Advertised role location: Holywell Hospital Site
Official document: Band 8a Senior (Specialist) Clinical posychologist final (docx)
Senior (Specialist)
Clinical / Counselling Psychologist
Job Description

Senior (Specialist)
Clinical / Counselling Psychologist
Job Description


The Northern Health and Social Care Trust (NHSCT) is responsible for the delivery of safe and effective health and social care (HSC) services to the population of the Northern Trust area in Northern Ireland.
We provide compassionate care with our community in our community. In order to do this we require the commitment of a highly skilled and professional workforce that meets the need of the service.
The diagram below outlines our values and our objectives which support the delivery of compassionate care within our community.

The below diagram details the values and associated behaviours that we expect staff working within Health and Social Care (HSC) to display at all times;

HSC Value
 What does this mean?
 What does this look like in practice? - Behaviours

Working Together

We work together for the best outcome for people we care for and support. We work across Health and Social Care and with other external organisations and agencies, recognising that leadership is the responsibility of all.
 

I work with others and value everyone’s contribution
I treat people with respect and dignity
I work as part of a team looking for opportunities to support and help people in both my own and other teams
I actively engage people on issues that affect them
I look for feedback and examples of good practice, aiming to improve where possible

 Compassion

We are sensitive, caring, respectful and understanding towards those we care for and support and our colleagues. We listen carefully to others to better understand and take action to help them and ourselves.
 

I am sensitive to the different needs and feelings of others and treat people with kindness
I learn from others by listening carefully to them
I look after my own health and well-being so that I can care for and support others

 
Excellence

We commit to being the best we can be in our work, aiming to improve and develop services to achieve positive changes. We deliver safe, high-quality, compassionate care and support.
I put the people I care for and support at the centre of all I do to make a difference
I take responsibility for my decisions and actions
I commit to best practice and sharing learning, while continually learning and developing
I try to improve by asking ‘could we do this better?’

Openness & Honesty

We are open and honest with each other and act with integrity and candour.

I am open and honest in order to develop trusting relationships
I ask someone for help when needed
I speak up if I have concerns
I challenge inappropriate or unacceptable behaviour and practice


JOB DESCRIPTION
JOB TITLE: Senior (Specialist) Clinical / Counselling Psychologist
Psychological Therapy Service to STEP –Psychosis Prevention Team and Community Rehabilitation Team

BAND: Band 8a
DIRECTORATE/DIVISION: Mental Health, Learning Disability &
Community Wellbeing

INITIAL LOCATION: Holywell Hospital Site, Antrim
REPORTS TO: Consultant Clinical Psychologist in respective teams
ACCOUNTABLE TO: Director of Mental Health, Learning Disability & Community Wellbeing

FLEXIBLE WORKING
PROVISIONS AVAILABLE: part-time working, Fixed working patterns
JOB SUMMARY:
To have a lead role in the provision of Specialist Practitioner Psychology within the NHSCT Community / inpatient Rehabilitation Service and Psychosis Prevention Teams.
To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based standard care plans.
To ensure the systematic provision of a high quality Specialist Practitioner Psychology service to the Community / inpatient Rehabilitation Service and Psychosis Prevention Teams.

To supervise and support the psychological assessment and therapy provided by other junior psychologists and multi-disciplinary staff as appropriate, who provide psychologically based care and treatment.
To work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of psychological practice within the service.
To utilise research skills for audit, policy and service development and research.
To propose and implement policy changes within the service.
To act as clinical lead in specialist service projects and clinical initiatives under direction of the service manager.






