Job Summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join NLFT Unplanned Care Inpatient Psychology Service. We are an expanding team of psychologists and CAPs working across inpatient services at Highgate Mental Health Centre West.

We are delighted to advertise this post in recognition of the Trust's commitment to improving access to psychological interventions and continuing to develop Trauma Informed Care within inpatient settings for adult service users.

The post-holder will be the lead psychologist for two wards, one adult treatment ward, and one PICU (Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit).

We are looking for a psychologist with excellent clinical skills and with demonstrated expertise and knowledge of working with adults experiencing mental health difficulties and presenting in acute distress.

Enthusiasm, personal resilience and the ability to work flexibly are essential qualities needed for this post. Those currently working at Band 7 who are ready for career progression are encouraged to apply.

Newly qualified Clinical/Counselling Psychologists, or those expecting to qualify in 2026, are encouraged to apply as posts could be offered as a Preceptorship. We offer a tailored programme of Continued Professional Development (CPD) and other developmental opportunities to support your progression and career development.

Main duties of the job
The post holder will work within the inpatient service based at Highgate Mental Health Centre. They will be the lead psychologist for two wards working within the ward MDTs who greatly value psychological interventions.

There will also be opportunities to collaborate with psychology colleagues within the inpatient service on clinical initiatives and developing research projects.

This post will work with ward MDTs and manage psychology referrals for direct clinical work including assessment, brief formulation-driven interventions and group work. Systemic interventions will also be encouraged to support families and significant others involved with our service users.

The post holder will also focus on providing consultation, reflective practice and training to teams across the inpatient service and have opportunities for service development focused on developing Trauma Informed approaches and improving clinical care.

There is a growing initiative to support research skills for audit, policy and service development/quality improvement.

About us
North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT) is committed to improving mental health care across North London to deliver excellent services to our local people.

Our Five-Year Strategy:

• We will provide consistently high-quality care closer to home.
• With our partners in North London and each borough we will ensure equity of outcome for all
• We will offer great places to work, providing staff with supportive environment to deliver outstanding care.

Why NLFT?

• We develop and retain our staff through leadership behaviours and managers programme and many more opportunities.
• We promote flexible working and support staff with a range of health and wellbeing initiatives.
• NHS Discounts, generous annual leave and NHS pension scheme
• Excellent internal staff network

In order to meet the needs of the Trust you may be required from time to time to work at different locations to your normal place of work. This may mean that you are required to work at any location that fall under Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey or Islington. The Trust reserves the right to require staff to work at such other places or locations as it considers reasonable and necessary on a temporary or permanent basis.

Details
Date posted: 02 July 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 7
Salary: £58,133 to £73,496 a year
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 455-NLFT-0936-A
Job locations: Highgate Mental Health Centre, Dartmouth Park Hill, London, N19 5NX, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
Main responsibilities are outlined in details in the job description document attached. Person specification would be different for a newly qualified clinician applying for a band 7 role and for an experienced clinician applying for a band 8a role.

Person Specification
Qualifications/ Registrations
Essential

• Doctoral level training in clinical or counselling psychology
• Current registration with the Health and Care Professions Council as clinical psychologist or a counselling psychologist
• Experience in working in acute inpatient setting

Desirable

• Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision
• A commitment to the evaluation of services, and enthusiasm for multi-professional audit
• Experience in facilitating group sessions

Experience/ Knowledge
Essential

• Multi-disciplinary team working and involvement in developing risk management plans and supporting care of service users
• Experience of supporting reflective practice
• Experience of participating in or supporting post-incident debriefs

Desirable

• A commitment to the evaluation of services, and enthusiasm for both multi-professional audit

Personal Qualities
Essential

• Enthusiasm and commitment to the psychological treatment of those in the acute care pathway
• Ability to maintain professional boundaries and form positive therapeutic relationship with service users and carers

Desirable

• Ability to work independently, reliably and consistently with work agreed and managed at regular intervals

Skills/ Abilities
Essential

• Experience in working with a wide variety of client groups across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
• Ability to maintain professional boundaries and form positive therapeutic relationship with service users and carers
• Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers, and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS

Desirable

• Experience of working within a multicultural framework

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.

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.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.