Hywel Dda University Health Board

Practitioner Psychologist- Clinical/Counselling

The closing date is 22 September 2025

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our Adult Diabetes Psychology Service, delivering tailored psychological care to patients using insulin pump therapy. This newly created post is part of a Diabetes Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) expansion involving Specialist Nurses, Dieticians, Health Care Assistants and an Assistant Psychologist -- all new to post. This provides a unique opportunity to shape service pathways, contribute to outcome-focused development, and bring your own personal touch to a forward-thinking clinical setting.

This is a dynamic role for a psychologist to join a multidisciplinary diabetes team, providing specialist psychological input for adults using insulin pump technology. You'll be embedded in MDT clinics, working closely with diabetes professionals to support care planning, patient reviews, and shared decision-making. The role includes supporting young people aged 16-25, as they transition from paediatric to adult services, with a focus on emotional adjustment, autonomy, and continuity of care. You'll contribute to individual and group interventions, lead on outcome measurement, and support service development through audit and evaluation.

Main duties of the job

We're looking for a compassionate, reflective psychologist, with a strong interest in health psychology and multidisciplinary working. Confidence in contributing to team-based care and psychologically informed decision-making is key. While experience in long-term condition management or specific therapeutic models is welcome, it's not essential--we value adaptability, curiosity, and a commitment to patient-centred care. The ability to work flexibly across remote and in-person settings, and to collaborate effectively within MDT clinics, will be central to the role.

The postholder will provide specialist psychological support to adult patients using insulin pump technology, including individual, joint, and systemic assessments and therapeutic interventions. The role includes delivering a responsive service for adults being assessed for pump initiation or where psychological factors may affect continued use and engagement. You will also participate in transition clinics supporting young people with diabetes (aged 16-25), including those already using pump therapy, as they move from paediatric to adult services -- focusing on psychological adjustment, autonomy, and continuity of care.

About us

Hywel Dda University Health Board plans and provides NHS healthcare services for people living in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, and bordering counties.

We have over 13,000 staff and together we provide primary, community, in-hospital, mental health and learning disabilities services.

We work in partnership with the three local authorities, as well as public, private and third sector colleagues, including our valued team of volunteers.

Our services are provided in:

  • Four main hospitals: Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth; Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen; Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli; and Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest
  • Five community hospitals: Amman Valley and Llandovery hospitals in Carmarthenshire; Tregaron Hospital in Ceredigion; and Tenby and South Pembrokeshire hospitals in Pembrokeshire
  • Two integrated care centres: Aberaeron and Cardigan in Ceredigion, and several other community settings
  • 47 general practices (six of which are health board managed practices); dental practices (including four orthodontic); 97 community pharmacies; 43 general ophthalmic practices; and 8 ophthalmic domiciliary providers
  • Numerous mental health and learning disabilities services

Details

Date posted

12 August 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£56,514 to £63,623 a year per annum (pro rata if part time)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working, Home or remote working

Reference number

100-PST028-0825

Job locations

To be negotiated

To be negotiated

SA31 3HB


Job description

Job responsibilities

You will lead on choosing and using appropriate outcome measures and maintaining a database to support regular audit and evaluation of service delivery. The role also supports creative service development, offering scope to shape interventions and embed your own ideas and approaches into the emerging pathway. Group interventions, psychoeducation programmes, and psychologically informed workshops related to technology use, emotional wellbeing, and diabetes distress will form part of your clinical remit.

Collaborative MDT working is central to the role, with the postholder contributing to care planning, patient reviews, and clinical decision-making. You will also maintain and share specialist knowledge in diabetes pump psychology with the wider Health Psychology team, ensuring coherent and up-to-date psychological input across the service.

The position offers a blended working model that combines remote consultations via secure platforms with in-person clinic delivery. Regular face-to-face MDT meetings and clinics are a core component of integrated patient care, and occasional travel between clinical sites may be required to support accessibility and team collaboration. Applications for part time hours and/or flexible working arrangements are welcomed.

Professional support includes being part of the wider Health Psychology Service which has a team of psychologists working in diabetes . The successful postholder will receive regular clinical supervision from the Diabetes Psychology Lead and work closely alongside Clinical Psychologists. As the role progresses there will be the opportunity to supervise an Assistant Psychologist and contribute to wider team training and mentoring. CPD access includes therapeutic modalities such as CBT, ACT, EMDR, and Mindfulness, with ongoing development strongly encouraged.

Service improvement is embedded within the role, including contributions to digital health integration, eating disorders and diabetes care, and enhancement of transition pathways. The chance to shape outcome-led practice, influence local innovation, and build meaningful patient-focused change is a key feature of this post.

We welcome applications from Clinical or Counselling Psychologists who are enthusiastic about adult diabetes care, technology-led interventions, and team-based development. If youre motivated by creative service delivery, outcome-driven work, and collaborative practice we look forward to your application.

This is an excellent opportunity for a recently qualified psychologist looking for career development or a psychologist who already has 8a competencies and skills.

You will be able to find a full job description and person specification attached within the supporting documents.

The Health Board is committed to supporting its staff to fully embrace the need for bilingualism thereby enhancing patient and service user experiences. In our commitment to increase the number of staff who are able to communicate in Welsh with patients and professionals, we welcome applications from Welsh speakers.

The ability to communicate in Welsh is desirable for this post. If you do not meet the Welsh Language requirements specified, the Health Board offers a variety of learning options and staff support to help you meet these minimal desirable requirements during the course of your employment with us.

