Job summary
We are looking for an enthusiastic and compassionate individual to join Women's Health Psychological Services on a 12-month fixed term contract, to provide psychological assessments, consultation and short-term interventions within the Reproductive Medicine Unit (RMU).

The post-holder is expected to demonstrate training and experience relating to working in the NHS (or equivalent) and with medical populations.

Please be advised that we will only accept applications from candidates:A) Qualified to use the protected title of Practitioner Psychologist (Clinical or Counselling)ORB) Psychotherapist or Senior Fertility Counsellor registered with the UKCP / BACP, with additional BICA accreditation (British Infertility Counselling Registration).

If you would like further information in advance of your application, please contact Dr Jenny van Heerden, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Acting Head of Women's Health Psychological Services: jenny.vanheerden@nhs.net

Main duties of the job
A minimum of 65% of the time will be spent on clinical activities, both direct and indirect. The postholder will conducto consultations regarding decision-making for fertility preservationo Implications Counselling for patients considering donor conceptiono Welfare of the Child Assessmentso therapeutic support for patients undergoing fertility treatment.

As a senior member of the department, the postholder will have line management and supervisory responsibilities for qualified members of staff and trainees. The postholder will also contribute to research/audit activities and service development, according to the needs of the service and wider department.

The role is likely to involve hybrid working and the postholder must be available onsite on Wednesdays.

About us
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) is one of the most complex NHS trusts in the UK, serving a large and diverse population. We provide academically led acute and specialist services, to people from the local area, from throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. Our vision is to deliver top-quality patient care, excellent education, and world-class research.

We provide first-class acute and specialist services across eight sites:o University College Hospital (incorporating the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing)o National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgeryo Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitalso University College Hospital Grafton Way Buildingo Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicineo University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centreo The Hospital for Tropical Diseaseso University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street

We are dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of many complex illnesses. UCLH specialises in women's health and the treatment of cancer, infection, neurological, gastrointestinal and oral disease. It has world class support services including critical care, imaging, nuclear medicine and pathology.

We are committed to sustainability and have pledged to become a carbon net zero health service, embedding sustainable practice throughout UCLH. We have set an ambitious target of net zero for our direct emissions by 2031 and indirect emissions by 2040.

Details
Date posted: 11 August 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 8a
Salary: £66,274 to £73,496 a year per annum inclusive of HCAS (Pro rata)
Contract: Fixed term
Duration: 12 months
Working pattern: Part-time
Reference number: 309-UCLH-8332
Job locations: Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing, University College Hospital, 25 Grafton Way, London, WC1E 6DB, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
For the full Person Specification and more information regarding the main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description.

We are dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of many complex illnesses. UCLH specialises in womens health and the treatment of cancer, infection, neurological, gastrointestinal and oral disease. It has world class support services including critical care, imaging, nuclear medicine and pathology.

Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff*

* UCLH top trust to work at in England - In the most recent NHS staff survey UCLH had the highest percentage of staff who said they would recommend us as a place to work, out of all general acute or acute/community NHS trusts in England for the third year in a row.

UCLH recognises the benefits of flexible working for staff To find out more, visit: Flexible working.

To discover more about what makes UCLH a great place to work, visit: Why Choose UCLH?

Person Specification
Knowledge and Qualifications
Essential

• Honours degree in psychology or related disciplines, and a Doctorate and/or PhD level in clinical/counselling psychology. Or UKCP / BACP registration with additional BICA accreditation.
• Registered by the HCPC to use the protected title Practitioner Psychologist (clinical/counselling) or Registration with UKCP / BACP with additional BICA registration.
• Qualified to work with adults, adolescents, couples and families.
• Knowledge of the way in which fertility services are regulated through the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
• Appropriate understanding of consent, capacity / Gillick competence and information sharing in work with young people.

Experience
Essential

• Psychological practice within an NHS service or equivalent, providing evidence-based short-term interventions to individuals (under and over 18), couples, families and groups
• Working with people who are socially deprived and disadvantaged, including working with interpreters
• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment with medical populations and of offering psychological preparation for complex medical or surgical treatments, taking into account factors affecting decision making, current health status, emotional well-being and psychosexual functioning.
• Experience of working in a multi-professional team involving physicians, surgeons, nurses, and allied health professionals and giving psychological formulations and as part of multidisciplinary assessments and care planning.
• Experience of working in a multi-professional team involving physicians, surgeons, nurses, and allied health professionals and giving psychological formulations and as part of multidisciplinary assessments and care planning.
• Experience of supervising qualified psychological practitioners and trainees
• Ability to involve parents/carers appropriately while maintaining young people's autonomy, confidentiality and voice
• Ability to integrate developmental, systemic, relational, social and psychological perspectives into formulation

Desirable

• Working in a women's health setting in an acute Trust e.g. in obstetrics or gynaecology

Skills and Abilities
Essential

• Academic and research: Previous experience of NHS based research and publications, indicating the ability to critique and conduct research/audit autonomously, with supervision as required.
• Academic and research: Ability to critique and evaluate scientific data and best practice clinical guidelines
• Quality and service improvement: Evidence of working well in multidisciplinary teams
• Quality and service improvement: Evidence of a commitment to service improvement from patients' perspectives
• Information processing (IT skills): Competent IT skills (word processing, spreadsheets, statistical packages)

Communication
Essential

• Advanced professional verbal and written communication skills with patients, carers and other health professional staff in service delivery
• 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 where information may be highly sensitive and there may be barriers to acceptance

Personal and People Development
Essential

• A high level of interpersonal and communication skills and be able to communicate effectively in a caring non-judgemental manner.
• Ability to be self-reflexive and realistically appraise own performance, accepting and offering constructive feedback
• Balanced capacity between autonomy and appropriate request for support

Responsibilities towards promoting Equality Diversity and Inclusion
Essential

• Demonstratable understanding of the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion and/or Knowledge of the NHS obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duties)

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).

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.

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).

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).