience

• Essential: Experience of specialist assessment and therapy with service users across a range of care settings.
• Essential: Experience of working with a wide variety of service user groups, presenting problems that reflect a range of clinical severity.
• Desirable: Direct experience of using therapy with people with disabilities.

Skills

• Essential: Skills in the use of complex assessment, therapy or intervention and management.
• Essential: Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
• Desirable: Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in the specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc.)

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
Address: Lexden Hospital, London Road, Colchester, CO3 4DB, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.hpft.nhs.uk/careers/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Consultant Psychologist Nina Viljoen, n.viljoen@nhs.net, 07879817531

Date posted: 13 November 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 7
Salary: £49,387 to £56,515 a year, per annum, pro rata
Contract: Fixed term
Duration: 12 months
Working pattern: Part-time
Reference number: 367-LD&F-101771
Job locations: Lexden Hospital, London Road, Colchester, CO3 4DB, United Kingdom

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