Clinical psychologist

Forest House Adolescent Unit (FHAU) is looking to recruit a high calibre clinical psychologist. This person will work to strengthen the psychological assessment and treatment of young people during admissions to FHAU, thorough direct and indirect intervention with the young person, family, staff team and/or outside agencies. A whole team approach to working, strong communication skills, and a robust approach to self-care will be essential to thriving in this role.


The success candidate will have a strong interest in delivering excellence in the care and treatment of young people in mental health crisis. The successful candidate will be located within the Psychological Therapies Team, under the guidance of the Therapy Team Lead, but have a wider role within the Unit MDT working to bring trauma-informed approaches to the day-to-day activities on the front line. They will provide supervision to the practitioner psychologists and psychological therapists within the Psychological Therapy Team. To ensure the systematic provision of a highly specialist clinical psychology service to young people within the Tier 4 Inpatient Adolescent Unit, working collegiality within a multidisciplinary Therapies Team and UnitTo provide highly specialist psychological assessment and treatment at the same time as offering advice and consultation on young people's psychological care to non-psychologist colleagues, professionals from other agencies and to other non-professional carersTo provide case management around a subset of young people within the unit, ensuring safe, secure and joined up care and treatment within hospital, and between hospital, home and involved services / agencies, as directed by the Therapy Team Lead.To lead / provide teaching and training to non-psychologist colleagues within the wider Inpatient MDTLead / progress CQI projects, as agreed with the Therapy Team Lead or Consultant Clinical PsychologistTo be responsible for the continued development of the specialist psychology resources within the inpatient setting, and for the work undertaken by them. And for providing clinical and professional supervision to less experienced practitioner psychologists including Youth Intensive Psychological Practitioners, Assistant Psychologists and Trainee Clinical Psychologists as agreed with the appropriate operational manager and Professional/Consultant Leads.


Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is an exceptional organisation with big ambitions, our aim is to be the leading provider of mental health and specialist learning disability services in the country.


With a workforce of around 3,500 people and an annual income of some 330 million this year, the Trust provides integrated health and social care services through a network of community and inpatient settings, serving diverse communities across Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and Norfolk. As a university NHS foundation trust, HPFT continues to develop strong links with the University of Hertfordshire, providing excellent learning and development opportunities, as well as strengthening our clinical research capability


Whilst it is a challenging period for the NHS, there has never been a more exciting time to join HPFT following our CQC rating of Outstanding awarded to us in April 2019. We are on our Good to Great journey as we continue to innovate, improve, transform and ultimately deliver the very highest standards of care to the service users and communities that we serve.


Part time working / compressed hours will be considered.
Everything we do is aimed at providing consistently high quality, joined up care, support and treatment.
Knowledge, Training and Experience
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
At least four years 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 under the Clinical or Counselling modality
Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice
Training in supervision of clinical / counselling psychologists
Related academic qualifications to masters or doctorate level


Assessed experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of children/adolescents with a wide range of presentations of varying severity. Experience of working with moderate to severe mental health problems with a wide range of client groups across the whole life course with presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity.
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 of teaching, training and/or supervision, including supervision of clinical psychology trainee(s)
Experience working within a multi disciplinary therapy service ? Doctoral level knowledge of clinical psychology including highly developed knowledge of developmental psychology, models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics, child and adolescent mental health and a range of therapeutic models
Knowledge of relevant legislation and its implications for clinical practice in relation to children and young people

Experience of working as a senior member of a multi-disciplinary team and/or Herts-wide CAMHS service and/or with wider professional networks and agencies

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Forest House Adolescent Unit


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