Senior Psychologist, Woking, Surrey: Visa Sponsorship Available

Are you a qualified psychologist seeking a fulfilling role in the UK? Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust is hiring a Senior Psychologist in Woking, Surrey, a fantastic opportunity for both UK-based professionals and foreign applicants requiring visa sponsorship. This permanent Band 8a position offers a competitive salary of £59,798 to £67,020 per annum, alongside the unique benefit of free onsite leisure facilities including a gym and fitness classes.

Job Description

This Senior Psychologist role places you at the heart of a service where psychological thinking is crucial for understanding and responding to complex needs. You will be responsible for providing specialist psychological assessment, formulation, and evidence-based interventions, while also supporting the wider multidisciplinary team to deliver psychologically informed care. The service’s motto, "Caring NOT Judging," underscores a commitment to understanding the individual behind their behaviour and fostering recovery, wellbeing, and social inclusion.

Beyond direct patient care, you will also provide professional and clinical supervision to relevant colleagues. This position offers significant opportunities to shape and improve the service through active participation in audit, research, quality improvement, and service development initiatives, ensuring continuous enhancement of patient care and service delivery.

Requirements

• A qualified Psychologist with current professional registration in the UK.
• Demonstrable experience in providing specialist psychological assessment, formulation, and evidence-based interventions within complex mental health settings.
• Proven ability to undertake risk assessment, formulation, and management, exercising autonomous clinical judgement.
• Strong communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills, essential for working effectively within a multidisciplinary team.
• The legal right to work in the UK, or eligibility for Skilled Worker (Tier 2) visa sponsorship, which is available for this role.

Benefits

• Competitive Band 8a salary (£59,798 to £67,020 per annum, pro rata for part-time).
• Regular clinical supervision, annual appraisal, and personal development planning.
• Access to reflective practice and a wide range of internal and external training opportunities.
• Opportunities to develop clinical, leadership, and specialist skills within Health and Justice services.
• Free use of onsite leisure facilities, including a gym and fitness classes, plus free staff parking.

How to Prepare

As a Nigerian or African immigrant eyeing this Senior Psychologist role, your preparation should be meticulous. Ensure your CV is polished and tailored to UK standards, highlighting your experience in psychological assessment, formulation, and interventions. Emphasise any experience gained within secure or complex mental health settings, as this is particularly relevant. Your LinkedIn profile should also reflect your professional expertise and be tuned to attract UK employers, showcasing your qualifications and any relevant professional registrations.

For the interview, be ready to discuss your clinical approach, experience with multidisciplinary teams, and how you uphold values like "Caring NOT Judging." Since visa sponsorship is available, confidently address your immigration status. Briefly state your need for sponsorship and your commitment to relocating, demonstrating your understanding of the process and your enthusiasm for the role and living in the UK.

• Ensure your professional registration with the relevant UK body (e.g., HCPC) is current or in process.
• Tailor your CV to explicitly match the job description, using keywords and UK-centric terminology.
• Prepare examples of your clinical supervision experience and contributions to service development.
• Research Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust's values and Health and Justice services.
• Practise articulating your clinical judgment, risk assessment skills, and collaborative working approach.

Visa Sponsorship & Foreigner Eligibility

Visa / Skilled Worker (Tier 2) sponsorship is explicitly available for this Senior Psychologist position. This means the role is open to foreign / overseas applicants who require a UK work visa to be employed. If your current immigration status is complex or you are unsure about your eligibility, it is advisable to contact the recruiting team directly via the NHS Jobs portal for clarification before applying.