Registered Practitioner Psychologist (Band 8a)

Rate: £28.48 per hour
Location: To be confirmed, dependent on successful candidate (Belfast Health & Social Care Trust hosted service)
Hours: Full-Time, Part-Time, Compressed Hours and Flexible Working options considered
Contract: Temporary ongoing until 31 March 2027

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced HCPC Registered Practitioner Psychologist to join the innovative Primary Children Looked After Advisory Service, a regional partnership between Belfast Health & Social Care Trust (BHSCT) and the Education Authority.

This pioneering service supports children who are looked after by improving their emotional wellbeing, educational engagement and long-term outcomes through trauma-informed and attachment-focused approaches. Working across schools, health and social care services, you will play a key role in supporting professionals and carers around the child rather than delivering direct therapeutic interventions.

The successful candidate will work autonomously within a multidisciplinary and inter-agency team, providing specialist psychological assessment, consultation, training and intervention planning to support children, school staff, carers and professional networks across Northern Ireland.

This is a hybrid role, using home as a base with travel to schools, meetings and partner agencies across designated Education Authority areas.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide specialist psychological assessments relating to the emotional wellbeing, attachment, trauma and developmental needs of Children Looked After.
• Formulate and support evidence-based intervention plans for children and their support networks.
• Deliver psychological consultation, advice and training to school staff, carers and partner agencies.
• Contribute specialist psychological perspectives at reviews, consultations and multidisciplinary meetings.
• Support schools in implementing trauma-informed and attachment-friendly practices.
• Manage an autonomous caseload and maintain high professional standards of practice.
• Undertake risk assessments and communicate psychological aspects of risk management to relevant professionals.
• Support and supervise Assistant, Associate or Trainee Psychologists where appropriate.
• Promote a formulation-based approach across the service.
• Lead and contribute to service development, evaluation, clinical audit and research activities.
• Work collaboratively with Health & Social Care Trusts, Education Authority colleagues and wider professional networks.
• Contribute to the ongoing development and regional rollout of the Primary Children Looked After Advisory Service.

Essential Criteria

Applicants must possess:

• An Honours Degree in Psychology (or equivalent) conferring eligibility for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society (BPS).
• A Postgraduate Doctorate (or equivalent qualification) accredited by the BPS and qualifying the individual to practise as an HCPC Registered Practitioner Psychologist.
• Current registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
• Post-qualification experience working therapeutically within a child-focused service, such as CAMHS, Looked After Children Services or related settings.
• Experience undertaking specialist psychological assessments and interventions across a range of care settings.
• Experience working within a consultative model of practice.
• Competent IT skills.
• A full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle for business use.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience working with Children Looked After and their support networks.
• Experience working in multidisciplinary and inter-agency environments.
• Experience of therapeutic practice across diverse cultural contexts.
• Evidence of reflective practice and commitment to continuous professional development.
• Experience in clinical research, service evaluation and service development initiatives.