Applied Psychologist/Highly Specialist Applied Psychologist: Sponsorship Available

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust

Job summary

This post is offered at either Band 7 (developmental) or Band 8a (senior) level, depending on the experience and competencies of the successful candidate.

At Band 7, the post holder will work as a developing specialist pain management psychologist, providing high-quality psychological assessment and intervention for individuals with persistent pain as part of a multidisciplinary team. They will work with a degree of autonomy within clearly defined clinical frameworks, receiving regular clinical supervision, and contributing to service delivery, audit, and development activities.

At Band 8a, the post holder will function as a senior specialist psychologist, delivering highly specialist psychological care for complex and high-risk presentations in persistent pain. They will work with a high level of clinical autonomy and be responsible for providing clinical leadership within the multidisciplinary team, including supervision of other staff, contributing to service development and innovation, and supporting the strategic direction of the service.

***Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as ‘Priority’ and ‘At Risk’ status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.***

Main duties of the job

Across both levels, the role will contribute to the delivery of evidence-based psychological interventions, multidisciplinary team working, and the ongoing development of a high-quality pain management service

  • Within a busy Pain Clinic, work as part of a close inter-disciplinary team.
  • Develop, co-ordinate, facilitate and deliver generic and specialised pain management programmes.
  • Work autonomously within the pain clinic to deliver intensive 1:1 intervention.
  • Assess highly complex pain patients for 1:1, group work and specialist medical procedures.
  • Act as a highly specialist resource to the wider professional community (Applicable for Band 8a)
  • Support policy implementation and service development.
  • Participate in audit and research.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Registered as a Practitioner Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council

Desirable

  • Additional qualifications in health-specific clinical psychology, especially pain management.

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

  • Demonstrable experience of using evidence based psychological interventions for the assessment and treatment of a wide variety of psychological problems.
  • Demonstrable experience of providing both group based and individual interventions.

Desirable

  • Demonstrable experience of teaching or training other professional in psychological concepts.

APTITUDE & ABILITIES

Essential

  • Highly developed communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to communicate complex, highly technical and clinically sensitive information to clients, families and external agencies.
  • Proven ability to interpret complex data and understand patterns and trends

Desirable

  • Able to manage people within and according to a robust performance 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: 1 November 2026

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