NHS Ayrshire & Arran
254971 (SNIS) Principal Clinical Psychologist

How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
NHS Scotland Job Description
NHS Scotland Commitment
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.
AI Tools and Application Guidance
AI tools like ChatGPT or Copilot can be great for planning and preparing your application—but your answers must be your own.
- Show us the real you: Your application should reflect your skills, experience, and motivations authentically.
- Use AI wisely: It’s fine to use AI for ideas or to check spelling and grammar, but don’t let it write your answers.
- Why this matters: Applications that rely on AI-generated content may be withdrawn. By applying, you confirm your responses are based on your own knowledge and achievements.
Tip: Think of AI as a helper, not a substitute. We want to understand you—not an AI tool.
NHS Lothian Job Opportunity
Job Title
Clinical/Counselling Psychologist
Grade
Band 8A
Hours
0.5 wte (18 hrs); part-time hours considered
Department
West Lothian Psychological Therapies Service
Job Description
We are delighted to invite applications for this opportunity to work within the West Lothian Psychological Therapies Service. We are looking for an enthusiastic and committed Clinical or Counselling Psychologist.
- You will have a varied individual clinical caseload across the spectrum of psychological and mental health difficulties and be supported via individual and group supervision by the Senior Psychologists in each service.
- You'll be working with patients at the Matrix 3 level or above, and so post-qualification experience with this patient group and/or training in additional therapeutic models will be an advantage.
- In this context there is opportunity for training and development with a whole service CPD plan.
Reasons to use Rodeo
I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?
Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.
Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme
Why you're a good match
StrongYour economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.
See breakdownIt searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Why you're a good match
You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.
Experience fit
Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
The West Lothian Psychological Therapies team comprises clinical and counselling psychologist, psychological therapists and CAAPs, and supports training in all these roles. You will have good support links with senior psychologists within the service as well as the opportunity to work multidisciplinary colleagues in the other services which make up Adult Mental Health in West Lothian, with whom we have strong links. You'll have the opportunity for involvement in service developments driven by strategic change.
Location
The main base for these posts is St John's Hospital in Livingston. However Psychological Therapies Teams are currently supporting hybrid working for both clinical and administrative work so flexibility of working location can be discussed at interview.
Departmental Support
The department is supported by Royal Edinburgh Associated Services (REAS), and there are reporting lines to the Services Director of Royal Edinburgh Associated Services (REAS), however all posts are managed within Psychological Therapies. This is led by the Director of Psychology with a team of senior staff who are committed to supporting and developing staff with CPD and time for research, quality improvement and other programmes that enhance the quality of care provided.
Employment Conditions
NHS Lothian is committed to fair and equitable conditions of employment. As an organisation it recognises that employees may require to change their place of residence as a result of taking up a post and so will ensure that where this is the case employees are reimbursed appropriately and relocation expenses will be considered for this post, further details are available on request.
Qualifications
Please review the job description and person specifications for each role for further details and note that you will be required to hold a relevant postgraduate qualification on appointment (Doctorate or equivalent in Clinical or Counselling Psychology or a PG Diploma/Masters in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) as a minimum requirement, conferring the relevant registration (e.g. HCPC or other Professional Body e.g. BABCP).


Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Contact Information
If you would like to know more about the post, please contact Dr Jenny Strachan, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Lead for West Lothian PTS on 01506 523615 or at jenny.strachan@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk.
Working in the UK
To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service. Further information on what NHS Scotland Boards are required to do to check this as well as what your responsibilities include can be found in the further information for this vacancy.
Application Process
Please note: we anticipate a high level of interest in this position and may close the vacancy early once a sufficient amount of applications are received. Therefore, please make sure you complete and submit your application at an early stage.
Reasonable Adjustments
We will fully support disabled candidates, and candidates with long-term conditions or who are neurodivergent by making reasonable adjustments to our recruitment policy and practices.
PVG Scheme Membership
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.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills