Senior Specialist Psychological Therapist / Senior Psychologist

  • Full Time
  • United Kingdom
  • 57,528 to 64,750 £ / Year

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Job summary

This is a very exciting opportunity to join our highly regarded and award-winning Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service (SPMHS) which operates over the whole of Sussex.

The Specialist Perinatal Mental Service (SPMHS) within Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust now requires a Senior Psychologist or Psychological Therapist in Perinatal Mental Health. The post is for 22.5 hours a week. Applicants must demonstrate substantial post-qualification experience working within a specialist perinatal mental health service, or in a clearly defined specialist perinatal mental health role.

This post provides opportunities to develop highly specialist clinical skills within the perinatal service, with scope for senior responsibilities and leadership development. This may include liaison and consultation with the wider perinatal network and partners in the maternity, acute trust and community/children’s services.

Days of the week are negotiable but are likely to include Wednesdays – hours are 9-5

The post holder will be basedin East Sussex and may be expected to travel across Sussex. The post holder will report to the Principal Clinical Psychologist within their team.

The postholder will be given regular supervision and close support from highly skilled professionals within the service as well as opportunities for professional development.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will have a training in Clinical Psychology and will be responsible for delivering NICE concordant perinatal psychological therapies to women, their babies and their families.

The Psychologist in the specialist community perinatal mental health service will work with the main community service treatment pathway and the bereavement pathway (neonatal loss and stillbirth) which forms our Maternal Mental Health Service (MMHS) commitment.

Within the larger community service, the postholder will be responsible for typical and atypical perinatal mental health presentations,alongside specific formulation of parent-infant relationships. The postholder will need to have an up to date knowledge of adult and infant safeguarding practices and thresholds. A working knowledge of DBT is desirable and an interest psychoanalytic thinking.The postholder will be responsible for contributing to, or leading on complex case discussions, peer learning and staff training.

Within the bereavement pathway, the postholder will be responsible for providing a highly responsive individualised therapy and support for women and their families who have experienced the death of a baby from 24 weeks gestation to one month after birth. A knowledge of trauma informed interventions for individuals, couples and family would be desirable but specialist supervision regarding bereavement and traumatic loss will be provided.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Recognised accredited post graduate level training in a psychological therapy as specified in the Appendix
  • Professionally registered as specified in the appendix

Knowledge/Experience

Essential

  • Substantial post-qualification/accreditation experience of specialist psychological therapy (assessment, formulation and treatment), as specified in the Appendix, maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
  • A high level of competence in applying a psychological therapy to complex difficulties appropriate for this therapy with the client group served by the post, and a proven track record of delivering positive outcomes in this therapy
  • Experience of offering teaching, training and supervision within a demanding organisational context
  • A clear and theoretically informed approach to supervision
  • Experience of representing psychological therapy within the context of multi-disciplinary care within a complex organisational context
  • Significant experience of working with the particular client group served by the team/service
  • Knowledge of guidance and legislation in relation to the client group
  • A high-level specialist knowledge of the theory and practice of specialist psychological therapy as specified in the appendix, as applied to the client group using this service
  • Experience of the application of psychological therapy in different cultural contexts and experience of working within a multicultural framework

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).

Closing Date: 20 July 2026

To apply for this job please visit apps.trac.jobs.