About this role
Job summary
We are seeking an experienced and compassionate senior psychological professional to join us as Professional Lead for the Psychological Professions in West Sussex Adult and Older People's Mental Health Services. This significant divisional leadership role will shape psychologically informed care and improve outcomes across local services. The postholder will also provide Trust-wide strategic leadership for psychological professions practice in older people's mental health and dementia care. We would be especially pleased to hear from candidates with substantial expertise in working with older adults and/or people living with dementia.
The role is open to practitioner psychologists, psychological therapists and psychotherapists who meet the requirements of the relevant attached job descriptions and person specifications. We welcome applicants with senior clinical credibility, professional leadership experience and relevant expertise in adult and older people's mental health or dementia care. Candidates will also need the strategic leadership skills to influence practice across the Trust and a strong commitment to developing psychologically informed services.
Main duties of the job
This is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of psychological professions leadership across West Sussex, while also influencing the strategic development, governance and quality of psychological practice for older people across Sussex. Working as part of the divisional leadership team, and in close collaboration with the Director of Psychological Professions and senior operational and clinical colleagues, you will help ensure that psychological thinking, evidence-based practice and compassionate, trauma-informed approaches are embedded across services, in line with the Trust strategy and the Psychological Professions strategic priorities for 2025-2030.
You will provide professional leadership to registered and unregistered psychological professionals across adult and older people's community, acute and specialist services in West Sussex. A central focus will be strengthening supervision, professional development, workforce planning, recruitment, clinical governance, service improvement, research, audit and evaluation so that psychological professions are supported to improve the effectiveness, timeliness and accessibility of psychological interventions and improve outcomes for patients, carers and their families.
About us
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust provides mental health, learning disability and neurodevelopmental services across diverse coastal, rural and urban communities, with strong links to partners across health and social care. In West Sussex, you will join committed multidisciplinary teams and senior leaders who want the psychological professions to be visible, valued and influential in improving care. You will work with NHS, local authority, voluntary and community partners to strengthen reflective, compassionate and inclusive approaches for adults and older people, including people living with dementia and those who support them.
The psychological professions workforce is broad, skilled and developing, with colleagues working across a wide range of roles and levels of experience, from band 4 to band 8c. This includes practitioner psychologists, CBT therapists, family and systemic psychotherapists, mental health and wellbeing practitioners and other psychological professionals working into community neighbourhood mental health teams, specialist pathways and inpatient settings.
Our Psychological Professions Strategic Plan 2025-2030 focuses on four objectives: improving the effectiveness, timeliness and accessibility of psychological interventions; improving outcomes for patients, carers and families; supporting inclusive and diverse practice; and fostering staff and team wellbeing. The postholder will provide leadership in translating these priorities into practice
Job description Job responsibilities
As a senior professional leader, you will bring substantial clinical and professional leadership experience and the confidence to advise on complex, sensitive or contested matters. You will influence at a strategic level and support evidence-informed change across organisational boundaries. This may include contributing to complex case reviews, specialist placement or risk panels, patient safety learning responses, and discussions with commissioners, senior managers, clinical colleagues and partner agencies. You will provide authoritative psychological leadership in older peoples mental health and dementia care, maintain credibility across the wider adult pathway and hold a specialist clinical caseload relevant to your professional background and expertise.
Provide strategic and professional leadership for psychological professions across West Sussex Adult and Older Peoples Mental Health Services, together with Trust-wide strategic leadership for psychological professions practice in older peoples mental health and dementia care.
Work as part of the divisional leadership team and with senior professional leads for nursing, allied health professions and medicine to support safe, effective and sustainable services, bringing a clear psychological voice to business planning, transformation, service development and partnership working.
Lead professional governance for psychological professions across West Sussex adult and older peoples services, including supervision, appraisal, continuing professional development, job planning and standards of professional practice. Provide senior professional advice on governance and support consistent standards in older peoples mental health and dementia care across the Trust.
Support robust supervision, reflective practice and psychologically safe systems that promote compassionate, trauma-informed and inclusive care for both service users and staff.
Shape service and policy developments that strengthen psychological and psychologically informed care across adult and older peoples community, acute and specialist pathways, including prevention, early intervention, transitions, support for carers and partnership working with primary care, social care, commissioners and voluntary and community organisations.
Lead workforce planning, inclusive recruitment and professional development to build a skilled, sustainable and diverse psychological professions workforce aligned with transformation programmes and future service needs.
Champion inclusive and culturally sensitive psychological practice by embedding equality, diversity and inclusion in supervision, service development, clinical practice and divisional action planning.
Foster staff and team wellbeing through clear role expectations, wellbeing conversations, peer support, communities of practice and opportunities for psychological professionals to connect across services.
Provide expert consultation and advice to multidisciplinary colleagues, senior leaders, commissioners and partner agencies on complex psychological care, formulation, risk, service design and professional practice across adult and older peoples services, with particular leadership in older peoples mental health and dementia care.
Lead and contribute to audit, research, teaching, training, service evaluation and routine outcome measurement, using evidence, psychological theory and high-quality data to inform continuous improvement and innovation.
Hold a specialist clinical caseload and maintain advanced clinical credibility within your area of psychological practice.
Person Specification
Experience/ knowledge Essential
oDoctoral-level expertise in applied psychology and psychological therapy, including advanced knowledge of lifespan developmental psychology and models of psychopathology oDoctoral-level knowledge of research design, methodology, and evidence-based practice oIn-depth knowledge of theory and practice in highly specialised psychological interventions consistent with consultant-level competence oExtensive post-qualification experience as a registered practitioner psychologist, psychotherapist, or psychological therapist, including significant experience within the Division/Specialist Service oDemonstrable knowledge and training in leadership and management within mental health services, supported by extensive experience providing clinical and professional leadership in multidisciplinary setting oComprehensive understanding of national policy frameworks, mental health initiatives, and the wider mental health economy relevant to Trust services. oProven expertise in the professional management and development of psychological staff
Qualifications Essential
oPost-graduate doctoral level training in applied psychology as approved by the HCPC, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology oPre-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology and/or other fields of applied psychology oAccredited/registered with professional body/ regulator as detailed above
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).
Employer details Employer name Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Address Portland House
Richmond Road
Worthing
BN11 1FG
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)