Highly Specialist Practitioner Psychologist

 

At Change Grow Live, we believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to make positive change. We are passionate about the communities we serve and about providing compassionate, psychologically informed, trauma-informed support to people affected by drug and alcohol use.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and values-led Highly Specialist Practitioner Psychologist to join our Cambridgeshire Drug and Alcohol Service for three days per week.

This is an opportunity for a Clinical, Counselling or Forensic Psychologist who is passionate about working alongside people who use drugs and alcohol, including those with complex psychological, social, physical-health and trauma-related needs. You will bring clinical skill, curiosity, warmth and creativity to a service committed to reducing stigma, improving access to psychological support, and helping people build safer, healthier and more meaningful lives.

We are particularly keen to hear from people who can demonstrate a genuine interest in substance use, addiction, recovery, trauma-informed care and health inequalities. We welcome applications from people with relevant lived experience, alongside professional experience and training.

There may be scope for additional hours above the 3 days per week advertised, for the right candidate, subject to service need and funding.

 

Full-time hours at Change Grow Live are 37.5 hours per week. For part-time roles, the salary and payments will be pro rata based on contracted hours. 

 

Working under the supervision of a Consultant Clinical Psychologist, you will play a key part in embedding psychological thinking across the service. You will support high-quality, evidence-based care for people accessing our drug and alcohol services, and help colleagues to understand and respond effectively to the emotional and psychological impact of trauma, substance use, adversity and exclusion.

The role will include a combination of direct clinical work, consultation, formulation, reflective practice, training, supervision and service development. You will work collaboratively with multidisciplinary colleagues, people who use our services, partner agencies and local communities.

You will help to ensure that psychological perspectives are central to the way we work, supporting teams to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to offer compassionate, effective and person-centred care.

Key aspects of the role will include:

• Providing specialist psychological assessment, formulation and holding a small caseload for intervention for people with complex needs.
• Offering consultation and advice to colleagues across the wider drug and alcohol service.
• Facilitating reflective practice and team formulation spaces.
• Delivering training and contributing to workforce development in areas such as trauma-informed practice, psychological approaches to substance use, emotional regulation, relational safety and complexity.
• Supporting clinicians and teams with clinical case management and psychologically informed care planning.
• Contributing to service development, evaluation, research and quality-improvement activity.
• Working in ways that promote safety, empowerment, dignity, choice and inclusion.
• Helping to build strong relationships with the diverse communities served across Cambridgeshire.

Our model emphasises physical, psychological and emotional safety. We aim to support people to rebuild a sense of control, connection and empowerment in their own lives and communities. We are looking for someone who shares that commitment.

Whilst this post is advertised as a Highly Specialist Practitioner Psychologist grade, we also recognise that excellent candidates may be at different stages of their professional development. For the right applicant, we can consider appointing at Band 7 / preceptorship level, with a supported development pathway towards the Highly Specialist Practitioner Psychologist role.

You will be part of CGL’s national Psychology Team, with access to:

• Peer support and professional connection with psychologists working across Change Grow Live.
• Continuing professional development and learning opportunities.
• Support for research, evaluation and service development.
• The opportunity to contribute to innovative, psychologically informed drug and alcohol services at a national level.

You will be a registered Clinical, Counselling or Forensic Psychologist, or a practitioner psychologist eligible for registration with the HCPC. You will have strong clinical and interpersonal skills, alongside the ability to work collaboratively across a multidisciplinary service.

We would particularly welcome applicants who bring:

• A clear passion for working with people affected by drug and alcohol use.
• Experience of, or a demonstrable interest in, substance use, addiction, trauma, mental health, homelessness, safeguarding, offending, domestic abuse or other areas of social exclusion and health inequality.
• A commitment to trauma-informed, anti-stigmatising and person-centred practice.
• Confidence in supporting teams through consultation, formulation, reflective practice, training or supervision.
• An ability to balance direct clinical work with indirect and systemic approaches.
• A belief in people’s capacity for change, recovery and growth.
• A commitment to working alongside the communities we serve, listening to lived experience and reducing barriers to care.

We know that people may not meet every item in a person specification but may still have the values, potential and transferable skills to thrive in this role. If you are excited by the opportunity and have a demonstrable interest in this area of work, we encourage you to apply.

We actively encourage people considering applying for the role to get in touch for an informal chat or visit to one of our locations to understand more about our ethos and how we work.

Dr Hannah Robertson-Cowley Consultant Clinical Psychologist h.robertsoncowley@cgl.org.uk, 07436 558548

 

Hannah Robertson-Cowley | H.RobertsonCowley@cgl.org.uk | 07436 558548

Monday 28th September

Interviews will be held in person in Cambridge on Tuesday 13th October

The candidate who is successful at interview will be invited for a second interview called a ‘Values Based Interview’, which usually takes place online. This will be organised at a mutually convenient time as soon as possible after

 

28/9/2026

 

We want to understand your experiences, achievements and strengths, so please make sure your application reflects your own story and clearly shows how you meet the essential criteria and the impact you've made in previous roles.

 

There's no need to write in a particular style. The strongest applications are those that are authentic, specific and clearly demonstrate your skills, experience and potential. We look forward to learning more about you.  

 

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high number of applications, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.                        

CGL points 47 to 54 (£53,526.89 - £61,608.17)

N/A - Outside London Weighting Area

This post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check at an enhanced level.