Clinical or Counselling Psychologist, Band 8a

Clinical or Counselling Psychologist, Band 8a

The closing date is 04 March 2026

Clinical or Counselling Psychologist, Cancer & Palliative Care Psychology Services, Band 8a (0.6 wte, 22.5 hours / week)

We are seeking a skilled and innovative clinical or counselling psychologist to provide a specialist psychology service to adults and teams in the trust's cancer and palliative care services. The post is varied and spans clinical work, indirect work such as training, consultation and supervision, evaluation and research. The post is part of award winning cancer, haematology & palliative care psychology services where being innovative and creative is highly valued.

We would welcome applications from newly qualified applicants who would be considered for a preceptorship to band 8A. The post is Macmillan badged, and thus has access to Macmillan education grants for CPD funding, alongside other benefits.

Main duties of the job To provide a high quality specialist practitioner psychology intervention for adults with cancer (including haematological malignancies) and those known to the community palliative care team, consistent with the Trust's objective of "best care for everyone". This will include:

• Providing specialist psychological assessment and intervention.
• Supporting the MDT to deliver psychologically informed care.
• Providing indirect clinical work through supervision, consultation and training to the renal service MDT staff.
• Delivering psychology on the Gloucester and Cheltenham site.
• Identify and implement audit, research and service development work.
• Be involved in the continued professional development and supervision of roles such as assistant psychologists, undergraduate and graduate psychology placements.
• Required to act independently and be accountable for own actions within professional guidelines and Trust policies.

About us We can offer you:

• An innovative, stimulating and well organised department - part of a well-established Psychology Department employing a range of applied psychologists.
• A friendly and supportive team of colleagues, excellent peer support and regular supervision.
• A commitment to the training and support of applied psychologists and active involvement in the local clinical doctoral courses.
• Dedicated time within the role for advancing special interests and funding for professional development.
• With a team of over 9,000 employees, we are proud to be the largest employer in Gloucestershire and rank among the top 10 largest Trusts in the South West region.
• As well as generous annual leave allowance, access to the excellent NHS pension scheme, competitive bank rates, discounts at local shops and restaurants, access to two on-site nurseries, discounted public transport, reward and recognition and a range of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Job responsibilities The Psychology Department is led by the Chief Psychological professions Officer and the post has close working relationships with other psychologists in the psychology department, as well as multi-disciplinary colleagues. The post will liaises with other psychologists in the region, nationally and with third sector organisation.

The post holder will be required:

Clinical

• Direct clinical intervention through the application of a range of psychological theories and models to analyse, understand and interpret complex situations and behaviours in order to formulate solutions and treatment which is tailored to individuals needs. This requires the capacity to engage in intense concentration for prolonged periods of time.
• Although the post holder acts autonomously and is professionally accountable for their own practice, in common with all clinical psychologists undertakes regular supervision.
• To work proactively and preventatively with the MDT to identify and intervene early in psychological concerns or distress. To also work with more complex cases appropriate for a physical health acute setting and to working jointly and consultatively with other colleagues.
• Effective communication of highly complex, contentious, delicate and often unwelcome information to patients, carers and staff within a highly emotive atmosphere, in a rapidly changing context. This involves working alone with patients who may be in a highly emotional or distressed state and requires a high level of skilled communication.
• Provide specialised advice, supervision and consultation on care, therapy, and psychological aspects of health to multidisciplinary teams, staff groups, and patient groups.
• Responsibility for managing own time, planning of patient clinics and other clinical work. Organising workload of, and supervising trainees / students / psychology assistants where appropriate.
• Responsibility for maintaining clear and accurate patient records in the department and in hospital health care records, including letter writing and reports to other health care colleagues and other relevant agencies.
• Application of current evidence based interventions in clinical psychology.
• There will be a frequent requirement for intense concentration during individual and group sessions and exposure to distressing or emotional circumstances. This includes occasionally dealing with verbally or physically aggressive patients.
• Although the post holder acts autonomously and is professionally accountable for their own practice, in common with all applied psychologists, undertakes regular clinical supervision.

Policy and Service Development

• Provider of professional advice to health community on psychological factors relating to physical health, e.g. adjusting to diagnosis, accessing investigations/treatment, adherence to treatment and end of life issues.
• Implement policies and service developments in line with government directives.
• Identify service needs, setting up new initiatives which will enhance patient care outcomes.

Teaching/Training

• Deliver specialist psychology teaching/training to doctoral and applied psychology trainees and psychology colleagues. The may include supervision.
• Teaching psychological aspects of physical health to other healthcare professionals within specialist services.
• Use appropriate information technology to support teaching and training e.g. powerpoint.

Research and Development activity

• To undertake applied clinical research and audit programmes, using a range of quantitative and qualitative methodologies with the aim of improving health outcomes of patients their families and carers. This utilises reflective scientist-practitioner and doctoral level research skills.
• Supervision of Assistant Psychologists and Clinical Psychology Trainees in research and development.
• Offer consultation to other professionals with reference to research or audit based activity.
• Regularly carry out evaluation of clinical intervention and making adjustments indicated by this.
• Comply with Clinical Governance requirements.

CPD

• Participate in current Trust performance / development review systems (e.g. appraisal).
• Responsibility for maintenance and development for own professional skills based.
• Remain abreast of recent developments in relevant areas of psychology through personal study and attendance at workshops / conferences.
• Actively participate in local and national special interest groups.

Dr Hilly Webb-Peploe (Consultant Clinical Psychologist)

Alternative contact:

Dr Julie Highfield (Chief Psychological Professions Officer)

Person Specification Qualifications

• Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical Health or counselling psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS/HCPC
• Post-doctoral training and recorded CPD experience and /or further qualifications in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice

Experience

• Experience of providing advice, consultation and clinical supervision to other healthcare professionals regarding psychological aspects of care.
• Understanding of, and experience with, evidence-based psychological models. Experience of assessment and therapeutic approaches to health and illness including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
• Experience of working in a physical healthcare setting
• Experience of working with adults as a practitioner psychologist in NHS setting.

Knowledge Skills and Abilities

• Able to communicate in a highly sensitive and skilled manner, sensitive information to patients, carers and with staff members and colleagues in a compassionate and effective way, for example where there are high levels of distress, psychological risk, anger, or where barriers to self-care exist.
• Ability to put psychological theory into practice in novel and complex clinical settings, synthesising data and theory from a range of evidence-based sources to create individual, group, team intervention plans
• Highly-developed skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment including the use and evaluation of psychometric scales within physical health settings; experience in the collection, analysis, and dissemination of audit and clinical data
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