Clinical Psychologist Job Description
Experienced clinical psychologist to deliver assessment, formulation and evidence-based psychological interventions within a multidisciplinary team.
What does a Clinical Psychologist professional do?
Provide specialist psychological assessment and therapy for defined patient groups, lead formulation and risk management, and contribute to service development and supervision.
Clinical Psychologist job description template
Use this employer-ready example as a starting point, then replace the placeholders and adjust the content so it accurately reflects your vacancy.
Clinical Psychologist
About the role
We are seeking a Clinical Psychologist to join our [team/service] in [location]. You will provide assessment, psychological formulation and evidence-based interventions for [adult/older adult/child and adolescent/forensic] patients, work closely with multidisciplinary colleagues, and contribute to supervision, audit and training. This is a [full-time/part-time] post with an expected requirement for regular clinical documentation and participation in safeguarding and quality processes.
Key responsibilities
- Conduct comprehensive psychological assessments and produce clear, evidence-based formulations and reports.
- Deliver individual and group psychological interventions based on established therapies (for example CBT, systemic approaches, psychodynamic-informed interventions) appropriate to the service user group.
- Assess and manage clinical risk, safeguarding concerns and crisis situations in line with local protocols.
- Work collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams, providing psychological input to care planning and discharge decisions.
- Provide regular clinical supervision to assistant or trainee staff and contribute to team reflective practice.
- Keep accurate, timely clinical records and contribute to outcome measurement and audit activity.
- Support service development through pathway reviews, training staff, and implementing evidence-based improvements.
- Maintain continuing professional development, revalidation/registration requirements, and peer review activity.
Essential skills and experience
- Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy) or equivalent professional doctoral qualification in clinical psychology.
- Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Practitioner Psychologist.
- Substantial clinical experience delivering psychological assessment and interventions within the relevant patient population.
- Demonstrable knowledge of safeguarding, risk assessment and relevant local statutory frameworks.
- Ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary teams and to communicate complex formulations clearly to professionals and service users.
Desirable
- Post-qualification specialist training or accreditation in specific therapeutic modalities (for example CBT, DBT, EMDR).
- Experience of supervising trainees, assistant psychologists or other staff.
- Experience in service development, clinical audit or outcome measurement.
- Experience working with specific populations such as children and young people, older adults, forensic services, or neurodevelopmental conditions.
- Experience of teaching, training or research activity related to clinical psychology.
What we offer
- Pension scheme (placeholder for employer-specific scheme).
- Annual leave entitlement (placeholder for employer-specific allowance).
- Protected time for professional supervision and CPD support (subject to employer policy).
- Access to occupational health and employee assistance programme (placeholder).
- Local staff discounts and travel support options (if offered by employer).
How to apply
Apply with your CV and any additional information requested. Make the interview process, closing date and any assessment stages clear where known.
Use this as a starting point rather than a final advert. The strongest version will reflect the real role, salary, location, systems, responsibilities, benefits and working arrangements.
What is a Clinical Psychologist role?
Clinical psychologists assess, formulate and treat psychological difficulties across a range of settings and patient groups. They apply psychological theory and evidence-based therapies to reduce distress, improve functioning and inform multidisciplinary care plans. Their role typically includes risk assessment, supervision, training and contributing to service development and quality improvement.
Typical employers
NHS trusts, community mental health teams, private mental health services, social care providers and specialist services such as forensic or paediatric services.
Working pattern
Most roles are term-time or full-year clinical posts; expect a mix of clinic-based and community work, with variable on-call or crisis commitments depending on service.
Qualification
Standard requirement is a professional doctoral qualification in clinical psychology plus HCPC registration.
Typical Clinical Psychologist responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Conduct comprehensive psychological assessments
Conduct comprehensive psychological assessments and produce clear, evidence-based formulations and reports.
Deliver individual
Deliver individual and group psychological interventions based on established therapies (for example CBT, systemic approaches, psychodynamic-informed interventions) appropriate to the service user group.
Assess
Assess and manage clinical risk, safeguarding concerns and crisis situations in line with local protocols.
Work collaboratively
Work collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams, providing psychological input to care planning and discharge decisions.
Provide regular clinical supervision
Provide regular clinical supervision to assistant or trainee staff and contribute to team reflective practice.
