Clinical/Counselling Psychologist | Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust


Company:	Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Salary:	£49,387 - £56,515 per annum, pro rata
Hours:	Part-time
Location:	Reading, RG30 4EJ
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	19 Oct 2026
Closing date:	18 Nov 2026

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Summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen foraClinical/Counselling Psychologist toworkonan adult acutepsychiatricinpatient wardas part of theMental Health Inpatients Psychological TherapiesTeam at Prospect Park Hospitalin Reading.This rolewould suit a candidate who is keen toapplya broad range of psychological skills, which would include consultation, formulation,behaviouralsupport,therapeutic interventions,andcontribution to service development.

Wewelcome applications forthisband7Clinical/CounsellingPsychologist role.For those who are appointed at a band 7, this will be a developmental post(please see the guidance about developmental posts).We are also advertising this as a band 8a post, for those who meet the8aJD criteria.There are opportunities for flexible working patterns which would include face-to-face clinical work as well as home working. We are also flexible in accommodating requests for part-timeworking days.

Job satisfaction can come fromnumerousareas in this diverse role.Under supervision of a PrincipalPsychologistyou will take on a clinical caseloadwithadultswith complex mental health presentations.

You will be part of the Inpatients Psychological Therapiesteam, supervisetheAssistant Psychologistonyourward,and alsoreceive peer support from the other ward Clinical/Counselling Psychologists.You will contribute to and/or lead on service development projects.

Work on allocated adult acute mental health ward

Offer psychological consultation to hospital staff (e.g. team formulation, teaching sessions, joint working, supervision and staff support groups).

Supervise Assistant Psychologist.

Clinical work with service users and carers involving assessment (including behavioural support assessments), formulation and interventions with varied and complex mental health presentations.

Contribute to service improvement initiatives in a ward/community team, as well as contributing to projects arising from the Inpatients Psychological Therapies Team.

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated ‘outstanding’ by the CQC, we’re committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we’re committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.

Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:

• Caring for and about you is our top priority

• Committed to providing good quality, safe services

• Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions

Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:

• Flexible working options to support work-life balance

• 27 days’ annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell

• Generous NHS pension scheme

• Excellent learning and career development opportunities

• ‘Cycle to Work’ and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles

• Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services

• Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants

• Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality

• Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave

• Free parking across Trust sites

The 5“must haves” for you to be considered for this role:  

Postgraduate doctoral qualification inClinical orCounsellingPsychology (or equivalent)

You will have experience working withadults and/or olderadults with complex mental health problemsand haveexcellent therapeutic and management skills.

You will enjoy working in teams and providing psychological consultation,teachingand supervision.

Calm, confident and assertive in emotionally demanding situations, you will be astute at setting andmaintainingprofessional boundaries and will be efficient at dealing with distressing or hostile situations and behaviour.

Self-motivated and confident, you will show initiative and a determination to supportclientsand their families through creative engagement. This includes an ability to workintegrativelyin your clinical work.

Your application is your opportunity to demonstrate to us how you meet the requirements of the role. We recognise that AI tools can support accessibility, equity and confidence for applicants. However, it’s important that examples and responses given in your supporting statement genuinely reflect your own experience and abilities, as these will be explored further during the selection process. AI must not be used to provide misleading or false information during any stage of the application journey.

In addition to explaining how you meet the person specification, you must complete your employment history for at least the last five years. Any experience, skills or responsibilities referenced in your supporting statement should be evidenced within your employment history. Applications that do not include sufficient employment history to support the experience claimed may not be shortlisted.

We’re committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Stonewall Proud Employer, Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.

We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don’t hesitate to call: Catherine Evans-Jones on 0118 605186 or email: catherine.evansjones@berkshire.nhs.uk who’ll be delighted to help.

Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

This advert closes on Monday 26 Oct 2026

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