Clinical Psychologist, Psycho-Oncology Service

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Clinical Psychologist, Psycho-Oncology Service

The closing date is 30 March 2026

A rare opportunity has arisen for a clinical psychologist to play a pivotal role in the development of a new adult psycho oncology service for people affected by cancer in County Durham and Darlington (CDDFT): building pathways and supporting patients.

This is a 12 month fixed term post that will begin with a focus on supporting Lung cancer patients who are at particular risk in our area and with sharing learnings regionally.

At the heart of CDDFT's psychological approach is the critical nature of proximity, listening, involvement in systemic issues and how service design can either entrench or challenge inequality.

We want to shape a psychologically informed service that genuinely reaches all types of people in all manner of locations - so that no one is left behind.

If this approach sounds exciting to you, you have experience of working in physical health settings, and are motivated to build a service that makes a difference. We want to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

This role will begin with scoping and developing psychological support with a focus on lung cancer population needs. It will involve speaking with patients, MDTs, charities, external stakeholders to help develop ways to provide specialist psychological assessment and evidence based interventions that are appropriate for the population in all their variety.

You won't be alone - this is part of a service wide approach so you will work directly with the head of service. A key aspect of the role will be to share learnings across the wider lung cancer region to support dissemination of best practice.

To really enjoy this job you will need to be creative and innovative, but also a real completer finisher with an eye for detail and evaluation.

About us

If you are being interviewed you must accept an interview slot in the system to continue, even if you have arranged with the manager.

You must be able to produce ALL certificates stated essential in the person specification or you will not be able to complete pre employment checks.

We provide hospital services from two acute sites - Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham. We have a centre for planned care in Bishop Auckland and provide care from community hospitals in Chester Le Street, Shotley Bridge, Barnard Castle, Sedgefield and Weardale as well as over 80 other community based settings and providing care in patients' homes.

We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as BAME and disabled people are currently under represented.

Full Job Descriptions can be found in the adverts supporting documents.

Job responsibilities

You will play a pivotal role in developing psycho oncology support for people affected by lung cancer in County Durham and Darlington. You will be highly motivated to offer a service that addresses social inequalities and will develop effective working relationships across population, organisations and boundaries to do this creatively.

You will work closely with the CDDFT lung multi disciplinary team to ensure the needs of people affected by lung cancer are supported and to develop ways that psychology can fit into existing approaches.

You will hold an active caseload, delivering specialist assessments and interventions for people affected by lung cancer, as well as contributing to research, training, and service development to enhance psycho oncology delivery and care within the organisation.

A key aspect of the role will be to share learning from the service across the wider region, to inform and support regional psycho oncology care.

You will be supported by the consultant psychologist and head of service.

Person Specification Qualifications

• Post graduate doctorate level training in Clinical Psychology as accredited by the BPS including specifically models of psychopathology, psychological therapies
• HCPC registered Clinical Psychologist
• Post doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of clinical practice
• Evidence of continuous professional development including relevant specialist courses, training and experience
• Post Qualification in staff supervision

Special Skills & Knowledge

• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non professional groups
• Able to provide a culturally sensitive service.
• Able to have a flexible and dynamic approach to working in terms of the ability to work collaboratively and/or independently as required.
• Able to work flexibly and using a range of therapeutic approaches in response to individual clients needs.
• Able to work flexibly within the service according to clinical demand and manage competing priorities and deliver reliable outcomes
• Able to contain and work with organisational stress, hospital triggers and to have resilience in holding the stress of others.
• Highly 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
• Ability to sit and concentrate for extended periods
• Ability to use clinical governance procedures to support and maintain good clinical practise
• Ability to use computer packages for statistical analysis, presentations
• Training in the supervision of psychologists
• Well developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological approaches applied in physical health care settings.
• Knowledge of legislation and implications for clinical practice
• Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
• Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
• Experience in design and delivery of group work
• Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts
• Experience of working with couples and families

Experience

• Experience of working in the NHS.
• Experience of working in a health psychology setting
• Experience working with patients in hospital or cancer care settings
• Experience of working with a multidisciplinary setting and liaising with external stakeholders
• Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups
• Experience of undertaking research or service evaluation or audit within the NHS and the verbal and written dissemination of findings
• Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts
• Experience of providing assessment/ therapy/ supervision/ teaching & training
• Experience in working with pathway development
• Experience of working with hard to engage populations
• Experience of running groups
• Experience of consultation work to health professionals and MDT working
• Experience of teaching and training other health professionals
• Experience of working in partnership with community and voluntary sector organisations.

Special Requirements

• Knowledge of working in a cancer service or other health setting
• A finisher completer with an eye for detail and strong organisational and planning skills
• Interest in addressing social inequalities
• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
• 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.
• Emotional resilience in maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems and hospital environment.
• Able to transport equipment.
• Able to travel to multiple hospitals across the Trust and regionally.
• Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS

Statutory Registration

• Registered with appropriate professional body - HCPC
• Member of BPS or ACP

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.

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

£55,690 to £62,682 a year per annum, pro rata