Clinical Psychologist

Job summary

We are seeking an experienced and enthusiastic Band 7 Clinical Psychologist to join the Psychological Skills Service (PSS) Central within the Adult and Specialist Mental Health Directorate.

The role involves providing specialist psychological assessment, formulation, and evidence-based interventions for adults affected by complex trauma, attachment difficulties, developmental trauma, and adverse life experiences. The post holder will manage an autonomous caseload, delivering individual and group interventions using approaches such as TF-CBT, CFT, EMDR, and Schema-informed therapies.

In addition, the successful candidate will provide consultation, supervision, and training to multidisciplinary colleagues, promote trauma-informed practice, and contribute to service development, quality improvement, research, and evaluation activities. Working collaboratively with internal and external partners, they will support the delivery and ongoing development of effective psychological services.

This is an exciting opportunity for a psychologist passionate about trauma-informed care to further develop their clinical, leadership, and service development skills within a specialist and expanding service.

Main duties of the job

The Band 7 Clinical Psychologist will provide specialist assessment, formulation, and evidence-based interventions for adults with complex mental health needs related to developmental trauma, attachment difficulties, and adverse life experiences.

The role includes undertaking comprehensive assessments, developing trauma-informed formulations and treatment plans, and delivering therapies such as TF-CBT, EMDR, Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), and Schema-informed approaches. The post holder will manage an autonomous caseload, including assessment, treatment, risk management, discharge planning, and psychological care coordination within multidisciplinary teams.

Key responsibilities include providing consultation, supervision, training, and advice to colleagues, promoting trauma-informed practice, and working collaboratively with partner agencies to deliver person-centred care. The post holder will also contribute to service development, quality improvement, audit, research, evaluation, clinical governance, and the development of psychological pathways and training resources.

The successful candidate will maintain high-quality clinical records, engage in continuing professional development, and support the delivery of effective, evidence-based trauma services within the Psychological Skills Service Central.

About us

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high quality care with compassion to improve the health and wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting and empowering them to lead fulfilling lives.

Our clinical teams deliver a wide range of NHS services across inpatient, primary care and community settings, including children's, adult and older people's mental health, forensic and specialist mental health, learning disabilities, primary care and liaison psychiatry, substance misuse, social care, and research and development.

To achieve our goals, we recruit high calibre candidates who share our vision and values. As an equal opportunities' employer, we welcome applications from all sections of the community, particularly under represented groups including people with long term conditions and members of our ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities.

All appointments for new employees to CPFT are subject to the successful completion of a probationary period.

Please note we reserve the right to close adverts early should we receive sufficient applications.

Regrettably, we cannot offer sponsorship for all roles. If you apply for a post that does not attract sponsorship, your application will be withdrawn from the process.

For further information on CPFT, please visit our website at

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities.

• Undertake specialist psychological assessments, including risk assessment, formulation, diagnosis, and treatment planning for individuals presenting with complex trauma-related difficulties.
• Develop collaborative, trauma-informed formulations that support service users in understanding the impact of developmental trauma and adverse experiences on their current difficulties.
• Deliver evidence-based psychological interventions using approaches such as Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Schema-informed interventions.
• Provide treatment in both individual and group formats and contribute to the co-facilitation of specialist group programmes where appropriate.
• Monitor and evaluate treatment outcomes, adapting interventions in response to service user needs and progress.
• Maintain responsibility for the assessment, treatment, review, and discharge of a specialist caseload.
• Act as psychological care coordinator where appropriate, ensuring effective communication and coordination of care across agencies and professionals.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

Essential

• Doctorate level training in clinical or applied psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical, psychometrics, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the BPS, or a BPS Statement of Equivalence.
• BPS Registered
• HCPC Registration as a Clinical Psychologist

Desirable

• Eligible for BABCP accreditation

Experience

Essential

• 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 specialist psychological assessment, formulation and treatment
• Experience of 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 service evaluation/audits

Desirable

• Experience of working with people who have complex PTSD
• Substantial experience of working therapeutically with people who have experienced developmental trauma and present with complex mental health needs.

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.
• Ability to deliver trauma informed formulation driven interventions drawing from CBT and CFT frameworks
• Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance, including regular supervision, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.

Desirable

• Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies indicated for people who have experienced developmental trauma e.g. TF-CBT, EMDR, schema therapy

Knowledge & Understanding

Essential

• An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental distress and an ability to think compassionately about the lived experience of mental illness
• Good understanding of other professionals' theoretical perspectives of the adult group.
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and its implications for clinical and professional practice

Desirable

• Knowledge of current guidelines for services and service users who have complex PTSD.

Other

Essential

• Ability to exercise appropriate levels of self care and monitor own state, recognising when it is necessary to take active steps to maintain fitness to practice.

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.

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).

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

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