Clinical Psychologist: Sponsorship Available

Job summary

We are keen to recruit an enthusiastic and positive Band 7 Clinical Psychologist to provide a high-quality specialist clinical psychology service to Paediatric patients and their families cared for under the Paediatric Neurology and Persistent Physical Symptoms, based at Addenbrooke’s Hospital.

0.6 WTE Neurology & 0.1 WTE Persistent Physical Symptoms (PPS).

Neurology

The post holder will work alongside 8b and 8a psychology colleagues to provide a specialist clinical psychology service to patients and their families referred to the Paediatric Neurology service. This will include offering specialist psychological and neuropsychological assessment and interventions to patients (up to 17yo) and families. The role offers the opportunity to work closely with a well-established team of Consultant Paediatric Neurologists alongside the wider MDT to offer support to children and their families.

Persistent Physical Symptoms

The postholder will work with children and young people who experience persistent physical symptoms, either in the absence of a diagnosed physical health condition or where the symptoms are not fully explained by physical causes. These include but are not limited to fatigue, dizziness, numbness, headaches, non-epileptic seizures, vomiting and abdominal pain.

The team comprises two clinical psychologists and one family therapist who will help children, young people, and their families manage their symptoms effectively and reduce their impact on their daily lives.

Main duties of the job

Please note we will accept applications from final year trainee clinical psychologists receiving HCPC registration imminently.

The job involves working with children, adolescents and young adults with complex medical and surgical needs, in hospital-based settings, at Addenbrooke’s Hospital.

The job involves assessment and delivery of care involving both the patient and parents and family systems where there are complex social needs. The intervention level ranges from the specialist tertiary multidisciplinary team level and associated paediatric ward nursing teams to community paediatric teams, social care, education and primary health care. Interventions routinely cross professional and Acute Health Trust and Community Mental Health Trust boundaries and sometimes involve Child Protection work.

The job involves physical effort of the nature of sitting in a constrained position for extended patient / client therapy sessions, frequent intense concentration on assessment and formulation, it is sometimes highly distressing, dealing with such issues as chronic illness and family breakdown, and may deal with issues such as acute physical distress or illness, death, serious mental illness and child abuse.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

Essential

• Doctoral level training in clinical psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the BPS, or a BPS Statement of Equivalence.
• Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council.

Desirable

• Chartered Clinical Psychologist

Experience

Essential

• Experience of specialist psychological assessment, formulation and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and in-patient settings.
• Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
• Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different contexts.

Desirable

• Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
• Experience of working with Families
• Experience working with Children in a paediatric medical setting

Skills/Abilities

Essential

• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, psychological formulation, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration. This requires the use of highly developed analytical and judgement skills
• Skills in individual and group work and in programme planning.
• Planning and organising skills for caseload management.
• Skills in self-management, including time-management.
• Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information, including contentious and highly distressing information, to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, enabling formation of networks with professionals within the Trust and from other agencies to promote effective team working with clients
• Able to contain and work with high levels of distress from clients

Desirable

• High Level Knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
• Knowledge of the impact of health conditions on children, adolescents and their families.

Knowledge & Understanding

Essential

• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to the client group.

Physical Requirements

Essential

• Able to tolerate prolonged periods of sitting.

Other

Essential

• Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.

Closing Date: 23 August 2026