Senior Clinical / Counselling Psychologist - Maternity Cover

NELFT North East London Foundation Trust

Senior Clinical / Counselling Psychologist - Maternity Cover

The closing date is 12 March 2026

We are seeking a Clinical/Counselling Psychologist (CP) to join our Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) service in Redbridge to provide maternity cover for 6 months.

NELFT EIP is a supportive multidisciplinary team working with people between 14-65 experiencing a first episode of psychosis and their family. Redbridge EIP has an 8b CP specialising in family interventions in psychology across the four NELFT EIP boroughs, and a team of Clinical Psychologists, a CBT therapist, a Family Interventions worker and an Assistant Psychologist.

NELFT EIP services are interested in the provision of trauma informed care, with a particular focus on NET and EMDR. The pathway offers supervision and CPD opportunities, including individual and group supervision in CBTp, and group Family Interventions and NET supervision with world leading experts. We offer annual NET training. The Trust has strong links with the UCL, UEL and Royal Holloway CP courses. The post holder would be supported to participate in teaching and research projects should they wish.

NELFT is an inclusive employer. Applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates, disabled candidates and LGBT+ candidates are particularly encouraged.

We also welcome applications from current final year training programme students - those due to complete training by September 2026 as the post could be adapted to suit somebody at Band 7.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will provide assessment and evidence based interventions for this client group including individual, group and family work. The post holder will be expected to work closely with the multidisciplinary team and offer support and supervision on psychological approaches to working with psychosis.

The post holder will be expected to participate in supervision and CPD focused on evidence based interventions in psychosis. We offer monthly group supervision in Family Interventions.

In addition, the post holder will receive individual supervision and group supervision in CBT for psychosis. The service has practitioners interested in Narrative Exposure Therapy and EMDR alongside other approaches.

The Trust has strong links with the UCL, UEL and Royal Holloway clinical psychology courses and several Counselling Psychology courses and the post holder will be expected to supervise trainee psychologists when appropriate. Current members of the department are engaged in teaching and research projects with local clinical training courses.

About us

Our Values 2025 - 2030

Working with our colleagues, patients and carers we have co produced three new values that we aim to embed within our culture here at NELFT.

They are:

• We are kind.
• We are respectful.
• We work together with our communities.

These three values help us strive to provide the best care by the best people.

Probationary Period

This post will be subject to a probationary period.

Starting with Us

NELFT places great importance on new starters being properly welcomed into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and undertake a comprehensive induction lasting up to two weeks, including mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process, new starters will also have the opportunity to meet the executive team, senior managers, and attend several drop in sessions focusing on engagement, health and wellbeing, and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Goodmayes, Essex.

High Cost Area Supplement - Outer London

This post also attracts payment for a High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (with a minimum of £4,313 to a maximum of £5,436 per annum pro rata for part time).

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for a detailed description of the job and main responsibilities of the role.

Person Specification Qualifications

• Doctoral level qualification in Clinical or Counselling Psychology
• Professional registration with the appropriate body: HCPC
• Substantial post qualification experience working with people with complex mental health needs, including psychosis
• Knowledge and experience of safeguarding issues, risk management and highly complex mental health problems
• Experience of working with young people experiencing psychosis or experience of work in an EIP service

Knowledge

• Knowledge, understanding and experience of working with service users from diverse ethnic, economic and cultural backgrounds. Thorough knowledge of the theory and practice of evidence based interventions for psychosis.
• Thorough and expert knowledge of the theory and practice of CBT
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of evidence based approaches to working with families and carers where someone is experiencing psychosis, including early psychosis and psychosis in younger people
• Ethical and professional frameworks required for best and safe clinical practice
• Theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies for a broad range of complex difficulties (e.g. enduring depression, psychosis, dual diagnoses, psychological aspects of physical health problems etc.)

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.

NELFT North East London Foundation Trust

£55,690 to £62,682 a year pro rata (plus HCAS)