Job summary
- Main area
- LD Psychology
- Grade
- Band 8D
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 371-CFS461
- Employer
- Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- LD Psychology
- Town
- Reading
- Salary
- £90,290 - £103,799 per annum ( Incl of HCAS) ( pro rata if recruiting for 22.5 hours)
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 09/03/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 17/03/2025
Employer heading
Consultant Lead Clinical/Counselling Psychologist
Band 8D
Job overview
22.5 hours per week (full-time hours and job share can be considered)
As the Consultant Lead Psychologist in the Learning Disability Service you will be a senior team member in the division and play a key strategic role, providing advanced clinical expertise, senior professional and operational leadership, and understanding of policy and practice drivers. You will be a recognised expert and contribute your specialist knowledge and skills to the design, development, management, and governance of the provision and workforce in our Learning Disability Services across the Children, Families, and All Age Service Division.
Operating as part of Berkshire Healthcare's senior leadership team you will develop and communicates a strategic vision for their service area, aligned with local and national guidance, evidence, and best practice. You will contribute strategic, clinical, and professional expertise to commissioning conversations, tenders, and business developments, leading the development and delivery of innovative, modern, and responsive services that deliver effective care within their service area.
Collaborating with the psychological consultant body in the Trust, you will support the development of cohesive and consistent psychological pathways, a competent and enabled psychological workforce, and a supportive and safe working environment across services. You will contribute to the overall strategy and clinical vision for psychological provision in BHFT.
Main duties of the job
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Collaborate with service, divisional, and professional directors to design, develop, deliver, and govern high-quality and safe clinical provision.
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Develop and implement relevant strategic initiatives with the senior leadership team and key stakeholders.
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Utilise data to identify quality improvement opportunities and implement changes to enhance service delivery, operational protocols, and policy.
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Provide operationally enabled clinical and professional leadership, ensuring the delivery, quality, and cost-effectiveness of clinical provision and resources.
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Interpret, communicate, and implement clinical and professional policy and standards to drive positive service change.
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Lead the development and implementation of local, regional, or national initiatives to promote service improvement.
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Be accountable for the performance of relevant service areas, focusing on key indicators at Trust, regional, and national levels.
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Lead and contribute to research, audit, service evaluation, learning, and service improvement initiatives.
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Provide leadership, strategic, and clinical expertise to advance high-quality psychological provision and a competent workforce.
Working for our organisation
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated ‘outstanding’ by the CQC, we’re committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we’re committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.
Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:
- Caring for and about you is our top priority
- Committed to providing good quality, safe services
- Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions
Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:
- Flexible working options to support work-life balance
- 27 days’ annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
- Generous NHS pension scheme
- Excellent learning and career development opportunities
- ‘Cycle to Work’ and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
- Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
- Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
- Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
- Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
- Free parking across Trust sites
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The “must haves” for this role:
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Advanced Clinical Expertise: You must possess advanced clinical expertise in psychological assessments, formulations, and interventions, particularly in the area of learning disabilities.
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Leadership Skills: You will demonstrate strong leadership skills, including the ability to provide professional and clinical leadership, and to develop and implement strategic initiatives.
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Collaboration and Communication: You will have excellent collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with key partners, stakeholders, and service users to ensure integrated and high-quality service provision.
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Research and Quality Improvement: You will have experience in leading and contributing to research, audit, service evaluation, and quality improvement initiatives to enhance service delivery and clinical practice.
For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.
We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.
We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.
We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don’t hesitate to contact: Colin Archer, Associate Director of Learning Disability Services (Adults) - [email protected] or Dr Bridget Gemal (Director of Psychology and Psychological Therapies) via email [email protected] who will be delighted to help.
Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.
Flexibility: Opportunities for home and flexible working arrangements – although travelling to sites in Berkshire will be required at times.
Interview will be held on 17th March (AM) - online interview followed by Face to Face Interview on 18th March 2025 . Successful candidates will need to be available for both interviews.
Person specification
Education/Qualifications/Training
Essential criteria
- Post graduate doctoral qualification in clinical/counselling psychology (or approved equivalent for those who trained prior to 1996), which provides eligibility for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society (BPS)
- Registered and accredited with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Clinical / Counselling Psychologist, and preferably with DCP/DCoP and/or ACP.
- Evidence of post-doctoral specialist training in at least two areas of psychological practice directly related to the clinical requirements for this post. AND/OR Evidence of substantial post-doctoral training, experience, and knowledge as a recognised expert in psychological models and approaches in the area of learning disability.
- Clinical supervision training for psychology trainees and qualified staff.
- Management qualification or equivalent level of substantial expertise in managing services.
- Leadership training or equivalent level of substantial expertise.
Previous Experience
Essential criteria
- managing and overseeing provision, including responsibility for staff, resources, and service delivery and performance.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Colin Archer
- Job title
- Associate Director
- Email address
- [email protected]
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