Welcome to Hunter Gatherer Mental Health, your specialist partner for psychologist recruitment across the UK.
We connect clinical, counselling and forensic psychologists with NHS trusts, independent mental health providers and specialist services on both a locum and permanent basis. Whether you’re a service looking to build psychology capacity or a psychologist looking for your next role, we offer well-matched placements and a service that understands what applied psychology in mental health settings actually involves.
What is Applied Psychology in Mental Health?
Psychologists working in mental health NHS settings are HCPC-registered Practitioner Psychologists who have completed doctoral-level training – typically the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy) for clinical psychologists, or equivalent routes for counselling and forensic psychologists. They work autonomously with complex patient presentations, delivering specialist psychological assessments, formulations and interventions, and providing psychological consultation and supervision to wider MDT teams.
In NHS mental health services, psychologists typically carry their own clinical caseloads, run therapeutic groups, contribute to complex risk and capacity assessments, and provide reflective practice and psychological thinking to nursing and other clinical teams. They often function as the psychological specialist within a multidisciplinary team – offering a perspective and a set of interventions that are not duplicated elsewhere in the team.
Psychology posts in NHS mental health services are graded Band 7 or above – the DClinPsy or equivalent doctorate places newly qualified clinical psychologists at Band 7 entry. Progression to Band 8a, 8b, 8c and 8d reflects increasing clinical specialism, leadership, supervision and service management responsibilities.
Why Services Choose Hunter Gatherer for Psychology Recruitment:
- HCPC registration and qualifications verified Every psychologist we place is verified for HCPC registration as a Practitioner Psychologist, relevant doctoral qualification and appropriate clinical experience before placement. For specialist roles – forensic, CAMHS, neuropsychology – we confirm relevant specialism experience, not just the title.
- Matched to the right setting and specialism General adult mental health, CAMHS, forensic, rehabilitation, neuropsychology, learning disabilities – psychology in mental health spans genuinely distinct clinical contexts. We match on subspecialty background and setting experience.
- All grades placed Band 7 newly qualified to Band 8d consultant – we work across the full range and understand the clinical and contractual differences between them.
- Locum and permanent placements Short-term cover or a long-term hire – we support both.
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Psychology Specialisms We Recruit For:
We place psychologists across the full range of mental health and clinical psychology subspecialties:
- General Adult Mental Health – CMHT psychology, inpatient psychology, rehabilitation, complex trauma, psychosis
- CAMHS Psychology – child and adolescent mental health, neurodevelopmental, eating disorders, trauma, looked-after children
- Forensic Psychology – low, medium and high secure inpatient, community forensic, prison, youth offending
- Older Adults Psychology – dementia, functional older adult mental health, community older adult services
- Neuropsychology – cognitive assessment, acquired brain injury, dementia, rehabilitation
- Learning Disabilities Psychology – specialist LD inpatient and community, ASD, behaviour that challenges
- Perinatal Psychology – specialist psychological support within perinatal mental health services
- Eating Disorders – specialist eating disorder inpatient and outpatient psychological services
- Rehabilitation Psychology – complex needs, longer-stay mental health rehabilitation, recovery services
- Health Psychology – psychological input in physical health settings, long-term conditions, liaison
- Counselling Psychology – NHS Talking Therapies, primary care, community and specialist mental health settings
Types of Psychologist We Place:
Clinical Psychologists – HCPC-registered, DClinPsy-qualified. The most common NHS mental health psychology role, working across the full range of mental health settings from Band 7 entry to consultant level.
Counselling Psychologists – HCPC-registered, doctorate in counselling psychology. Often working in NHS Talking Therapies, primary care and community mental health, typically Band 7–8a.
Forensic Psychologists – HCPC-registered, qualified forensic psychologists working in secure inpatient and criminal justice settings, Band 7–8d.
Neuropsychologists – specialist clinical psychologists with post-qualification neuropsychology training, typically Band 8a and above.
Assistant Psychologists – non-HCPC-registered pre-doctoral psychology graduates working under the supervision of a qualified psychologist, Band 4–5. We place qualified psychologists primarily, but can discuss assistant psychology requirements.
Lets start the search for your next role in Psychology
Qualifications We Look For:
Every psychologist we place holds:
- Active HCPC registration as a Practitioner Psychologist with no conditions or restrictions
- DClinPsy (Doctorate in Clinical Psychology), Doctorate in Counselling Psychology, or equivalent doctoral qualification appropriate to their registration
- Relevant post-qualification experience in the specific setting and specialism – Band 7 entry is post-doctoral; Band 8a and above requires demonstrable specialist competencies
- Valid DBS and current mandatory training
- For forensic roles: experience in the relevant secure or criminal justice setting, risk assessment competencies (HCR-20, RSVP, etc.)
- For CAMHS roles: experience working with children and young people and familiarity with relevant safeguarding and consent frameworks
Locum Psychology Opportunities:
Locum psychology work in mental health offers the chance to work across different service types and patient populations, maintain clinical skills between permanent posts, and explore different subspecialties. Whether you want a planned block in a CMHT psychology post, short-term cover in a forensic inpatient service, or a longer-term locum arrangement while considering your next permanent move, we’ll find the right opportunity for your qualifications and clinical background.
We have active psychology requirements across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Edinburgh and beyond.
Psychologist Pay Rates (2025/26):
Newly qualified clinical psychologists enter at Band 7, earning £35–£45 per hour as a locum. Specialist and senior psychologists at Band 8a typically earn £45–£58 per hour. Band 8b psychologists in principal or highly specialist roles typically earn £55–£70 per hour, with Band 8c consultant psychologists earning £65–£85 per hour or above depending on specialism, location and setting.
Forensic psychologists in secure settings, neuropsychologists and those in high-demand subspecialties command the higher end of their respective band ranges. London and high-cost area placements carry a premium.
For permanent salaried roles, Band 7 runs from £47,810 to £54,710 (2025/26); Band 8a from £55,690 to £62,823; Band 8b from £64,408 to £74,896; Band 8c from £76,965 to £88,682.
Our consultants can advise on current going rates for your grade, specialism and region.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Do qualified clinical psychologists always start at Band 7? Yes. Completion of the DClinPsy (or equivalent doctoral qualification) leads to HCPC registration as a Practitioner Psychologist and entry at Band 7 in NHS posts. Band 5 and Band 6 in psychology are for assistant psychologists and trainee clinical psychologists – not qualified practitioners.
- Do you place assistant psychologists? Our primary focus is qualified, HCPC-registered psychologists. If you have a requirement for an assistant psychologist, contact us to discuss – placement will depend on availability and the specific service model.
- Do you place psychologists in forensic and secure settings? Yes. Forensic psychology placements are some of our most specialist requirements. We confirm relevant secure setting experience, risk assessment training and DBS clearance appropriate to the security level of the role.
- Can you provide short-notice psychology cover? Yes. Once a psychologist is registered and compliant with us, we can respond quickly to urgent requirements. Contact us directly for time-critical needs.
- What areas do you cover? We place psychologists across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Glasgow, Cardiff, Edinburgh and beyond.
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