Job summary
Senior Clinical Psychologist - Paediatric Psychology Service
We are excited to offer a fantastic opportunity to join our Paediatric Psychology Service as a Senior Clinical Psychologist.
Your role will involve:
- 2 days/week with the Narcolepsy team
- 1 day/week with the Difficult Asthma clinical pathway
- 1 day/week with the Pain Team clinical pathway
- Half a day/week in cross-specialty work
We welcome applications from experienced professionals, but can also offer a Band 7/8a Preceptorship for those with less experience. If appointed under a preceptorship, you will be supported in your development and reassessed after 2 years for progression to Band 8a.
You will be compassionate, accountable, and dedicated to delivering excellent care, respecting all colleagues, patients, and service users.
Informal visits and enquiries are warmly welcomed!
Main duties of the job
Reporting into the Consultant Clinical Psychologist, your responsibilities will include:
- Provide specialist psychological assessments for clients referred to the Narcolepsy and Difficult Asthma teams, using a variety of tools such as psychological and neuro-psychological tests, self-report measures, observations, and interviews with clients, families, and others involved in care.
- Take professional responsibility for creating and implementing psychological treatment plans, using a conceptual framework that considers the client's mental health in the context of their family and wider environment.
- Deliver psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families, and groups, adjusting and refining psychological formulations based on evolving understanding of the client's needs.
- Evaluate and decide on the most appropriate treatment options, considering complex factors like the client's history and development.
About us
At Sheffield Children's, our purpose is clear: to provide healthier futures for children and young people. Our three strategic aims are:
- Outstanding Patient Care
- Brilliant Place to work
- Leaders in Children's Health
We work with local, regional, and national partners to provide physical and mental healthcare across acute and community settings. Many of our clinicians are amongst the best in their field, recognised nationally and internationally for their expertise.
As well as having enormous pride in what we do, we are a friendly, welcoming, and motivated NHS Trust who are guided by our CARE values: Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence. Our nearly 4000 colleagues live these values, ensuring kind and compassionate care that makes patients and their families feel safe and at home.
As we approach our 150th anniversary in 2026, we remain committed to enhancing our reputation in children's health leadership, improving the experiences of both patient and colleagues, and focusing on our communities and population health.
Sheffield Children's provides great benefits to support your wellbeing, with excellent annual leave and pension schemes, health programmes, and exclusive discounts--helping you succeed at work and beyond.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For more information on the main responsibilities for this post, please refer to the job description and person specification.
Please note that Sheffield Children's uplift pay to meet the Real Living Wage, which is £12.60 per hour.
Diversity Statement
At Sheffield Childrens, we are committed to creating an inclusive environment that celebrates diversity and supports everyones success. We prioritise Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in our recruitment practices, creating a welcoming space for people of all backgrounds, including ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ members.
Recognising that inclusivity is an ongoing effort, we review our processes and welcome feedback to enhance our practices. A diverse team strengthens our organisation and the quality of care we deliver. For ideas on how we can improve, please contact our Recruitment Manager at [email protected]. Together, were building a workplace where everyone belongs.
Person Specification
Qualifications and Training
Essential
- Doctoral level training in clinical psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuro-psychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology, as accredited by the BPS
- Further specialist supervision in specific psychological approaches and or client groups supported by case presentations, group supervision and short courses. as part of an agreed personal development plan
- Registration with the HCPC as a Clinical Psychologist (or other relevant domain as agreed by the Director of Psychological Services)
Desirable
- Pre-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology
- Additional training and experience in neuropsychology
Experience
Essential
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and therapeutic interventions with children and young people with neurodevelopmental and/or neurological difficulties and their families.
- Experience of working with a wide variety of child neurodevelopmental difficulties (Autism Spectrum Disorders, Learning Disability, ADHD etc) and neurological problems (e.g. epilepsy) across the full age range, reflecting all levels of severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
- Demonstrate further specialist training/experience through having received a minimum of 50 hours clinical supervision of working as a specialist clinical psychologist over a minimum of 18 months, or an alternative agreed by the Director of Psychological Services
- Commitment to multi-disciplinary team working - team player
Desirable
- Experience of working within the area of speciality
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
- Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, 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 & non-professional groups.
- Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
- Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the HCPC & BPS.
Desirable
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g.ASD, LD, ADHD, complex syndromes, neurological problems).
- High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
- Formal training in supervision of other psychologists.
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
- Commitment and competencies in multi-disciplinary and multi-agency working
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
Desirable
- Experience of working within a multicultural framework.
- Personal experience of mental health problems
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust
Western Bank
Sheffield
S10 2TH
Employer's website
https://www.sheffieldchildrens.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)