Keep accurate
Keep accurate, timely clinical records and contribute to outcome measurement and audit activity.
Support service development through pathway
Support service development through pathway reviews, training staff, and implementing evidence-based improvements.
Maintain continuing professional development
Maintain continuing professional development, revalidation/registration requirements, and peer review activity.
Clinical Psychologist skills and experience to look for
Keep the essential list focused on what the person really needs to perform the role. Move useful-but-trainable experience into desirable criteria.
Usually worth prioritising
- Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy) or equivalent professional doctoral qualification in clinical psychology.
- Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Practitioner Psychologist.
- Substantial clinical experience delivering psychological assessment and interventions within the relevant patient population.
- Demonstrable knowledge of safeguarding, risk assessment and relevant local statutory frameworks.
- Ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary teams and to communicate complex formulations clearly to professionals and service users.
Useful where relevant
- Post-qualification specialist training or accreditation in specific therapeutic modalities (for example CBT, DBT, EMDR).
- Experience of supervising trainees, assistant psychologists or other staff.
- Experience in service development, clinical audit or outcome measurement.
- Experience working with specific populations such as children and young people, older adults, forensic services, or neurodevelopmental conditions.
- Experience of teaching, training or research activity related to clinical psychology.
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Clinical Psychologist job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
Be specific about the patient group
State whether the post focuses on adults, older adults, children and young people, forensic, neurodevelopmental or other specialist populations so candidates can assess fit quickly.
Clarify caseload and complexity
Describe expected caseload size, typical clinical complexity and any regular on-call or crisis duties to set realistic expectations.
Highlight supervision and CPD support
Specify supervision arrangements, protected CPD time and opportunities for training, research or leadership development.
Clinical Psychologist salary considerations
Clinical psychologist pay varies by employer, grade and responsibility. Rather than a fixed figure, consider the main factors that affect remuneration for this role when setting your band or salary range.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Clinical Psychologist candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
What is the clinical caseload and typical case complexity?
Experienced applicants will want to know average caseload size, predominant diagnoses and whether cases are high-risk or long-term.
What supervision and line management are provided?
Clarify frequency and type of clinical supervision, appraisal processes and access to peer support or reflective practice.
Is protected time provided for CPD, audit and admin?
Candidates often need to know how much time is allocated for record-keeping, training and professional development.
Are there on-call, weekend or travel expectations?
Be explicit about any out-of-hours duties, expected travel between sites and availability requirements.
What support is available for registration and revalidation?
Applicants may ask about employer support for HCPC requirements, supervision for revalidation and funding for courses.
Where to post a Clinical Psychologist job
Target both general healthcare channels and specialist psychology communities. Use national health job boards and local NHS trust listings for clinical posts, and promote via professional networks such as British Psychological Society groups, university psychology departments and specialist mailing lists for the relevant clinical population. For niche specialisms, consider specialist forums and clinical academic networks to reach experienced candidates.
Clinical Psychologist job description FAQs
How do I verify a candidate's professional registration and qualifications?
Ask candidates to provide evidence of HCPC registration and their doctoral qualification. Verify registration through the HCPC online register and confirm any listed restrictions or conditions directly.
Is a doctorate always essential for a Clinical Psychologist post?
Yes — a professional doctoral qualification in clinical psychology (or recognised equivalent) is the standard requirement for HCPC registration as a clinical psychologist in the UK.
Do I need to carry out a DBS check?
Most clinical psychology roles involve regulated activity and will require an enhanced DBS check in line with local safeguarding policies and employer requirements.
What supervision obligations should employers plan for?
Ensure provision of regular clinical supervision by a qualified psychologist, mechanisms for managerial supervision, and opportunities for peer reflective practice to meet professional standards and revalidation needs.
How long does recruitment usually take?
Recruitment timelines vary by employer and grade; allow time for shortlisting, panel interviews, professional checks (HCPC/DBS), and any occupational health clearance when planning start dates.
Ready to customise this Clinical Psychologist advert?
Use this template to create a clear, specific vacancy that highlights the clinical population, supervision and development opportunities. Add your organisation's specifics, agree the pay band and working pattern, and publish on suitable NHS and professional channels to attract qualified applicants.
