Clinical Psychologist - Inpatient and Urgent CareNHS

Job summary

Are you a passionate Clinical or Counselling Psychologist looking to make a meaningful difference at some of the most critical points in a person's mental health journey?

We have an exciting opportunity to join our Inpatient and Urgent Care Psychology service, supporting adults experiencing acute mental health difficulties across inpatient wards and Home Treatment Teams. This is a rewarding and highly valued role where you will help people navigate crisis, build understanding through psychological formulation, and support recovery-focused care when it matters most. This role sits within the Inpatient and Urgent Care Psychology provision, with dedicated funding supporting the delivery and development of psychological services across acute mental health wards and Home Treatment Teams.

As part of a dedicated psychology team, you will provide specialist psychological assessments, formulations and brief evidence-based interventions, while helping to embed psychologically informed approaches across multidisciplinary teams. You will also play a key role in supporting Assistant Psychologists who deliver well-established and highly regarded therapeutic groups across wards and community urgent care settings.

You'll benefit from strong professional support, opportunities to supervise and develop others, and a clear pathway for professional growth.

Main duties of the job

You will work with adults experiencing severe and complex mental health difficulties, often alongside co-existing physical health needs. Using your expertise in psychological assessment, formulation and intervention, you will help people make sense of their experiences, identify strengths, and move towards recovery during periods of significant distress and crisis.

Alongside direct clinical work, you will be an integral member of multidisciplinary teams, providing consultation, guidance and psychological leadership to ensure care is informed by a compassionate and evidence-based understanding of mental health. Your contribution will help colleagues develop their confidence and skills in formulation-led practice and psychosocial interventions.

A key aspect of the role is supporting and supervising Assistant Psychologists who deliver a range of successful evidence-based therapeutic groups across inpatient wards and Home Treatment Teams. You will help maintain high-quality interventions while encouraging innovation and continuous improvement.

You'll be joining a supportive and experienced psychology network where your expertise is recognised, your professional development is encouraged, and your work will have a direct and lasting impact on the lives of people accessing inpatient and urgent mental health services.

Job description

• Provide specialist psychological assessments, formulations and short-term interventions for adults receiving care within inpatient wards and Home Treatment Teams.
• Work closely with multidisciplinary colleagues to ensure psychological thinking is integrated into treatment planning and care delivery.
• Support people experiencing severe, complex and often distressing mental health presentations through compassionate, evidence-based practice.
• Deliver consultation, reflective practice and psychological advice to colleagues across urgent care services.
• Supervise, support and develop Assistant Psychologists, trainees and other team members.
• Contribute to the delivery and ongoing development of psychology groups across inpatient and urgent care settings.
• Help shape service improvements through audit, evaluation, research and quality improvement activity.
• Promote recovery-focused, person-centred care and advocate for psychological approaches within the wider service.

About us

At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:

• Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
• NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
• Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
• A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential

Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.

We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.

Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.

The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.

Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.