KEY RESULT AREAS / MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
Clinical
To have a lead role in further developing processes of assessment, treatment and management for individuals identified as having an At Risk Mental State and individuals experiencing Psychosis and who have identified rehabilitation needs who have been referred to the service.
To provide specialist psychological advice, guidance, consultation, supervision and training to other health and social care professionals working across the full range of At Risk Mental State and mental health Rehabilitation services.
To provide specialist psychological assessments of individuals identified as having an At Risk Mental State and individuals experiencing Psychosis and who have identified rehabilitation needs based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources, including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the service users care.
To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of, individuals identified as having an At Risk Mental State and individuals experiencing Psychosis and who have identified rehabilitation needs based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the service users problems and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range of care settings.
To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, within and across teams and employed individually and in synthesis, psychological formulations and drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypothesis.
To provide psychotherapeutic support for individuals identified as having an At Risk Mental State and individuals experiencing Psychosis and who have identified rehabilitation needs and to evaluate and make decisions about treatment options, taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes, which may have shaped the individuals difficulties.
To provide specialist psychological advice, guidance, consultation and supervision to other professionals contributing directly to formulations and treatment plans.
To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients within the service, across all settings and agencies concerned.
To act as care coordinator, where appropriate, taking responsibility for initiating, planning and reviewing care plans involving service users their carer’s, referrers, other care providers and others involved in their network of care.
To communicate, in a skilled and sensitive manner, highly complex/sensitive information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of service users under their care. To monitor and evaluate progress during the course of both uni- and multi-disciplinary care.
To undertake risk assessment and risk management for (insert client/service user population) and to provide advice to other professionals on psychological aspects of risk assessment and management, and to communicate, in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning risk and risk management, in accordance with Promoting Quality Care, (DHSSP 2009)& liaise with other professionals (delete if PQC not relevant to service.)
Management
To contribute to the development and articulation of best practice in psychology across the service, by continuing to develop the skills of a reflective scientist practitioner, taking part in regular professional supervision and appraisal and maintaining an active engagement with, and up-to-date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to for individuals identified as having an At Risk Mental State and individuals experiencing Psychosis and who have identified rehabilitation needs.
To contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of the service’s operational policies and procedures
To be responsible for managing the process of psychological assessment for clients referred to the service including allocation of work and supervision of clinical staff within the service.
To have operational management responsibility for more junior clinical staff within the service.
To have a key role in the design and implementation of service development projects within the service as required through the deployment of professional skills in research, service evaluation and audit.
To manage the workloads of more junior staff and that of trainee practitioner psychologists, for the service and to do this within the framework of the service’s policies and procedures.
To be involved, as appropriate, in the short-listing and interviewing of other staff employed by the service.
To advise both service and professional management of those aspects of the service where psychological and/or organisational matters need addressing.
Administration
To maintain such records as are necessary for the management of the clinical assessment process within the service (including waiting lists allocation of cases to other staff).
To maintain the highest standard of clinical record keeping, including electronic data and recording, report writing and the responsible exercise of professional self-governance in accordance with professional codes of practice of the British Psychological Society and Trust policies and procedures. In particular, to be responsible for regular scrutiny and validation of computerised waiting list data.
To work with local managers and professional colleagues to maximise efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery.
To comply with Board, Trust and Directorate policies and procedures.
To undertake specific administrative duties as required.
To participate in committees, working parties as appropriate to clinical work.
Teaching /Supervision /Consultancy
To develop, organise and carry out the training and education of other professionals within and outside Trust.
To educate staff across the Trust about the area of at risk mental state and mental health rehabilitation and to help ensure that appropriate services are provided in accordance with best practice.
To provide operational and clinical supervision to multidisciplinary staff, and trainee practitioner psychologists working within the Service.
To provide specialist psychological advice, consultation, supervision and training to staff working with individuals with an at risk mental state and mental health rehabilitation across a range of agencies and settings, where appropriate.
To contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes, in consultation with the post-holder’s professional and service manager(s).
To provide clinical placements for trainee clinical psychologists and/or other professionals ensuring that trainees acquire the necessary skills, competencies and experience to contribute effectively to good mental health care and to contribute to the assessment and evaluation of such competencies.
To contribute to training, (CPD) and clinical professional supervision to pre and post qualification practitioner psychologists, and/or other professionals attached to the team.
To maintain and develop skills in the area of professional pre and post-graduate training and clinical supervision.

