Perinatal Senior Psychologist band 8A | East London NHS Foundation Trust
| Posting date: | 07 November 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | Not specified |
| Additional salary information: | £55,690 - £62,682 per annum |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 14 December 2025 |
| Location: | Bedford, MK40 2NT |
| Company: | East London NHS Foundation Trust |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 7589557/363-BED7589557 |
Summary
The PerinatalMental Health Teamsupportsbirthing people inBedfordshire and Lutonwith moderate to severe mental health difficulties antenatally and up to two years postnatally. It is adedicatedmulti-disciplinary teaminvolvingpsychiatry, psychology,nursery nurse, occupationaltherapyandnursinginterventions.
We arecurrentlyseekinganenthusiastic,highly motivated,reflectiveandexperiencedClinical/CounsellingPsychologisttoprovide specialist psychological assessment andevidence-basedinterventions for individuals,couplesand families, and supporting delivery of group interventions.Fornewlyqualifiedpsychologistswe can offer this as a development post.
Thepost holder will workclosely withOCEAN,theMaternal Mental Health Servicewhosupport those affected by birth loss or birth traumaas well asactively workingand collaboratingwith mother and baby units, community mental health teams, parent-infant psychotherapy in CAMHS and local talking therapyservices.
We are looking to recruit someonewithexperience of working withinsecondary mental health settingswho canworkproactively andcollaboratively with other professionalsanddemonstratecompassion and sensitivity to the challenges facingbirthing peoplewith mental health difficulties during the perinatal period.An understanding of the impact of trauma in the perinatal period, and experience of delivering trauma-focused therapy, is desirable. Acar owner/driver is essential.
The post holder is responsible for providing high-quality comprehensive specialist psychological services to the users of the Perinatal Mental Health Service across Bedfordshire and Luton, which offers care towomen who are pregnant or have a child under 24 months old and who are presenting with moderate to severe mental health problems as a result of their perinatal experience.
The post holder will directly provide highly specialist psychological assessments, formulations and therapies, to individual patients of the perinatal mental health service, some of which may be delivered in service user’s homes. The post holder will also contribute to the planning, running and evaluation of psychologically-based group interventions. In addition, the post holder will provide specialist risk assessments and advice on risk management. The post holder may also supervise and support other qualified, trainee and assistant psychologists and psychological therapists. Some of the post holder’s time will be shared across Perinatal and OCEAN services, as agreed with the Principal Psychologist.
The post holder will also provide highly specialist consultation and support to teams, wards, other agencies in the development of care plans for service users, and will also contribute to service development initiatives and audit. The post holder will liaise closely with psychological therapists working across the wider services to develop and maintain a high standard of professional practice.
Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.
The post holder is responsible for providing high-quality comprehensive specialist psychological services to the users of the Perinatal Mental Health Service across Bedfordshire and Luton, which offers care towomen who are pregnant or have a child under 24 months old and who are presenting with moderate to severe mental health problems as a result of their perinatal experience.
The post holder will directly provide highly specialist psychological assessments, formulations and therapies, to individual patients of the perinatal mental health service, some of which may be delivered in service user’s homes. The post holder will also contribute to the planning, running and evaluation of psychologically-based group interventions. In addition, the post holder will provide specialist risk assessments and advice on risk management. The post holder may also supervise and support other qualified, trainee and assistant psychologists and psychological therapists. Some of the post holder’s time will be shared across Perinatal and OCEAN services, as agreed with the Principal Psychologist.
The post holder will also provide highly specialist consultation and support to teams, wards, other agencies in the development of care plans for service users, and will also contribute to service development initiatives and audit. The post holder will liaise closely with psychological therapists working across the wider services to develop and maintain a high standard of professional practice.
This advert closes on Sunday 23 Nov 2025