Job summary
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The Clinical Health Psychology Department at Alder Hey Children's Hospital is looking to recruit two Band 7 Clinical Psychologists to join our service.
The post holders will have the opportunity to work across a range of medical and surgical specialties and will be welcomed into a supportive and innovative team.
Applicants should hold the relevant professional qualifications and demonstrate a range of skills and expertise.
Experience of working in a health setting (in-patient and out-patient) with individuals with long-term health conditions will be particularly welcomed.
The post is open to applied psychologists registered with the HCPC as a Clinical Psychologist.
Applications from final year Trainee Clinical Psychologists are welcome and encouraged (if successful, there will be the opportunity to commence inpost as a band 6 prior to professionalregistration).
Please contact Dr Emma Twigg (Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Service Lead) to discuss further on (0151) 2525586.
Provisional Interview date Tuesday 26th May 2026
Main duties of the job
To work as part of Clinical Health Psychology team to provide psychological support to young people with acute and chronic health needs and their families. To provide highly specialist paediatric psychological and neuropsychological assessment at the same time as offering advice and consultation on the psychological care of children and families to non-psychologist colleagues in health and other agencies. This will involve being clinically responsible for complex therapeutic, and risk management work with clients who may be highly vulnerable, at risk, suicidal or aggressive. This work to be undertaken autonomously within the professional guidelines and overall frame work of the services policies and procedures. To support the provision of training placements for trainee Clinical Psychologists alongside senior colleagues. To utilise research skills for audit, policy and service development and research within the service. To collaboratively identify service priorities and take the lead on agreed elements of service development and delivery.
About us
Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest and busiest children's hospitals in Europe. The Trust has a world class reputation for providing general and specialist health care for children and a proud history of achievement and clinical innovation. As part of the Community Division, Clinical Health Psychology is a hospital-based mental health service providing psychological support to patients and their families experiencing emotional difficulties in relation to acute trauma, chronic health conditions and/or its treatment. We work closely with our multi-disciplinary colleagues and in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local authorities, other agencies, voluntary organisations, carers and users of our services. We have strong links with the Clinical Psychology doctoral training courses in the North West.
Job description
Job responsibilities
See job description for full details - main clinical responsibilities below:
To provide highly specialist psychological assessments of children and families referred to the service based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured observations and semi-structured interviews with children, adolescents, family members and others involved in childrens and young peoples care.
To make judgements involving highly complex facts which require analysis, interpretation and comparison to a range of options. To formulate and implement plans of specialist psychological treatment and/or management of children and young peoples mental health problems, based on an appropriate multi-factorial and multi-theoretical psychological understanding of the individual and/or familys problems and employing methods based upon current evidence-based practice, across the full range of care settings.
To be responsible for undertaking a range of psychological therapeutic interventions employed individually and in synthesis with individuals, carers, families and groups, within and across teams, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.
To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors regarding historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group.
To exercise autonomous professional judgement and responsibility for the psychological management of children and families including assessment, formulation, intervention, discharge and effective communication of these plans with referrers and other multi-agency professionals involved in the care of the child and family on a regular basis.
To provide highly specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to the multi-disciplinary formulation of appropriate therapeutic approaches or intervention plans, and be involved in, or oversee and co-ordinate specialist psychological aspects of their implementation in collaboration with other staff.
To undertake psychologically based risk assessment and management for individual children and families and to provide advice on the psychological aspects of risk assessment and management to other professions.
To provide and receive in a skilled and sensitive manner, highly complex, sensitive and sometimes contentious information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans to children and families in an empathic and supportive way, using the highest levels of interpersonal skills in situations which could be highly emotive and sometimes antagonistic.
Job description
Job responsibilities
See job description for full details - main clinical responsibilities below:
To provide highly specialist psychological assessments of children and families referred to the service based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured observations and semi-structured interviews with children, adolescents, family members and others involved in childrens and young peoples care.
To make judgements involving highly complex facts which require analysis, interpretation and comparison to a range of options. To formulate and implement plans of specialist psychological treatment and/or management of children and young peoples mental health problems, based on an appropriate multi-factorial and multi-theoretical psychological understanding of the individual and/or familys problems and employing methods based upon current evidence-based practice, across the full range of care settings.
To be responsible for undertaking a range of psychological therapeutic interventions employed individually and in synthesis with individuals, carers, families and groups, within and across teams, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.
To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors regarding historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group.
To exercise autonomous professional judgement and responsibility for the psychological management of children and families including assessment, formulation, intervention, discharge and effective communication of these plans with referrers and other multi-agency professionals involved in the care of the child and family on a regular basis.
To provide highly specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to the multi-disciplinary formulation of appropriate therapeutic approaches or intervention plans, and be involved in, or oversee and co-ordinate specialist psychological aspects of their implementation in collaboration with other staff.
To undertake psychologically based risk assessment and management for individual children and families and to provide advice on the psychological aspects of risk assessment and management to other professions.
To provide and receive in a skilled and sensitive manner, highly complex, sensitive and sometimes contentious information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans to children and families in an empathic and supportive way, using the highest levels of interpersonal skills in situations which could be highly emotive and sometimes antagonistic.
Person Specification
Training & Qualifications
Essential
- Completed (or in final year of) Doctoral level training in clinical psychology including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the BPS
- Registered with the HCPC (or if trainee will be eligible to register).
Desirable
- Prequalification training and qualifications in research methodology staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Doctoral knowledge of clinical psychology including highly developed knowledge of lifespan developmental psychology, models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics, neuropsychology, and two or more distinct psychological therapies.
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of children, adolescents and their families across a range of care settings.
- Experience of working within a paediatric setting with children and families addressing psychological issues arising from chronic physical health conditions and/or their treatment.
- Doctoral level knowledge of research, methodology, research design and complex multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to young people, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management, frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
Other Requirements
Essential
- 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.
Person Specification
Training & Qualifications
Essential
- Completed (or in final year of) Doctoral level training in clinical psychology including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the BPS
- Registered with the HCPC (or if trainee will be eligible to register).
Desirable
- Prequalification training and qualifications in research methodology staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Doctoral knowledge of clinical psychology including highly developed knowledge of lifespan developmental psychology, models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics, neuropsychology, and two or more distinct psychological therapies.
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of children, adolescents and their families across a range of care settings.
- Experience of working within a paediatric setting with children and families addressing psychological issues arising from chronic physical health conditions and/or their treatment.
- Doctoral level knowledge of research, methodology, research design and complex multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to young people, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management, frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
Other Requirements
Essential
- 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.
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.
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.
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).
