Would you like to join a centre of excellence in rural and remote healthcare?
Snr Clinical/Health/Counselling Psychologist/Psychological Pract
NHS AFC: Band 8a
Main area Physical Health & Rehabilitation Psychology – Familiar Faces Grade NHS AFC: Band 8a Contract Permanent Hours
- Full time
- Part time
- Flexible working
37.5 hours per week (Mon-Fri up to 37.5 hours pw) Job ref 262-A-26-8102559
Site West Cumberland Hospital Town Whitehaven Salary £57,528 – £64,750 Per Annum Pro Rata Salary period Yearly Closing 16/07/2026 23:59
Job overview
The post holder will work within the Familiar Faces team and be part of the Department of Health and Rehabilitation Psychology. The Department offers specialist psychological input across Cumbria to patients with health and neurological problems.
Familiar Faces (FF) offers specialist input to adults across Cumbria, with complex physical, psychological and social difficulties, who may have chronic pain, medically unexplained symptoms, functional neurological symptoms and/or chronic fatigue. The patients seen by FF frequently attend across the health economy, often resulting in unnecessary interventions and procedures with the increased risk of potential harm. This also causes pressure on the financial resources across the health and social care economy.
The Familiar Faces service offers specialist psychological input to those people who present frequently to GP, Ambulance and A&E Services but who do not have high levels of frailty or severe physical illness. This post will entail working both directly and indirectly with this group of clients who often have complex physical and psychosocial needs and with the services upon which they place the greatest demands.
This post will contribute to this service aim and promote:
- Integrated working in primary and secondary care, across the health economy/ICC
- Collaborative work with other professionals
- Teaching
- Training
- Supervision
Main duties of the job
Please see the full job description and person specification for a comprehensive list of roles and responsibilities.
Working for our organisation
At NCIC, we have an ambition to deliver outstanding healthcare services to the population of North Cumbria. The Trust is committed to creating a centre of excellence in providing rural and remote healthcare and provides a wide range of community and acute services throughout our county.
Our 5 key principles demonstrate our belief in the delivery of ‘safe, high quality care every time’:
- Being a clinically led organisation
- Quality and safety at the heart of our Trust
- A positive patient experience every time
- A great place to work
- Managing our money well
As an organisation we are serious about supporting a diverse workforce that reflects our local community and are very much focused on being an inclusive and compassionate place to work.
Across the North East and North Cumbria we are working together to deliver our ambition to be the greenest region in England by 2030. All staff are expected to support sustainability.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
JOB DESCRIPTION :
Please see attached job description and person specification for further information regarding the role and the essential and desirable criteria required to be met by applicants.
CERTIFICATE OF SPONSORSHIP
Please note, due to changes implemented by the Government to the UK immigration policy, individuals who require a Health and Care Visa or a Skilled Worker Visa may no longer be eligible for sponsorship where the UKVI salary threshold is not met or if the occupation is not included in the updated Immigration Salary List (ISL). Applicants must check their eligibility to be employed in any role they are interested in applying for, prior to completing an application for employment. Any applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria will not be progressed. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.
If you are applying under the Disability Confident Scheme or Armed Forces Covenant and you meet all the essential criteria for a post, you will be guaranteed an interview.
Relocation assistance may be available for successful applicants moving to the region for certain posts. Please see our Policy for eligible vacancies.
AHP – Return to Practice Job Advert information. This role may be suitable for individuals Returning to Practice. Please speak to the recruiting manager for further information.
Disclosure and Barring Service
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.
The cost of the DBS must be met by the successful candidate(s) through salary deduction. DBS charges are as follows if applicable to the post:
Standard Check: £21.50 + Administration cost of £6.50 = £28.00 Deducted from salary over a 4 month period or a one-off payment.
Enhanced Check: £49.50 + administration cost of £6.50 = £56.00 Deducted from salary over a 4 month period or a one-off payment.
Benefits
NCIC can offer successful future employees the following benefits:
- 27-day holiday scheme rising to 33 after 10 years
- NHS Discounts
- Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work
- Vivup is a free, confidential counselling and information service to assist with personal or work‑related problems
- Subject to eligibility
Please ensure that you document evidence of meeting all the essential criteria in the supporting information.
If sufficient response is received this post could be closed earlier than the specified closing date, please apply as soon as possible to ensure that your application is considered.
Candidates who have been successfully shortlisted for interview will be asked via an email notification to log on to their Trac account to select an interview time. This will usually be within 2 weeks of the closing date.
Person specification
Qualifications
- Registered with the regulatory body eg. BABPC, RCN or HCPC
- Either: Clinical Psychologist: HCPC Registered Practitioner Psychologist. BPS Accredited Clinical Psychology Training. Or : Health or Counselling Psychologist: HCPC registered Health or Counselling Practitioner Psychologist, with experience in clinical practice working with patients with health problems and long term conditions Or: Cognitive Behavioural Therapist With completed appropriate training in CBT therapy, eg Diploma, accredited by the BABCP, and equivalent to a Doctoral degree or higher level of professional knowledge, training and experience
- Prepared to undertake a substantial Post-qualification training in one or more additional specialized areas of psychological practice, at least equivalent to a post-graduate diploma, or equivalent professional development
- Training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychological interventions.
- Post-qualification training in evidence based therapies eg. EMDR, CFT, ACT.
Knowledge and Experience
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across a range of care settings, e.g. outpatient, community, primary care and in patient settings.
- Experience of working with patients with wide range of psychological problems, e.g. community mental health, long term health conditions
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, typically across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in clients with physical health difficulties and emotional distress
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in clients with physical health difficulties and emotional distress.
- Knowledge of research methodology, research design and data analysis in psychological intervention.
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
- Experience in the area of service of this post.
- Experience of the application of psychological approaches in different cultural contexts.
- Experience of working with groups of service users.
- Experience of team working.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
- Knowledge of the biopsychosocial model and its application in a clinical setting.
- Knowledge of current local and national drivers and models for services and developments within the NHS.
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
- Well‑developed skills in spoken and written communication of 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 non‑professional individuals and groups.
- A commitment to working in a compassionate way with colleagues and clients alike.
- Awareness of one’s own psychological health and the capacity to take responsibility for appropriate preventative and/or therapeutic strategies.
- Ability to use computers efficiently for word processing and Email. Knowledge of Microsoft Office functions and a willingness to further develop these as required.
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi‑media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
- Clinical leadership skills.
- Ability to use computers to generate spreadsheets, graphs, etc.
Other Requirements
- Ability and willingness to work flexibly across all service locations in Cumbria as appropriate and required by the service.
- Ability to travel to any PHRP locations independent of Public transport.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Contact Information
Phone: 01768 245 954Email: Robert.Hallard2@ncic.nhs.ukAdditional information: email contact is preferred.
If you have problems applying, contact
Address: South Parkhouse Building, Baron Way, Kingmoor Park, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA6 4SJ
Telephone: 01228936281
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