Clinical or Counselling Psychologist | Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Posting date:	08 April 2026
Salary:	Not specified
Additional salary information:	£57,528 - £64,750 per annum, pro rata
Hours:	Part time
Closing date:	08 May 2026
Location:	Reading, RG30 4EJ
Company:	Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Job type:	Permanent
Job reference:	7922695/371-MHS1017

Summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Clinical/Counselling Psychologist to work on the Older Adult wards in the Mental Health Inpatients Psychological Therapies Team at Prospect Park Hospital in Reading.This developmental role would suit a candidate who is keen to apply a broad range of psychological skills, which would include consultation, formulation, behavioural support, neuropsychological assessment, therapeutic interventions, and contribution to service development.

We welcome applications for this band 8a Specialist Psychologist role.

We would also consider applications from newly qualified psychologists who would like to apply for a Band 7 developmental post, with the opportunity to progress to band 8a when developmental competencies are met. Please see attached ‘Developmental Roles Progression Process – notes to the applicants’.

There are opportunities for flexible working patterns which would include face-to-face clinical work as well as home working. We are also flexible in accommodating requests for part-time working days.

Inpatients Psychological Therapies Team overview

There are currently 14 Psychologists and an art therapist working across the hospital, where we support people experiencing a mental health crisis across seven wards: adult acute, older adult acute, older adult dementia and Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).

Job satisfaction can come from numerous areas in this diverse role.

Under supervision of a principal psychologist, you will take on a clinical caseload with older adults with complex mental health presentations and/or dementia. You will provide regular input to the multi-disciplinary team on your ward in the form of consultation, team formulation sessions, teaching and joint working. You will be part of the Inpatients Psychological Therapies team, supervise the Assistant Psychologist on your ward, and also receive peer support from other ward Clinical/Counselling Psychologists. You will contribute to and/or lead on service development projects.

Main Duties Include:
• Work onallocated wards – predominantly older adults mental health.

• Offer psychological consultation to community and hospital staff (e.g. team formulation, teaching sessions, joint working, supervision and staff support groups).

• Supervise Assistant Psychologist.

• Clinical work with service users and carers involving assessment (including neuropsychological assessments and behavioural support assessments), formulation and interventions with varied and complex mental health and cognitive presentations.

• Contribute to service improvement initiatives in a ward/community team, as well as contributing to projects arising from the Inpatients Psychological Therapies Team.


Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated ‘outstanding’ by the CQC, we’re committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we’re committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.

Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:
• Caring for and about you is our top priority
• Committed to providing good quality, safe services
• Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions

Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:
• Flexible working options to support work-life balance
• 27 days’ annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
• Generous NHS pension scheme
• Excellent learning and career development opportunities
• ‘Cycle to Work’ and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
• Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
• Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
• Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
• Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
• Free parking across Trust sites



The “must haves” for you to be considered for this role: 
• Postgraduate doctoral qualification in Clinical or Counselling Psychology (or equivalent)
• You will have experience working with adults and/or older adults with complex mental health problems, cognitive impairment or other disabilities and have excellent therapeutic and management skills.
• You will enjoy working in teams and providing psychological consultation, teaching and supervision.
• Calm, confident and assertive in emotionally demanding situations, you will be astute at setting and maintaining professional boundaries and will be efficient at dealing with distressing or hostile situations and behaviour.
• Self-motivated and confident, you will show initiative and a determination to support clients and their families through creative engagement. This includes an ability to work integratively in your clinical work.

For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.

We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.

We’re committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.

Please contact Dr Claudia Kustner if you have any questions or queries: claudia.kustner@berkshire.nhs.uk

Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.


This advert closes on Wednesday 15 Apr 2026

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