Clinical Psychologist

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a part time 0.90 wte 8B Lead Clinical Psychologist within the mental health liaison services at Lister General Hospital (LGH).


This is a fantastic opportunity to lead a cutting edge service that has an excellent reputation within the trust and general hospitals. Psychology is highly valued by both the MHLT and general hospital wards/ specialities and is seen as a core component of service provision.


The Mental Health Liaison Service works at integrating physical and mental health care for people attending the general hospital. The aim is to provide a multidisciplinary approach in understanding people presenting with co-morbid mental and physical health difficulties within a general hospital setting.


The post holder/s will mainly focus on the provision of specialist assessment and intervention within a physical health context including the provision of psychology across hospital specialities, e.g. gastroenterology, diabetes, respiratory, dementia/frailty, and pain whilst also focusing on supporting the team with secondary care mental health presentations e.g. complex personality disorder. There is huge opportunity to engage in service development initiatives, provide teaching/training and consultation across the acute care context.
Examples of liaison initiatives include projects focused on reducing frequent attenders to the Accident and Emergency (A& E) department based on a consultation model, group programmes for Medically Unexplained Symptoms (MUS), reflection work with general hospital staff and proactive psychological support for individuals at risk of lengthy hospital admissions. There is a keen focus on supervision, personal development and peer support opportunities.


This post would suit an HCPC registered Clinical or Counselling Psychologist with at least 4 years post qualification experience in mental health, preferably with experience of working in acute settings


The post would suit individuals wishing to work in a fast paced, energetic and creative mental health field at the cutting edge of integrated care. Experience in integrated care and physical health presentations, or experience in working with older people and frailty, will be a distinct advantage. However, we would also welcome applications from clinical/counselling psychologists aspiring to move fields or to expand their Clinical Health Psychology knowledge and skills.
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is an outstanding organisation with ambitions to match. We are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from the Care Quality Commission , and our aim is to be the leading provider of mental health and specialist learning disability services in the country.


Our family of over 3500 members of staff provide health and social care for over 400,000 people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. We also deliver a range of nationally commissioned specialist services including Tier 4 services for children and young people, perinatal services, plus medium and low secure learning disabilities services.


The care we provide makes a fantastic difference to the lives of our service users, their families and carers - everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout.


To ensure the systematic provision of a specialist clinical / counselling psychology service across the MHLT service at Lister General Hospital (LGH) for the provision of psychological interventions for service users presenting with co-morbid mental health difficulties including complex medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) and severe and enduring mental health problems presenting to LGH.
To supervise and support the psychological assessment and therapy provided by other psychologists, psychological therapists and other clinical members of the team who provide psychologically based care and treatment, as well as providing assessment and therapy as required.
To utilise research skills for audit, policy and service development and research.
To propose and implement policy changes within the area served by the team/service.


Good honours degree in psychology. Eligibility for graduate membership of the British Psychological Society (BPS).
Post-graduate doctorate in clinical psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, or fully completed training as a Counselling Psychologist.
Well-developed full-time post-registration experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment with clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature.
Full registration with Health Professions Council

Related academic qualifications to masters or doctorate level
Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice.
Experience and or training in neuropsychological assessment
Specific Training in Family/Systemic Interventions, CBT-P, DBT, MBT, EMDR, ASD/ADHD assessment/intervention.

Assessed experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of adults of working age with a wide range of presentations of varying severity. Experience of working with moderate to severe mental health problems, including medically unexplained symptoms, physical health problems, and personality difficulties.
Demonstrate further specialist clinical experience and training, through a minimum of 50 hours clinical supervision of working as a specialist clinical psychologist over a minimum of 18 months, or an agreed alternative
Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for client's psychological care and treatment.
Experience working within a multi-disciplinary therapy service.
Doctoral level knowledge of clinical psychology including highly developed knowledge of older age psychology, models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics, and neuropsychology.
multiple mental health and/or physical health problems). Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS and HPC.
Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively and well, orally and in writing, highly technical, and 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 non-professional groups
Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis as practiced within the field of clinical psychology.
Knowledge of relevant legislation and its implications for clinical practice in relation to older people
Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups
Experience of having published in either peer reviewed academic or professional journals and/or books
Well-developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g., dual diagnoses, people with co-morbid conditions: physical health, social complexity, psychologically complex histories
Familiarity with computing technology, including keyboard skills, and use of word-processing, e-mail, and internet software.
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Lister General Hospital Mental Health Liaison Team, Stevenage, SG1 4AB.


Mental Health Unit