Practitioner Psychologist – Adults Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Within the wider Physical Health Speciality there are services in Diabetes, Respiratory, Chronic Pain, Symptom Management, Weight Management, Neuro-Rehabilitation, Critical Care, Hepatology and Continuing Care. There will be opportunities to work with colleagues in the wider service who offer a warm, supportive atmosphere, regular peer support and supervision. All of our teams enjoy the benefits of flexible working - with a mixture of home, clinical base, and in outpatient clinics across the Health Board.

Dr Anne Johnson, Head of the Physical Health speciality would love to hear from you if you would like more information about the role, please call on 01633 238292.

The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply.

Main duties of the job

Role

The post holder will play a key role in promoting the psychological wellbeing of adults and their families coping with the impact of IBD and the staff who support them within ABUHB, through:

• Provision of high-quality psychological information and advice, dissemination of specialist resources and workshops for adults, their families and staff
• Provision of psychological support, consultation and joint working with staff who are supporting the needs of adults and their families coping with the impact of their health condition.
• Therapeutic work with adults and their families through individual work, family work, and therapeutic groups.

The successful candidate will develop and evaluate new clinical and psychological programmes, as a major responsibility of the job.

Working for our organisation

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (ABUHB) is a multi-award-winning NHS organisation serving the communities of Gwent. With more than 14,000 staff and volunteers, we provide safe, high-quality, and compassionate care across hospitals, GP practices, community services, and mental health settings. As a University Health Board, research, education, and innovation are central to our work, supporting evidence-based practice and continuous improvement.

Our work is guided by the Gwent Strategy 2025–2035, which sets out our long-term ambition to create a fairer and healthier future for our population. We focus on prevention, reducing health inequalities, and working in partnership with local authorities, voluntary organisations, and communities to improve health and wellbeing.

We are committed to creating an inclusive, supportive workplace where people feel valued, respected, and able to develop. Our values of Kindness, Integrity, and Respect shape how we care for patients and how we treat one another.

We offer a wide range of learning and development opportunities, flexible working where possible, and a comprehensive NHS benefits package. Working for ABUHB means being part of an organisation that values its people and offers the chance to build a meaningful and rewarding career while making a real difference to the lives of others.

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Honours degree in Psychology
• HCPC Registered
• Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, accredited by HCPC (or its equivalent accredited for those trained prior to 1996 accredited by the BPS).

Desirable criteria

• Other related academic qualifications
• Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialist areas of psychological practice.
• Evidence of peer-reviewed publications, presentations at conferences, or similar contributions.

Experience

Essential criteria

• Demonstrable experience of working as a HCPC Registered Practitioner Psychologist experience, with experience working with people with physical health conditions.
• Has begun to develop special expertise in a relevant clinical area and to have undergone or is undergoing post qualification training in it as part of the CPD process.
• Demonstrable evidence of clinical supervision within a scientist practitioner framework, including supervision, group supervision and case presentations of both psychologists and other health professionals.
• Experience of working with a wide variety of patient groups presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the full range of care settings including outpatient, community, primary care, inpatient and residential care settings and maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems

Desirable criteria

• Experience of working with service users are co-producers
• To have obtained further experience of working within other Clinical Psychology Health and Mental Health specialities
• Research experience and statistical expertise.
• Academic teaching experience.

Skills and Attributes

Essential criteria

• Ability to communicate and relate to people warmly and with empathy
• Ability to understand the highly complex and conflicting messages from clients and organise this in a way that allows them to guide the client through a complex process of change. To be able to do this even when the client is highly distressed, there is a highly charged atmosphere, and/or when the client is expressing high levels of anger
• Ability to communicate sensitive material in writing.
• Ability to assess, interpret, formulate and intervene in situations where the material is highly complex, and where there are a range of possible options, where different courses of action could be taken and where expert opinions may differ.

Desirable criteria

• Ability to speak Welsh
• Further relevant post qualification in therapeutic training