197350 (PP) Consultant Clinical Psychologist

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.

NHS Scotland is reducing their full time working week from 37.5 to 37 hours per week from 1 April 2024 but with no change in pay.  This reduction will also be applied pro rata for part time staff.  This advert and any subsequent offer/contract of employment therefore reflects the new working hours.  However, as not all service areas will be able to adopt the 37 hour working week immediately from 1 April 2024, you may be required to work up to an additional 30 minutes per week for a temporary period for which you would be paid until the service you are working in changes rosters or working patterns to accommodate the new reduced working week.  If you have any questions or concerns please contact the Recruiting Board.

Are you a compassionate, motivated and experienced psychologist with a passion for perinatal mental health?

The Lothian Perinatal Mental Health Service is made up of the Community Perinatal Mental Health Team and Mother & Baby Inpatient Unit. We are multidisciplinary teams which support women and birthing people, their babies and families from conception until babies reach their first birthday (and sometimes a little beyond). We provide assessment and specialist treatment and care for women and birthing people experiencing really tough times- when they present to us with complex and severe mental health difficulties. Our teams are made up of psychologists, parent-infant therapist, nurses, psychiatrists, nursery nurses, social worker, occupational therapists and arts therapists.

We are delighted to be recruiting a permanent Consultant Perinatal Psychologist who will help steer and lead the continued development of psychological provision which supports the mental health of mums, and the relationship between parents and their babies.

The Consultant Perinatal Psychologist will be expected to maintain a caseload for psychological intervention with patients with complex needs, vulnerabilities and strengths. Management of Parent-Infant and Psychology staff across the CPMHT and MBU, as well as supervision of psychology staff across sister services and the provision of training to psychology and the MDT, and our colleagues across health and social care in the Lothians will also be key components of the role. The post-holder will have a key leadership role in the continued development and monitoring of the psychological therapies and parent-infant provision across both teams, as well as involvement in strategic developments at local, regional and national levels.

We are seeking a motivated, experienced and compassionate leader who has substantial experience of working with a combination of women and birthing people, parent-infant dyads and/ or vulnerable, high-risk patients. Working as part of a wide multi-disciplinary team, it is crucial that candidates demonstrate commitment not only to their own professional integrity but respect to those of our colleagues. Candidates must be able to demonstrate their commitment to delivering a service which is accessible to and respectful to all we serve.

Applications for the post will be capped, and late applications cannot be considered, so we recommend that you apply as early as you are able.

We warmly welcome informal enquiries and questions, which can be made to 

Dr Kirsten Coull, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, MNPI and PAIRS.  (Kirsten.coull@nhs.scot).

This post requires the post holder to have a PVG Scheme membership/ record. If the post holder is not a current PVG member for the required regulatory group (i.e. child and/or adult) then an application will need to be made to Disclosure Scotland and deemed satisfactory before they can begin in post. 

Please note: As this post is part-time the salary will be pro-rata.