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Senior Practitioner Psychologist

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Eastbourne, BN22 0UT £57,528 – £64,750 a year Permanent Posted 21 August 2026 Apply by 14 September 2026

Home Office register entry: Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Worthing

Visa sponsorship

This role is listed by an employer that holds a live Home Office sponsor licence on the Skilled Worker route.

Closest occupation match: SOC 2225, Clinical psychologists. Pay for this occupation is set by national pay scales (NHS bands), so no single Home Office going rate applies.

This occupation falls under the Health and Care Worker route. Public reference figures for that route: the general salary minimum is £25,000 a year, and salaries set by national pay scales (NHS bands) at or above the relevant band rate typically meet the occupation's requirement. Individual eligibility depends on personal circumstances. These figures are public reference information, not advice or a verdict on this job.

Role description

Job summary

Senior Practitioner Psychologist (8A) - SWIFT CAT

We welcome a Clinical Psychologist to our integrated multi-agency service, a partnership between East Sussex County Council (ESCC) - Children's Services and Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (SPFT) CAMHS. As a valued member of the collaborative SWIFT Children's Assessment and Treatment (SWIFT CAT) team you will contribute to work that can have a profound and lasting impact on the lives of vulnerable children and their families.

Your role will be a key part of the development of the service for children under 11 years who are on the Edge of Care, subject to Child Protection Plans and at risk of family breakdown. You will support social workers in formulating child and family presentations and where deemed necessary provide clinical assessment. This may include working alongside multidisciplinary colleagues in the Neurodevelopmental Pathway co-ordinated by SWIFT CAT.

There may also be the opportunity to provide some tailored interventions to children and families.

Main duties of the job

Alongside wider Specialist Children Services colleagues, you will:

Provide crucial support and guidance through consultation with parents, caregivers and professionals.
Conduct specialist clinical assessments for Under 11's with complex emotional, behavioural, neurodevelopmental and safeguarding needs
Support our social work colleagues in care planning and risk management, ensuring that these foster children's well-being.
For a small cohort of children, deliver evidence-based interventions to address identified needs where these can not be met by another service and are within the remit of the SWIFT CAT team.
Work collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary team to enhance outcomes for children subject to Child Protection Plans and Pre-Care Proceedings.
Liaise with key agencies, including Education, to ensure integrated care.
Contribute to the development of evidence-based practice and improvement initiatives within the service.

An informal discussion is strongly encouraged.

About us

SWIFT Specialist Family Services (SWIFT) is an established, integrated service which provides comprehensive assessments and interventions when parents' challenges (e.g., substance misuse, mental health, domestic abuse) impact their parenting.

This role is part of SWIFT CAT, our multidisciplinary child assessment and treatment team. You'll work alongside skilled colleagues to offer specialist mental health services to children living in complex, high-risk family situations. Our core business includes assessing children's mental health, including attention to risk management and care planning, and working with families as well as the wider systems that support them.

We are committed to providing a high-quality, integrated service that complements the work done by ESCC Children's Services. As part of our team, you will have access to opportunities for ongoing professional development, research involvement, and participation in service improvement initiatives.

Date posted

21 August 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£57,528 to £64,750 a year pa

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

354-CS-21967

Job locations

Swift Specialist Family Services

102 Holly Place

Eastbourne

BN22 0UT

United Kingdom

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see Job Description and Person Specification for full details of 8A Clinical Psychologist.

Essential requirements for this post are:

Experience of working with children and families.

HCPC-registered Practitioner Psychologist.

o Applications are welcomed from Clinical Psychologists.

Experience in risk assessment and management.

Desirable requirements include:

Post-qualification Band 8a experience (or equivalent).

Experience of working with child protection concerns and needs.

Comfortable working in a fast-paced, social care setting.

Access to own transport for travel across East Sussex.

o SWIFT have office bases in Eastbourne and Hastings.

Flexible working arrangements, including the possibility of hybrid working (home/office), can be discussed and agreed upon.

Hours:

This post is advertised as a full time post. Part-time hours can be considered but would require commitment of a minimum 30hrs per week.

At Sussex Partnership we are committed to providing opportunities for flexible working. If you would like to work differently or different hours to as advertised, please get in touch to discuss this in more detail.

Additional Information:

If you havent thought about living and working in East Sussex before then you should consider the following:

Journey from the coast to the countryside in minutes

Enjoy a lifestyle where there are renowned cycle routes and picturesque walks, including the famous South Downs Way in the South Downs National Park!

Embrace taking time to discover all the miles of scenic coastline

Easy access to airports - Gatwick and Heathrow are both within 90 minutes of the county, providing links to Europe and beyond

London is also within easy reach via local and national bus routes and national mainline stations

See the attached 'Partnership Perks' document for details about the SPFT benefits package.

Apply:

Please apply using the link in this advert.

Further Information:

An informal discussion is strongly encouraged prior to application.

For further information or discussion please contact Becky Lloyd-Stubbs at rebecca.lloyd-stubbs@eastsussex.gov.uk (Clinical Lead Nurse Specialist) and/orRachel.Swann@eastsussex.gov.uk (Consultant Clinical Psychologist).

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Post-graduate doctoral level training in applied psychology as approved by the HCPC, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology

Knowledge/Experience

Essential

Experience in highly specialist psychological assessment and treatment across outpatient, community, primary care, and inpatient settings
Post-qualification experience as a practitioner psychologist with approximately 50 hours of clinical supervision
Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, design and complex data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of applied psychology
Experience working with diverse client groups across the lifespan, addressing a wide range of clinical severities, and maintaining a high degree of professionalism in challenging situations
Skilled in teaching, training and/or supervision
Experience of applying psychology in different cultural contexts and working within a multicultural framework.
Experience of representing psychology within the context of multidisciplinary care.
Experience or demonstrable knowledge of working with the particular client group served by the team/service.
Knowledge of relevant national and local guidance, legislation, and mental health frameworks
Knowledge of the theory and practice of highly specialist psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc).
High-level proficiency in at least two specialised psychological therapies and neuropsychology, with continued practice or training post-qualification.
Formal training in supervision of other psychologists
Evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC

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.

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.