About this role
Job summary
We are seeking an enthusiastic and compassionate Clinical Psychologist to join Kirklees Specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) team. This is a band 7 to band 8a development post and is an exciting opportunity to work within a multidisciplinary service supporting children, young people, and their families who present with complex mental health needs.
The successful candidate will provide specialist psychological assessment, formulation, and evidence-based interventions for young people experiencing a range of emotional and mental health difficulties. You will work collaboratively with families, schools, and partner agencies to deliver high-quality, person-centred care and contribute to positive outcomes for young people.
The role involves contributing to multidisciplinary team working, consultation, and risk management, as well as supporting service development and delivering psychological expertise across the team. You will also provide clinical supervision, training, and consultation to colleagues and contribute to the ongoing development of psychologically informed practice within the service.
The service offers opportunities for continued professional development, supervision, and involvement in service innovation, within a supportive and collaborative team environment dedicated to improving the mental health and wellbeing of young people.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will provide highly specialist psychological assessment, formulation, and evidence-based interventions for children and young people presenting with complex mental health difficulties within Specialist CAMHS. This includes working directly with young people and their families using a range of psychological models and therapeutic approaches.
The role involves developing collaborative psychological formulations to inform care planning and treatment, contributing to risk assessment and management, and supporting safe and effective care for young people with high levels of need. The post holder will work closely with colleagues within a multidisciplinary team,
A key part of the role is providing consultation and psychological guidance to colleagues, partner agencies, schools, and families to promote psychologically informed care and improve outcomes for young people. The psychologist will also contribute to case discussions, care reviews, and service planning within the team.
You will offer clinical supervision and training to other professionals, including trainee psychologists and members of the wider team, and support the development of psychological skills within the service.
Additional responsibilities include contributing to service evaluation, audit, and quality improvement initiatives, as well as supporting service development to ensure care remains evidence-based, accessible, and responsive to the needs of children, young people, and families.
About us
We are a specialist NHS Foundation Trust that provides community, mental health and learning disability services for the people of Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. We also provide low and medium secure services and are the lead for the west Yorkshire secure provider collaborative.
Our mission is to help people reach their potential and live well in their communities, we do this by providing high-quality care in the right place at the right time. We employ staff in both clinical and non-clinical services who work hard to make a difference to the lives of service users, families and carers.
We encourage and welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups, we value diversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities.
Being a foundation Trust means were accountable to our members, who can have a say in how were run. Around 14,300 local people (including staff) are members of our Trust.
Join us and you will be one of over 4,500 staff committed to supporting and improving the mental, physical and social needs of the thousands of people we meet and help each year.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment.
We do reserve to right to close vacancy before the advertised closing date if necessary, so please apply as soon as possible.
Job description Job responsibilities
JOB SUMMARY
This job description is an outline of the main duties of the post. The postholder will be required to undertake other duties commensurate with the grade as directed.
The content of this post will be reviewed in consultation with the postholder when necessary and in line with the service developments.
The post holder will provide specialist clinical psychology skills within a multidisciplinary team. The post holder will provide a high quality clinical service to the users of the service.
They will provide highly specialist psychological assessment and intervention while working collaboratively with non-psychologist colleagues, professionals from other agencies and carers. They will be clinically responsible to a senior clinical psychologist. Clinical oversight of all work will be held by the clinical lead in the service.
The job plan will be delivered in the services the post is based.
The post holder will work autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the team while observing Trust and National policies and procedures.
The post holder will provide support to Assistant Psychologists and Doctoral trainees. They will utilise research skills in audit, service development and research relevant to the post.
KEY RESULT AREAS:
To offer consultation, supervision and training when required by other agencies involved in the psychological, emotional and behavioural well-being of people referred to the service
To provide consultation, assessment and intervention in the service.
To work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary context.
To provide assessment and treatment options for people experiencing moderate, severe and complex mental health problems.
To exercise expert clinical judgement based on the highest standards of evidence based practise.
To continually seek to expand and consolidate clinical skills using training, experience, and supervision.
To be proficient in the use of Psychometric testing appropriate to the age range.
To provide specialist risk assessment of and intervention to people who present to the service.
To follow appropriate Adult and Child Protection guidelines in all Clinical work, including close liaison with all agencies.
To liaise and consult with the wider professional network in the care of the client.
To work jointly with other team members in delivering the most appropriate clinical service to people and their families.
To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients.
To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care and to effectively evaluate progress.
To receive regular professional supervision from a senior Clinical Psychologist and where appropriate, other senior clinicians.
To continue to access continuing professional development opportunities in line with agreed targets and agreed personal development plan.
To assist in the supervision of Doctoral level Clinical Psychology trainees and trainees from other disciplines as appropriate.
To contribute to the pre and post qualification teaching of Clinical Psychologists.
To assist in the teaching and training of professionals
To contribute to the Audit processes within the service.
To contribute to research in the service area.
To utilise theory, evidence based literature and research to support evidence based practise of self and others.
To provide advice on research projects to other staff within the service around appropriate methodology, statistical analysis etc.
To undertake project management as required to aid service development.
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-holders professional lead and service manager(s). To maintain membership of appropriate regulatory bodies (i.e. The Health & Care Professionals Council) and professional bodies such as the British Psychological Society.
For full job description, please see attached supporting documents.
We are aware that an increasing number of applicants are using AI technology to generate responses on NHS Job application forms. Over reliance on AI-generated content in application forms is strongly discouraged and we will conduct a thorough screening process before selecting candidates to progress to the next stage. If you are using AI to enhance your application, please disclose this in your NHS Jobs application form.
At the time of advertising, this role does meet the minimum requirements set by UK Visas and Immigration to sponsor candidates to work in the UK. We look forward to receiving your application.
All employees of the Trust are strongly encouraged to have their up-to-date flu vaccination to protect staff and patients.
Person Specification
Physical Attributes Essential
Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post. A satisfactory sickness record over the previous 2 years (subject to the need to act with fairness and equality of opportunity, particularly where the sickness is related to a disability and/or pregnancy).
Qualifications Essential
Hons. Degree in Psychology. Doctoral qualification clinical psychology. Appropriate safeguarding training. Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council as a Clinical Psychologist.
Desirable
2:1 min. Eligible for chartered status.
Experience Essential
Completion of supervised clinical practice in the NHS. Ability to work within two models of psychological assessment, formulation and intervention.
Desirable
Experience in working with service users in the clinical area of the post. Different theoretical approaches. Work with other disciplines. Work with people who have disabilities.
Personal Attributes Essential
Caring. Team Player. Commitment to supervision and support.
Desirable
Flexible. Committed to client group.
Special Knowledge & Skills Essential
Communication skills. A Current driving licence and access to a car during the working day is essential (reasonable adjustments will be considered for any applicants who are unable to drive due to a disability). IT Literate.
Desirable
Research skills. Knowledge of adult & child protection legislation. Awareness of legislation relevant to the clinical area of practice.
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 South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust
Address Folly Hall Mills
St Thomas Road
Huddersfield
HD1 3LT
Employer's website https://www.southwestyorkshire.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)