Clinical Psychologist

Job summary
Oxfordshire's Mental Health Urgent Care pathway is now established and comprises the Adult Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Team, CAMHS Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment, emergency department liaison services, and the mental health helpline.

The function of the CAMHS Crisis and Home Treatment Team is to provide patient-centred intensive care and treatment to patients and their families at home as an alternative to hospital admission. Crisis care is a highly specialist intervention and involves supporting our most vulnerable patients and their families in the least restrictive setting possible by providing a variety of recovery-focused psychosocial interventions that enable the person to regain or maintain independence.

The CAMHS CRHTT operates 24 hours a day, with core hours 08:00-20:00, and works closely with CAMHS community services, inpatient wards, children's social care, schools, local acute hospitals, and other emergency services (ambulance & police).

Successful post holders will be expected to actively contribute to the ongoing evaluation and development of interventions. We are proud to say our clinical model embodies the highest standards of care, with a key purpose of the service being our responsiveness (and excellence in patient care) to all aspects of crisis presentation. The values and personal attributes of the successful post holder are key to our on-going success.

Main duties of the job
As a Clinical/Counselling Psychologist in the CAMHS Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Team, you will:

• Provide specialist psychological assessment, formulation, risk assessment and evidence-based interventions for children and young people experiencing severe or complex mental health crises, working closely with their families and professional networks to support safe care at home wherever possible.
• Work autonomously as part of a multidisciplinary, countywide service, offering consultation, advice, training and supervision to colleagues, trainees and assistant psychologists, while maintaining high-quality clinical records and contributing to care planning and review.

The role also involves travelling independently between community settings across Oxfordshire and contributing to audit, research, service evaluation and the continuing development of responsive, accessible crisis care; it will therefore suit an experienced, compassionate and resilient practitioner who communicates well, manages competing demands and is comfortable working flexibly with at times highly emotive unpredictable situations.

About us
Please note that this role will require us to undertake a DBS check as a part of your onboarding.

Oxford Health is a great place to work and to be able to showcase the best of yourself when making an application please read the "candidate guide to making an application" and ensure your supporting statement is tailored to the role you are applying for and addresses any essential criteria.

As a Trust we provide physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and Northeast Somerset. Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people's homes, delivering care as close to home as possible. Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive: "Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team"

Our values are: "Caring, safe and excellent"

We offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include:

• Opportunities for career progression
• Access to tailored individual and Trust wide learning and development
• 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous service
• NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailers
• Competitive pension scheme
• Lease car scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Mental Health First Aiders
• Staff networking and support groups hosted by our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team

Details
Date posted: 04 September 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 7
Salary: £49,387 to £56,515 a year per annum
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 267-OC8259664
Job locations: House 1, Slade site, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7JH, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
We hope that the advert has given you a clear understanding of the skills we are seeking and the opportunity at hand. You will need to use the supporting statement element of your application form to demonstrate your suitability for this role and you should refer to the job description, person specification and the guidance notes attached to this role to help you tailor your application.

The essential and desirable criteria will be used to shortlist for interview and you should ensure that you refer to these within your application to increase your chances of being selected for interview.

Person Specification
Knowledge Requirements
Essential

• Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies with clients with severe and complex mental health problems
• Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology and psychotherapy
• Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings

Desirable

• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health

Qualifications - Academic/Skills/Professional
Essential

• Doctoral level training in clinical/ counselling psychology including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology
• Masters/Diploma in CBT with a core qualification in a field of mental health, including psychiatric nursing, social work or occupational therapy
• Registration with HCPC or equivalent

Desirable

• Pre-qualification training and qualifications or experience in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology

Experience
Essential

• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, day services and inpatient 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 threat of physical abuse

Desirable

• Experience of working within a multicultural framework. Experience of running/co-running groups

Further Training or Job Related Aptitude and Skills
Essential

• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
• Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and nonprofessional groups
• Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the relevant professional body

Desirable

• Willingness to work towards accreditation with accrediting body such as BABCP, SfDBT or ACAT

Personal Qualities
Essential

• A positive approach to working with Children, Young people and families experiencing mental health difficulties
• Ability to work as part of a team and independently & Flexibly
• 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

Desirable

• An awareness of own strengths and limitations

Contractual Requirements or other requirements
Essential

• Ability to travel independently between community sites and to regional meetings.

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.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust is committed to equal opportunities and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.