Pennine Care NHS FT

Highly Specialist Clinical/Counselling Psychologist OPS Acute-Tameside

The closing date is 15 February 2026

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen arisen for an 8a, or 7/8a Preceptorship Clinical/ Counselling Psychologist to come and join the MDT working on the older adult (OA) inpatient wards in Tameside.

This post has been newly created and is part of an increased investment in OA services, in recognition of the outstanding care we wish to provide for our OA communities. We hope this additional resource will develop a robust offer across the Trust's footprint.

There will be appropriate support, supervision and guidance available and you will belong to a compassionate and invested Older Adult MDT who are committed to providing evidence based, trauma informed clinical care to those who are supported by our services.

You will be afforded various CPD opportunities throughout alongside the chance to develop leadership skills that will serve to enhance your contribution to the older adult network and your own career progression.

Main duties of the job

To provide and supervise psychological assessments, formulations, interventions / therapies appropriate to a specialist psychological therapy service for service users with highly complex mental health problems / organic illnesses cared for within the Older People Inpatient Service. To support the delivery of trauma informed and personalised care to meet presenting need.

Working closely as part of the multi-disciplinary team, a key function of the role will be to support inpatient staff through consultation, care-planning, reflective practice, team formulation and training to develop a psychological understanding and context for patients and carers, that is formulation driven, recovery focussed and trauma and gender informed.

To provide line management and clinical supervision and to play an active role in service developments and governance within the service as required. The post holders will propose and implement evidence-based practice, utilising research skills for audit and service developments.

About us

We are proud to provide high quality mental health and learning disability services, both inpatient and in the community across five boroughs of Greater Manchester - Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport and Tameside and Glossop.

Our vision is for a happier and more hopeful life for everyone in our communities and our staff work hard to deliver the very best care for the people who use our services. We're really proud of our#PennineCarePeopleand do everything we can to make sure we're a great place to work.

All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership are encouraged to apply for this post. We would also encourage applications from individuals with a lived experience of mental illness, either individually or as a carer.

If you come and work for us we will offer a range of benefits and opportunities, including:

  • Generous annual leave entitlement for Agenda for Change and Medical and Dental staff.
  • Flexible working opportunities to support your work/life balance
  • Access to Continued Professional Development
  • Involvement in improvement and research activities
  • Health and Wellbeing activities and access to an excellent staff wellbeing service
  • Access to staff discounts across retail, leisure and travel

Details

Date posted

30 January 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£55,690 to £62,682 a year pa

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

311-T644-25-A

Job locations

Etherow Building, Tameside General Hospital

Fountain Street

Ashton-Under-Lyne

OL6 9RW


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification for specific details of primary responsibilities.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification for specific details of primary responsibilities.

Person Specification

Education / Qualifications

Essential

  • oProfessional Doctorate in clinical psychology recognised by the British Psychological Society / or Counselling Psychology and registration with HCPC.
  • oSpecialist professional knowledge of psychological needs and services for older people and their carers, with some further specialisation within this. This includes relevant psychological theories, methods and evidence.

Desirable

  • oPre-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and / or other fields of applied psychology.
  • oFurther training / qualification in a specialist therapy, model of consultation or leadership skills.
  • oCompletion of training in supervision of trainee clinical psychologist.

Experience

Essential

  • Clinical experience as a specialist clinical psychologist in a relevant field of practice.
  • oExperience of specialist psychological assessment, formulation and intervention for service users presenting with complexity in a variety of settings including primary and secondary care, community, outpatient and inpatient settings.
  • oExperience of working with a wide variety of service user groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical 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.
  • oMDT working (including across community and acute care pathways).
  • oExperience of teaching, training, consultation and supervision.

Knowledge

Essential

  • oDoctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
  • oEvidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS.
  • oKnowledge of the practice implications of the National policy and guidance with secondary care service users.
  • oKnowledge of legislation in relation to the secondary care service users and mental health.

Desirable

  • oKnowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. CERN, dual diagnosis, people with additional disabilities etc.).
  • oHigh-level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.
  • oFormal training in the supervision of other psychologists.

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • oSkills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
  • oWell-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing complex, highly technical and / or clinically sensitive information to service users, their families and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
  • oSkills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
  • oAbility to teach and train others using a variety of complex and multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
  • oAbility 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

  • oExperience of working with a multicultural framework.
  • oExperience of working within an Older People Service.
  • oStrong interest in developing ways of increasing psychologically based interventions in acute care settings.

Work Related Circumstances

Essential

  • oUse of a car or access to a means of mobility to travel across the Trust footprint in line with service needs
  • oWilling to carry out all duties and responsibilities of the post in accordance with the Trust's Equal Opportunities and Equality and Diversity policies
  • oAppointments to regulated and controlled activities require an enhanced DBS disclosure.
Person Specification

Education / Qualifications

Essential

  • oProfessional Doctorate in clinical psychology recognised by the British Psychological Society / or Counselling Psychology and registration with HCPC.
  • oSpecialist professional knowledge of psychological needs and services for older people and their carers, with some further specialisation within this. This includes relevant psychological theories, methods and evidence.

Desirable

  • oPre-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and / or other fields of applied psychology.
  • oFurther training / qualification in a specialist therapy, model of consultation or leadership skills.
  • oCompletion of training in supervision of trainee clinical psychologist.

Experience

Essential

  • Clinical experience as a specialist clinical psychologist in a relevant field of practice.
  • oExperience of specialist psychological assessment, formulation and intervention for service users presenting with complexity in a variety of settings including primary and secondary care, community, outpatient and inpatient settings.
  • oExperience of working with a wide variety of service user groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical 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.
  • oMDT working (including across community and acute care pathways).
  • oExperience of teaching, training, consultation and supervision.

Knowledge

Essential

  • oDoctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
  • oEvidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS.
  • oKnowledge of the practice implications of the National policy and guidance with secondary care service users.
  • oKnowledge of legislation in relation to the secondary care service users and mental health.

Desirable

  • oKnowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. CERN, dual diagnosis, people with additional disabilities etc.).
  • oHigh-level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.
  • oFormal training in the supervision of other psychologists.

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • oSkills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
  • oWell-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing complex, highly technical and / or clinically sensitive information to service users, their families and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
  • oSkills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
  • oAbility to teach and train others using a variety of complex and multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
  • oAbility 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

  • oExperience of working with a multicultural framework.
  • oExperience of working within an Older People Service.
  • oStrong interest in developing ways of increasing psychologically based interventions in acute care settings.

Work Related Circumstances

Essential

  • oUse of a car or access to a means of mobility to travel across the Trust footprint in line with service needs
  • oWilling to carry out all duties and responsibilities of the post in accordance with the Trust's Equal Opportunities and Equality and Diversity policies
  • oAppointments to regulated and controlled activities require an enhanced DBS disclosure.

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).

Additional information

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

Pennine Care NHS FT

Address

Etherow Building, Tameside General Hospital

Fountain Street

Ashton-Under-Lyne

OL6 9RW


Employer's website

https://www.penninecare.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Pennine Care NHS FT

Address

Etherow Building, Tameside General Hospital

Fountain Street

Ashton-Under-Lyne

OL6 9RW


Employer's website

https://www.penninecare.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Trustwide Clinical Lead for OPS

Dr Lee Harkness

lee.harkness1@nhs.net

07912453918

Details

Date posted

30 January 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£55,690 to £62,682 a year pa

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

311-T644-25-A

Job locations

Etherow Building, Tameside General Hospital

Fountain Street

Ashton-Under-Lyne

OL6 9RW


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

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