Audit/Research
To participate in research and audit within the Step Team and the Community / In-patient rehabilitation service and also to ensure its analysis and documentation is completed to the highest standard.
To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice in individual work and work with other service members.
To undertake project management, including complex audit and service evaluation, with colleagues within the service, to help develop service provision.
Staff members are encouraged, though not required, to undertake applied clinical research, which is consistent with the Trust’s objectives as laid down in its business plan. Where appropriate, collaborative research with other professions is encouraged.
To contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of the service’s operational policies and procedures.

IT Responsibilities:
To utilise information technology for the purpose of compiling reports, storing information and enabling effective communication within and without the Trust IT network.

GENERAL MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
Ensure the appropriate governance and risk management arrangements are in place for the services you are responsible for and take appropriate action to identify and manage risk and to maintain safety of users, staff and others in accordance with relevant regulations, policies and procedures;
It is essential to ensure that the highest standards of infection prevention and control are maintained to ensure patient and client safety and maintain confidence in the Trust. As a Manager, you must ensure that you implement all instructions/ policy in this area and that all staff are made aware of and fully comply with these;
Where the post-holder has responsibility for managing a budget, ensure that services are managed and developed both in accordance with agreed and funded priorities as set out on a yearly basis and in accordance with Standing Financial Instructions, particularly ensuring your compliance with payroll documentation procedures and timescales;
Ensure the necessary arrangements are in place in regard to the ‘Knowledge and Skills Framework’ outlines, where this applies, for the posts for which you have management responsibility and ensure that each member of staff has an annual development and performance review, a personal development plan and that arrangements are in place to ensure that staff have maximum opportunity to progress through gateways in their pay bands and to contribute effectively towards our objectives;
Promote a culture of continuous service improvement amongst your staff, encouraging their participation and that of service users in reviewing and modernising current services and in service development;
Make sure you are trained and competent in the relevant policies and procedures which apply to the management of staff and other resources and abide by these policies; seeking advice as necessary from senior management or specialist staff as necessary;
Communicate effectively with staff and maintain productive working relationships amongst your staff and with others;
Delegate appropriate responsibility and authority to staff in order to ensure optimum and effective service delivery and decision-making, whilst retaining overall accountability and responsibility for outcomes;
Promote a culture of learning and development and facilitate arrangements for and participate in training and development of staff as agreed for the performance of their duties. Where training is in accordance with relevant standards make sure you have the relevant competences in order to carry out this responsibility;
Promote equality of opportunity for all by personal action, both in the management of your staff and in the provision of care to service users in accordance with the Trust’s Equality of Opportunity Policy and Equality Scheme;
Take responsibility for ensuring appropriate standards of environmental cleanliness and for encouraging staff to maintain standards in their work area. Have an awareness of environmental issues and take appropriate action, for example to ensure the efficient use of energy and other resources, recycling etc.;
Make sure that staff are aware of Trust policies regarding the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 and Records Management and that they must not disclose, withhold, retain or dispose of any information unless legally authorised.


GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Employees of the Trust will be required to promote and support the mission and vision of the service for which they are responsible and:-
At all times provide a caring service and to treat those with whom they come into contact in a courteous and respectful manner

At all times demonstrate practice the HSC values of Working Together, Excellence, Openness & Honesty and Compassion

Carry out their duties and responsibilities in a manner which assures patient and client safety

Comply with all instructions in regard to Infection Prevention and Control

Demonstrate their commitment by their regular attendance and the efficient completion of all tasks allocated to them

Comply with the Trust’s Smoke Free Policy

Carry out their duties and responsibilities in compliance with health and safety policy and statutory regulations

Adhere to equal opportunities policy throughout the course of their employment

Ensure the ongoing confidence of the public in service provision

Adhere to the Code of Conduct for HSC Employees which aims to guide staff, managers and employers in the work that they do and the decisions and choices they have to make. Professional staff are expected to follow the code of conduct for their own professions as well as this code.

The post holder will promote and support effective team working, fostering a culture of openness and transparency. The post holder will ensure that they take all concerns raised with them seriously and act in accordance with the NHSCT Raising Concerns Policy and their professional code of conduct, where applicable.

