Psychology Careers in Learning Disabilities

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (2016) estimated that 36% of children and young people with learning disabilities experience mental health problems at any point in time, increasing to 40% for adults.

Our role is to provide a high-quality specialist psychology service to clients to enable them to live their best lives on an individual basis, involving their family/carers, support staff and others involved in their lives.

Our clients report benefits, such as enhanced self-esteem, a better understanding of self, and an ability to relate to peers. Our service users' families report that the psychological support from our service was invaluable.

We constantly develop more effective therapeutic services by understanding how people with learning difficulties under our care experience psychological therapies, adapt to treatment and the therapeutic environment, build relationships, and get insights into how therapy impacts their lives.

Join a highly professional multidisciplinary team that comprises two principal psychologists, two senior psychologists a behaviour therapist, two assistant psychologists, community nurses, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and psychiatrists.

As a senior psychologist, you will play a crucial role in the development of the next generation of mental health professionals. You will provide leadership, supervision, training, and mentorship to assistant psychologists and trainee counselling/clinical psychologists, helping them to develop the skills and knowledge they need to become competent and ethical practitioners and reach their career goals.

These roles are challenging and will encourage and support your personal and professional development. You will have the opportunity to work on different projects, with a variety of service users, and be part of a fantastic multidisciplinary team.

We value your expertise and encourage you to use your experience and skills to provide the best possible care to your patients. You will have the flexibility to use different evidence-based models and approaches based on the individual needs of your patients.

You will be able to engage into further development of pathways in wider collaborative working with the Essex Learning Disability Partnership (ELDP) including:

• Neuro-developmental disorders such as Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), Social skills training and Family training
• Cognitive stimulation therapy for dementia
• Supportive psychotherapy for individuals with dementia cope
• Psychotherapy for challenging behaviour such as Applied behaviour analysis (ABA), Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT).

Ask Dr Kristoff Bonello, Associate Clinical Director of Psychological Services, at kristoff.bonello@nhs.net, and you will hear from him shortly.

These posts are based in Billericay, Essex, and attract an extra 5% on top of the basic salary as a Fringe High-Cost Area Supplement (HCAS). 

Continuing professional development (CPD) is crucial for our psychologists. Our field is constantly evolving, with new research emerging and best practices changing.

We want to invest in your professional growth and provide regular opportunities for training and development. Take up to £6000 of CPD funding over the course of 3 years for new skills training in a therapeutic modality attached to the post.

We believe that every patient is unique and deserves individualised care. We encourage you to use your expertise to develop innovative and effective treatment plans for your patients.

The work we do changes lives. We help our patients improve their health and well-being to allow them to live a life where their disability does not define their abilities.

We believe that it is important to see the person behind the diagnosis. We take the time to get to know our patients and their individual needs to offer help that works for them.

We are more than just a healthcare provider. We are also advocates for our patients. We teach, educate and inform. We work to improve their quality of life by helping them access the resources and support they need.