Senior Practitioner Psychologist

Clinical Psychologist - Band 8a (0.8 WTE / 4 Days per Week including Wednesdays)

The Lighthouse:
Complex Emotional Needs / Personality Disorder Service

Permanent | Brighton & Hove

A partnership between Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Southdown

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and compassionate Clinical Psychologist to join The Lighthouse, a specialist service for people with complex emotional needs and personality disorder.

The Lighthouse provides an intensive therapeutic community model across three days each week, offering Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT), a structured groups programme, and meaningful peer involvement. Our work is grounded in trauma-informed principles, supporting people who have often experienced significant abuse, rejection, neglect and relational difficulties.

About the Role

As part of our multidisciplinary team, you will:

• Deliver specialist psychological assessment, formulation and intervention, with a strong emphasis on Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT) and group-based approaches for people with complex emotional needs and personality disorder.
• Provide expert consultation and psychological guidance to colleagues and partner services involved in clients' care.
• Offer clinical supervision to team members, psychology trainees and others delivering psychologically informed interventions within the service.
• Contribute to service development, audit and research, shaping the ongoing evolution of the Lighthouse model.
• Work autonomously within professional frameworks while contributing actively to the wider therapeutic community.

About You

We are looking for a Clinical Psychologist who:

• Has experience or a strong interest in MBT, complex emotional needs, and personality disorder.
• Values collaborative, trauma-informed, community-based approaches.
• Is reflective, compassionate and able to work effectively with complexity and risk.
• Enjoys multidisciplinary work and contributes positively to team culture.
• Is committed to ongoing learning, supervision and professional growth.

Working for Our Organisation

We are a friendly, compassionate multidisciplinary team committed to supporting the wellbeing of the people who use our service—and each other. As a partnership between Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Southdown, we provide specialist support for people with complex emotional needs and personality disorder through an intensive therapeutic community model.

Sussex Partnership is one of the UK's largest mental health and learning disability Trusts, with a strong focus on high-quality, trauma-informed, person-centred care. Staff wellbeing is central to our approach, and we aim to ensure that our support, rewards and development opportunities reflect the value of the work our teams do.

You can expect access to psychological and wellbeing support, specialist supervision including MBT and reflective practice, flexible working options, a wide range of staff discounts, generous annual leave (27 days + bank holidays), and an excellent NHS pension scheme.

Flexible Working

We encourage flexible working because a positive work/life balance supports wellbeing and strengthens the care we provide. Options may include part-time hours, home-working for suitable duties, flexible start/finish times and adjusted working patterns. If it works for you and for the role, we will do our best to make it happen.

Person Specification Brief Summary (Essential Criteria, MBTAligned)

Qualifications (Essential)

• Doctoral level qualification in Clinical or Counselling Psychology, or equivalent, enabling relevant professional registration.
• Formal training covering psychopathology, psychometrics, lifespan development, and evidence-based therapeutic models.
• Relevant professional registration (e.g., HCPC or equivalent regulatory body).
• Commitment to completing (or already having) Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT) training.

Knowledge & Experience (Essential)

• Post-qualification experience delivering specialist psychological assessment, formulation and intervention for people with complex emotional needs and personality disorder.
• Experience working in…