The post holder will, in the event of a concern being raised with them, ensure that it is managed correctly under the NHSCT Raising Concerns Policy, and ensure feedback/learning is communicated at individual, team and organisational level regarding the concerns, and how they were resolved.


RECORDS MANAGEMENT
All employees of the Northern Health & Social Care Trust are legally responsible for all records held, created or used as part of their business within the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, including patient/client, corporate and administrative records whether paper based or electronic and also including e-mails. All such records are public records and are accessible to the general public, with limited exceptions, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Environment Regulations 2004, the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Employees are required to be conversant and to comply with the Northern Health and Social Care Trust policies on Information Governance including (for example) the ICT Security Policy, Data Quality and Data Protection Policy and Records Management Policy and to seek advice if in doubt.

SALARY

Band 8a £55,690 - £62,682 per annum (pro-rata for part-time)

HOURS
Normal full-time hours of duty are 33.75 hours per week, exclusive of meal times
MEDICAL
Appointment will be subject to a successful pre-employment health assessment.

HOLIDAYS
27 days each year; 29 days after 5 years’ service; 33 days after 10 years’ service and 10 statutory and public holidays.
PENSION
The post-holder can participate in the Health Social Care Pension Scheme.
NORTHERN TRUST BENEFITS
You can explore the benefits on offer to you in the Northern Trust by clicking here
PROBATIONARY PERIOD
You will serve a probationary period of normally six months.
WAITING LIST
A Trust-wide waiting list may be compiled for similar permanent/temporary, full/part time posts which may arise within the next 12 months.
PAY PROTECTION
Legacy Trust Staff who apply for a promotion after 1 April 2011 should be aware that they will lose their legacy protection arrangements and will be entitled to pay protection in accordance with circular HSS (JNF)(1) 2011. This circular will also apply to legacy staff who are currently in receipt of protection and who move post on promotion.
Completed application forms should be returned to the BSO Recruitment and Selection Shared Services Centre, Rosewood Villa, Longstone Hospital, 73 Loughgall Road, Armagh BT61 7PR on or before the closing date as stated in the advertisement.
Canvassing, either directly or indirectly, will be an absolute disqualification.

We will review this Job Description and it may include any other duties and responsibilities we determine in consultation with the jobholder. We do not intend it to be rigid and inflexible but rather to provide guidelines within which the jobholder works.

February 2026

PERSONNEL SPECIFICATION

Title of Post: Specialist Practitioner Psychologist (8A) Psychological Therapy Service to STEP –Psychosis Prevention Team and Community Rehabilitation Team
Band of Post: 8a
Notes to applicants:
You must clearly demonstrate on your application form under each question, how you meet the required criteria as failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. You should clearly demonstrate this for both the essential and desirable criteria.
Shortlisting will be carried out on the basis of the essential criteria set out in Section 1 below, using the information provided by you on your application form.
Proof of qualifications and/or professional registration will be required if an offer of employment is made – if you are unable to provide this, the offer may be withdrawn.
Volunteering experience may be considered appropriate in particular for roles within the context of direct patient/client care.

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA

SECTION 1: The following are ESSENTIAL criteria which will initially be measured at shortlisting stage although may also be further explored during the interview/selection stage. You should therefore make it clear on your application form whether or not you meet these criteria. Failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. The stage in the process when the criteria will be measured is stated below.

Factor
Criteria

Method of Assessment

Experience
Post qualification experience working as a HCPC Registered Practitioner Psychologist with at least one year post qualification experience relevant to the post
Experience of assessing and delivering psychological intervention across a range of setting relevant to the post.
Post Qualification Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by BPS.
Post Qualification Experience in delivering teaching and training.
Post Qualification Experience of delivering line management, professional or clinical supervision.

