Senior Clinical/ Counselling Psychologist - Psychosis ResearchinNuneatoninNuneatonPUBLISHED TUE 4 MAR 2025

This is an exciting new research post to deliver new psychological therapies for patients with psychosis as a part of the national Sleeping Better and Feeling Safer clinical trials. The role will support delivery of trials locally and be based within the community mental health services at Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust.

Each trial tests new psychological treatments for patients with psychosis or at high-risk for psychosis. These large clinical trials will take place in NHS mental health services at sites across England and Scotland. Each site will work closely together and comprise of established site leads, a clinical/counselling psychologist, an assistant psychologist, graduate mental health worker, peer worker and research assistants. The post holder will have a key role in the projects. They will deliver the new treatments, supervise others in delivering the therapies, and coordinate the trials locally. This is an exciting opportunity to join a vibrant clinical research community working to improve treatments for people with psychosis.

This role would suit someone interested in developing and delivering effective psychological treatments for psychosis, and includes both clinical and research opportunities. For newly qualified psychologists, there will be a route for progression to Band 8a. The post is substantive and after these trial roles have finished you will take up further research and/or clinical roles within our community mental health services.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a large community of clinical researchers working to improve treatments for people with psychosis. The post-holder will have a central role in the Sleeping Better and Feeling Safer trials, being responsible for the day-to-day delivery within CWPT. This will include delivering psychological therapy, supervising research assistants in the recruitment and assessment of trial participants, and supervising other clinicians in the delivery of the interventions. You will be accountable to the site Principal Investigator Dr Gary Willington, and you will receive supervision from Prof Daniel Freeman and Dr Felicity Waite from the lead site: Oxford. The position would suit a clinician with strong interests in cognitive therapy, treatment innovation, and clinical trials.

The post holder will be expected to support and promote a set of values that maximise the potential of individuals by promoting their recovery with the aim of reducing social exclusion, stigma and the potentially disabling effects of severe mental illness.

We actively support high quality research and want to attract psychologists interested in participating in NIHR and Wellcome Trust funded multi-centre research trials into psychological interventions for psychosis.

About us

For more information on this role please see the attached support information. This will give you a better overview of the job role and requirements.

Person specification:Essential criteria: Have an interest in providing psychological interventions for psychosis and have experience of working with people and their carers in secondary care mental health. Experience of clinical research (such as research completed during clinical psychology training) and the necessary skills to support the day-to-day delivery of the Sleeping Better and Feeling Safer trial within CWPT and neighbouring Trusts. Hold a current professional registration with the HCPC as a practitioner psychologist by the time you take up the post. Ability to travel during the working day over a large geographical area and work flexibly with the needs of the client group and trial. You will be based in North Warwickshire and are likely to travel throughout CWPT and neighbouring participating Trusts. On occasion, you will be expected to travel to other trial sites including Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Newcastle, and Oxford.Desirable: Experience of applying cognitive behavioural approached to psychosis.

If you do not yet meet the criteria for the Band 8a role, we will also support applications from candidates that meet the criteria for the Band 7 role and job description (please see supporting documents.

In these instances, the successful candidate would be appointed to a development post at Band 7 and provided opportunities and support to progress to the Band 8a role upon successful completion of a preceptorship programme. It is expected that this process will be achievable within a period of up to two years, although timescales may vary between different staff members in development posts. In the event that elements of the expected competencies to progress to Band 8a are not fully met, the role will remain as a Band 7. This will be further discussed as part of the interview and recruitment process as appropriate. Applications from newly qualified/soon to qualify clinicians would therefore be welcomed.

Please note: It is mandatory requirement for all newly appointed staff to be registered with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Update Service.