Head of Therapies/ Clinical or Counselling Psychologist

Come and join one of the UK’s largest providers in complex care. We proudly employ over 4000+ people - no matter what your experience, we have jobs for everyone.

Active Care Group is one of the UK's leading providers of specialist care and support, delivering high-quality services for adults and young people with complex needs. We are committed to delivering person-centred care that supports recovery. With a strong focus on clinical excellence, compassion, and continuous improvement, we invest in our people through ongoing training, career development, and a positive, inclusive working culture.

At Holybourne Hospital, we provide intensive mental health treatment within a safe and compassionate environment for adults aged 18 and over who are experiencing a mental health crisis with severe and complex conditions. Our focus is on helping Service Users stabilise, build coping strategies, and make meaningful progress in their recovery.

The Therapy Team includes Occupational Therapy, Psychology, Psychotherapy, and Art Therapies.

We are looking for an experienced and motivated Clinical or Counselling Psychologist to lead this dedicated and friendly multidisciplinary team at Holybourne Hospital on a full-time basis. This is a 37.5-hour-per-week, site-based role that combines clinical and managerial responsibilities. The role also sits within the hospital's wider Senior Management Team (SMT).

As Head of Therapies, you will lead and manage the Therapy Team, ensuring the delivery of high-quality specialist assessments, treatments, and therapeutic interventions. Working closely with the multidisciplinary team (MDT), you will promote clinical excellence, support service development, contribute to governance and research activities, and ensure the delivery of evidence-based, person-centred care.

You will provide expert clinical leadership, oversee therapy programmes, support staff development, and ensure services are aligned with best practice, evidence-based care, and organisational objectives.

Key Responsibilities:

Clinical

As an HCPC-registered Clinical or Counselling Psychologist, you will:

• work alongside a highly skilled, collaborative team to deliver a wide range of evidence-based therapeutic interventions.
• To provide a comprehensive therapeutic assessment of patients in order to assist the MDT in diagnosis, problem formulation, and the planning of an appropriate package of care.
• To apply your clinical skills, delivering specialist Psychology intervention, including assessment, formulation, treatment planning, and outcome evaluation.
• To work closely with our experienced MDT, you will play a key role in managing risk, guiding treatment, and supporting the overall wellbeing and recovery of our patients.
• To advise on and facilitate the use and interpretation of valid clinical assessment tools to monitor clinical change across the wards.
• To administer and interpret assessments of cognitive and emotional functioning.
• To facilitate members of the MDT’s understanding of psychological, social and functional problems presented by patients and to arrive at a shared understanding of current presentation and needs for appropriate intervention.
• In conjunction with the MDT to provide treatments that accord with best psychological and occupational practice to patients either individually or in groups for a range of difficulties.
• To take an active role in MDT meetings and to keep other clinicians appraised of therapy interventions with patients.
• To discuss in MDT meetings the progress of patients in the wards and to offer a therapy perspective on any difficulties along with suggestions for further or alternative interventions.
• To ensure referrers to the hospital and patients’ carers and families are kept up to date with therapeutic treatments.
• To plan, develop and implement group therapy programmes in conjunction with other disciplines such as Nursing.
• To advise on the future therapy needs of patients on their discharge.
• To liaise with providers of future therapeutic care prior to discharge.

Training and Supervision

• To closely supervise the clinical work of other clinicians in the Therapy Team to ensure that all assessment and treatment interventions are appropriate and in line with current best practice.
• To provide peer supervision to members of the MDT as and when appropriate.
• To disseminate a greater understanding of psychological therapies to other disciplines through the Hospital Educational Seminars and other appropriate vehicles.
• To work as co-facilitator with other members of the MDT in the provision of group therapies or to supervise other clinicians acting as co-facilitator.
• To participate in regular meetings with the Medical Director to ensure that therapy input is in line with the needs of the hospital and ACG Group values.

Administrative

• To ensure the maintenance of professional standards within relevant regulatory bodies such as Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), British Psychological Society (BPS),  and ACG 
• To ensure that all the work of the Therapy Department is informed by current evidenced based practice and research and is consistent with all BPS guidelines on professional conduct.
• To ensure that the efficacy of any therapy interventions is monitored closely through the processes of Clinical Audit and can be demonstrated to be effective and appropriate.
• To ensure that the Therapy Team’s performance and conduct is in line with the organisational business plans and objectives.
• To be responsible for the continuous professional development of all members of the Team in line with relevant regulatory bodies.

Research

• To take an active part in clinical research within the hospital.

Management

• To be responsible for the management of the Therapy Team, with respect to issues such as conduct, time keeping, training and annual leave
• To be accountable to the Hospital Director
• To advise the Clinical Governance Committee and the SMT about staffing levels and skill mix of Therapy Department
• To ensure that the interventions available are able to meet the needs of patients informed by best practice. Including but not confined to National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) Guidelines.
• Contribute as a member of the SMT to clinical governance and the ongoing development of therapy services across the hospital.

Professional Responsibilities

• To ensure own Continuing Professional Development in line with the relevant requirements and company Personal Development Plan requirements
• To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of current developments in professional and clinical practice and of relevant legislation and policies. To comply with HCPC’s Code of Conduct, the appropriate Practice Guidelines and company policies and procedures
• To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, in line with professional and company guidelines.

Other Duties

• To undertake other such duties as may be required in the light of changing circumstances as requested by the Medical Director or Hospital Manager.

About you:

• Registered Clinical or Counselling Psychologist  (HCPC) with extensive post-qualification experience.
• Advanced clinical expertise in a mental health inpatient setting.
• Proven ability to lead, inspire, and develop multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience in assessment, admissions, pathway management, and outcome measurement.
• Passionate about innovation, advanced rehabilitation technologies, and improving patient outcomes.
• Successful candidates will be required to undergo an Enhanced DBS
• Excellent communication, leadership and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience in service development and quality improvement.
• Involvement in clinical research and audit projects.
• Experience contributing at senior management or leadership level.

What to look forward to:

• 25 days plus bank holidays
• Birthday off
• Join the Active Learning Hub and benefit from a wide range of e learning and face to face training and development opportunities
• Benefits Hub giving discounts and savings on your weekly shop
• Free 24 hour confidential Employee Assistance Programme Helpline & App to support with legal, health, wellbeing, relationship and consumer advice
• A Nest Personal Pension account
• Access to join a Medicash Health Plan for you and your family to save money on everyday health essentials – like going to the dentist or opticians
• We recognise outstanding Active Behaviours via the Active Awards programme
• Enhanced Sick & Maternity Pay benefits
• Refer a Friend Scheme and earn yourself up to £1500 by recommending someone you know
• ……and, of course, the support and guidance of our qualified clinical and business leadership teams so that you can really develop your career with Active Care Group

Take a look around the company https://activecaregroup.co.uk/