Shortlisting by application form

Qualifications/ Registration




Doctoral level degree or equivalent accepted by the British Psychological Society as qualifying the person to work as a Registered Practitioner Psychologist.
Registered as a Practitioner Psychologist (modality Clinical, Educational or Counselling) with the Health and Social Care (HCPC)
And
Received formal training in providing clinical supervision.
Shortlisting by Application Form

Other
Hold a current full driving licence which is valid for use in the UK and have access to a car on appointment. This criteria will be waived in the case of applicants whose disability prohibits driving but who have access to a form of transport approved by the Trust which will permit them to carry out the duties of the post
Shortlisting by Application Form


SECTION 2: The following are ESSENTIAL criteria which will be measured during the interview/ selection stage:

Skills / Abilities
A warm and empathic manner with the enthusiasm and ability to contribute to a team approach.
Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological and psychometric assessment, intervention and management, frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, at both a written and oral level, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional persons, both written and outside the HSS.
An interest in models of service delivery and an ability to take forward the issues of service design and development.
Skills in providing consultation and supervision to other professionals and non-professional groups.
Ability to work collaboratively with other professionals within the context of a multi-disciplinary team.
Ability to identify and employ, as appropriate, clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic settings.
Interview

Knowledge
Knowledge of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the full range of care settings.
Doctoral or equivalent level knowledge of current clinical and practice issues in the assessment and management of psychosis
Knowledge of the theories and therapeutic approaches relevant to Psychosis
Doctoral level knowledge or equivalent of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis as practised within the clinical fields of psychology.
Knowledge of issues involved in service development and management.
Knowledge of current HSS issues.
Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS and the HCPC
Interview

Value Based Recruitment
Value Based Recruitment is a process adopted by the Northern Trust to attract and select employees on the basis that their individual values and behaviours align with those of the Trust.
It focuses on the ‘how’ and ‘why’ people do what they do.
Candidates who are short-listed for interview will need to demonstrate at interview that they have the required knowledge, skills, competencies and values to be effective in this new role.
In answering the value based questions you have the opportunity to share examples of when you have demonstrated values relevant to the Northern Trust.
Criminal Offences, Investigations and Charges
Having a criminal record will not necessarily debar you from working with the Trust.  This will depend on the nature of the position, together with the circumstances and background of your offences or other information contained on a disclosure certificate.  If you require further information or a copy of the policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders, please contact the Trust Human Resources Department
Essential Leadership Capabilities
The successful candidate will need to provide evidence and demonstrate their Leadership capabilities against the required dimension on the NHS Leadership framework.
A shortlist of candidates for interview will be prepared on the basis of the information contained in the application form. It is therefore essential that all applicants demonstrate through their application how and to what extent their experience and qualities are relevant to this post and the extent to which they satisfy each criterion specified. An assessment centre may also be used as part of the short-listing process.
Candidates who are short-listed for interview will need to demonstrate at interview that they have the required competencies to be effective in this demanding leadership role. The dimensions concerned are given in the Healthcare Leadership Model (see below link) http://www.leadershipacademy.nhs.uk/discover/leadershipmodel/leadership-dimensions/
Particular attention will be given to the following:
Inspiring shared purpose
Leading with care
Evaluating information
Connecting our service
Sharing the vision
Engaging the team
Holding to account
Developing capability
Influencing for results
As part of the Recruitment & Selection process it may be necessary for the Trust to carry out an Enhanced Disclosure Check through Access NI before any appointment to this post can be confirmed.
THE NHSCT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES EMPLOYER
Successful applicants:
may be required to attend for a Health Assessment
can expect to be placed at the minimum point of the pay scale, although a higher starting salary, within the range  of the pay band may be available if the person appointed has experience relevant & equivalent to the post.  If the successful candidate is an existing HSC employee moving to a higher band, AfC Pay on Promotion will apply.
have the right to request Flexible Working from the 1st day of their employment. A number of flexible working provisions are offered by all HSC Organisations including Full-time working, Fixed working patterns, Part-time working, Flexi-time, Compressed/elongated hours, Average hours working patterns, Term-time working, Job-share or Homeworking for some or all of the working pattern, depending on the role being undertaken. Successful applicants are encouraged to discuss with their manager what Flexible Working provisions may be available in the role they are taking up, prior to commencing employment, to help them achieve a positive Work/Life Balance
February 2026