Clinical Health Psychologist

Job summary
Clinical Health Psychologist
Salary: Band 8a
Full Time 18.25 hours
Reading

We are seeking a motivated and compassionate Clinical Health Psychologist - ME/CFS to join our team. This is a part-time role.

This is an exciting role commissioned by Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust. As part of an MDT you will manage a clinical caseload, supported by the Principal Clinical Psychologist. You will be part of the Clinical Health Psychology Service based at 25 Erleigh Road Reading. The service offers in-person and virtual therapy appointments.

As part of the clinical health psychology team, you will take part in our weekly meetings including complex case discussions, CPD and wellbeing check-ins. You will have the opportunity to contribute to service development and participate in the broader activities of our dynamic team.

We would welcome applications from newly qualified psychologists looking to develop their competences.

Main duties of the job

• Advice and consultation on patients' psychological care to other clinical members of the teams providing psychologically and physically based care and treatment.
• Direct therapeutic clinical work with individuals living with long term physical health conditions
• Service delivery, service planning and care pathways.

About us
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

Date posted
28 July 2026

Pay scheme
Agenda for change

Band
Band 8a

Salary
£57,888 to £64,880 a year
per annum (inc. of HCAS)

Contract
Permanent

Working pattern
Full-time

Reference number
371-TAP-CHS1135-A

Job locations
25 Erleigh Road, Reading, RG1 5LR, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
The "must haves" for this role:

• Doctoral qualification in clinical or counselling psychology
• Evidence of post qualification or specialist training to accreditable level in areas of psychological/psychotherapy practice directly related to the clinical requirements of this post
• Experience of specialist assessment and formulation and treatment of adults in inpatient and/or community physical health settings.
• Relevant experience of working with long-term health conditions.
• HCPC registration

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're 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.

If you would like to discuss any of these roles in more detail prior to application, please contact:
Dr Kate Smart, Principal Clinical Health Psychologist @ View email address on meeveem.com

Applications for this role will be considered on a first come first serve basis and we may close the vacancy early if the right candidate is found

Please note, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

Person Specification
Education/Qualifications/Training
Essential

• For Clinical/Counselling Psychologist: Post graduate doctoral qualification in clinical or counselling psychology (or equivalent for those who trained prior to 1996 or for those who completed their training overseas) which provides eligibility for Chartered Membership of British Psychological Society (BPS)
• For Clinical/Counselling Psychologist: Registered and accredited with the Health Care Professional Council (HCPC) as a Practitioner Psychologist
• For Clinical Neuropsychology: Registered with the HCPC as a Clinical Psychologist or Practitioner Psychologist (with additional qualifications in Neuropsychology) and eligible for Chartered Membership status with the BPS.
• For Clinical Neuropsychology: Completion of (or working towards/willing to undertake) the Qualification in Clinical Neuropsychology (QiCN).
• Additional training/ accreditations (willingness to undertake or working towards these) to reflect post qualification specialism (e.g. Health Psychology, Neuropsychology, BABCP, UKCP, ACAT, EMDR-UK, BPS,).

Continuous Professional Development
Essential

• Evidence of post-qualification training and expert knowledge in multiple psychological models and therapeutic approaches relevant to the service area. Having a robust awareness of the current evidence-base and new developments within the area of specialism
• Training in clinical supervision.

Additional Requirements
Essential

• Ability to travel across sites in Berkshire and beyond as required
• Able to work flexibly as required and to travel independently between locations to fulfil the requirements and duties of the position

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Essential

• Demonstrable knowledge, skills and abilities in the practice of highly specialised assessment, formulation and intervention, relevant to the specialist modality and service area
• Knowledge of evidence base, research, policy and legislation in relation to the service area
• 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.
• Well-developed verbal and written communication skills enabling the sensitive communication of complex, technical and/or sensitive information to multiple stakeholders
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to support, influence and engage with clinicians, stakeholders and service users to create change and improvement.
• The ability and skills to act as an advocate for the service, to engage and foster good professional relationships with all health professionals in promoting the good integration of this service with the wider health care system.
• Advanced IT skills and the ability to navigate various systems and software packages (such as RiO, Outlook, databases, MS Office/Teams, One Consultation and the Internet).
• Ability to manage difficult situations with service users, and their families and carers, that have complex presentations and to exercise autonomy in managing a demanding and complex caseload.
• Ability to confidently cope well under pressure, resolve issues and competing demands, with excellent time management skills and an ability to respond constructively to challenge or resistance, applying practical problem-solving skills in both everyday and complex situations.

Experience
Essential

• Demonstrable post qualification experience working as a qualified specialist practitioner in the area of specialism
• Experience of working in evidence-based ways with services users (and their carers/families) presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the range of settings, 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 dealing with highly distressing or emotional circumstances, such as serious mental illness, child and sexual abuse, exploitation, and complex family dynamics
• Experiencing of managing complex situations concerning safeguarding, risk management, complaints and investigations.
• Experience of delivering interventions across different modalities (e.g. individual, group and systemic-based approaches).
• Experience of providing specialist advice and consultation to multi-disciplinary and multi-agency colleagues to support the psychological care of service users
• Experience of providing effective clinical supervision, mentoring and leadership to junior staff
• Experience of developing and delivering teaching to a range of staff groups
• Experience of positively influencing team practice and promoting wellbeing and social inclusion, and commitment to fostering trauma-informed, anti-racist and neuro-affirmative practice.
• Experience of service development and carrying out clinical audit, evaluative research and applying the findings.
• Experience of service evaluation and implementing change from a national and local health or social care change agenda that impacts across services and professions.
• Experience of working with and addressing issues of diversity, including experience of working with diversity, multiculturalism, and equality of access to service.

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).