Interviews will be held on 02.10.2025

Job description

Job responsibilities

You will lead on choosing and using appropriate outcome measures and maintaining a database to support regular audit and evaluation of service delivery. The role also supports creative service development, offering scope to shape interventions and embed your own ideas and approaches into the emerging pathway. Group interventions, psychoeducation programmes, and psychologically informed workshops related to technology use, emotional wellbeing, and diabetes distress will form part of your clinical remit.

Collaborative MDT working is central to the role, with the postholder contributing to care planning, patient reviews, and clinical decision-making. You will also maintain and share specialist knowledge in diabetes pump psychology with the wider Health Psychology team, ensuring coherent and up-to-date psychological input across the service.

The position offers a blended working model that combines remote consultations via secure platforms with in-person clinic delivery. Regular face-to-face MDT meetings and clinics are a core component of integrated patient care, and occasional travel between clinical sites may be required to support accessibility and team collaboration. Applications for part time hours and/or flexible working arrangements are welcomed.

Professional support includes being part of the wider Health Psychology Service which has a team of psychologists working in diabetes . The successful postholder will receive regular clinical supervision from the Diabetes Psychology Lead and work closely alongside Clinical Psychologists. As the role progresses there will be the opportunity to supervise an Assistant Psychologist and contribute to wider team training and mentoring. CPD access includes therapeutic modalities such as CBT, ACT, EMDR, and Mindfulness, with ongoing development strongly encouraged.

Service improvement is embedded within the role, including contributions to digital health integration, eating disorders and diabetes care, and enhancement of transition pathways. The chance to shape outcome-led practice, influence local innovation, and build meaningful patient-focused change is a key feature of this post.

We welcome applications from Clinical or Counselling Psychologists who are enthusiastic about adult diabetes care, technology-led interventions, and team-based development. If youre motivated by creative service delivery, outcome-driven work, and collaborative practice we look forward to your application.

This is an excellent opportunity for a recently qualified psychologist looking for career development or a psychologist who already has 8a competencies and skills.

You will be able to find a full job description and person specification attached within the supporting documents.

The Health Board is committed to supporting its staff to fully embrace the need for bilingualism thereby enhancing patient and service user experiences. In our commitment to increase the number of staff who are able to communicate in Welsh with patients and professionals, we welcome applications from Welsh speakers.

The ability to communicate in Welsh is desirable for this post. If you do not meet the Welsh Language requirements specified, the Health Board offers a variety of learning options and staff support to help you meet these minimal desirable requirements during the course of your employment with us.

Interviews will be held on 02.10.2025

Person Specification

Qualifications and Knowledge

Essential

  • Doctoral level training in Clinical/ Counselling Psychology (or its equivalent for those who commenced training prior to September 2001) as accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).
  • Registration with Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Practitioner Psychologist.
  • Have knowledge of clinical assessment, formulation and psychological treatments as well as experience in working psychologically in all core specialties being a) adult mental health; b) child and adolescent mental health; c) older adults mental health and d) learning disabilities as obtained within Doctoral level training in Clinical Psychology (D. Clin Psy) or have met all competencies within a Doctorate Clinical Psychology Programme which uses a competency assessment framework model.
  • Have knowledge of specific models of psychopathology including health psychology models, clinical psychometrics and cognitive psychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology
  • Demonstrate further specialist training and or experience

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity.
  • Experience of working flexibly and sensitively with a wide variety of psychology patient groups, maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and threat of physical abuse.
  • Experience of delivering psychological interventions within multidisciplinary settings.
  • Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision

Desirable

  • Experience with neuropsychology assessments.
  • Experience of applied clinical psychology within physical health conditions

Other

Essential

  • Ability to travel between sites in a timely manner

Desirable

  • Welsh Speaker (Level 1)
Person Specification

Qualifications and Knowledge

Essential

  • Doctoral level training in Clinical/ Counselling Psychology (or its equivalent for those who commenced training prior to September 2001) as accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).
  • Registration with Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Practitioner Psychologist.
  • Have knowledge of clinical assessment, formulation and psychological treatments as well as experience in working psychologically in all core specialties being a) adult mental health; b) child and adolescent mental health; c) older adults mental health and d) learning disabilities as obtained within Doctoral level training in Clinical Psychology (D. Clin Psy) or have met all competencies within a Doctorate Clinical Psychology Programme which uses a competency assessment framework model.
  • Have knowledge of specific models of psychopathology including health psychology models, clinical psychometrics and cognitive psychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology
  • Demonstrate further specialist training and or experience

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity.
  • Experience of working flexibly and sensitively with a wide variety of psychology patient groups, maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and threat of physical abuse.
  • Experience of delivering psychological interventions within multidisciplinary settings.
  • Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision

Desirable

  • Experience with neuropsychology assessments.
  • Experience of applied clinical psychology within physical health conditions

Other

Essential

  • Ability to travel between sites in a timely manner

Desirable

  • Welsh Speaker (Level 1)

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

Hywel Dda University Health Board

Address

To be negotiated

To be negotiated

SA31 3HB


Employer's website

https://hduhb.nhs.wales/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Hywel Dda University Health Board

Address

To be negotiated

To be negotiated

SA31 3HB


Employer's website

https://hduhb.nhs.wales/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Lead for adult Diabetes Psychology Service

Dr Kate Rhodes

kate.rhodes@wales.nhs.uk

01267246917

Details

Date posted

12 August 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£56,514 to £63,623 a year per annum (pro rata if part time)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working, Home or remote working

Reference number

100-PST028-0825

Job locations

To be negotiated

To be negotiated

SA31 3HB


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Hywel Dda University Health Board's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)