Job summary

Band 7 Clinical Neuropsychologist - Hyper-Acute Stroke Unit4-month fixed-term (1 December 2026 to 31 March 2027) | Full time (37.5 hours) | NHNN, Queen SquareJob summaryWe are seeking a Band 7 Clinical Neuropsychologist to join the Neuropsychology Department at NHNN, working across the inpatient stroke service with a particular focus on the Hyper-Acute Stroke Unit (HASU). The post-holder will work alongside the existing stroke Clinical Neuropsychologist, with regular clinical supervision and support from senior colleagues within the Neuropsychology Department.The post-holder will work closely with the HASU multidisciplinary team and North Central London (NCL) stroke and rehabilitation services, including community teams with limited neuropsychology capacity.The role would suit a clinical psychologist with a strong interest in neuropsychology and experience in adult neuropsychological assessment and intervention.

Main duties of the job

Main duties include:o Specialist neuropsychological assessment and formulation following acute stroke, with practical recommendations for rehabilitation and discharge.o Brief psychological and cognitive rehabilitation interventions, psychoeducation and behavioural management.o Active contribution to MDT discharge planning, risk and capacity discussions, particularly in complex or prolonged admissions.o Neuropsychological liaison and handover to NCL early supported discharge and community rehabilitation teams.o Contribution to service development, audit and prospective evaluation of the Winter Pressures pilot, including activity, access, discharge and patient-flow outcomes.

Candidates must:o Hold a Doctorate-level qualification in Clinical Psychology (or equivalent) and be registered as a Clinical Psychologist with the HCPC.o Have experience conducting, interpreting and communicating findings from neuropsychological assessment.

Experience in stroke, acute neurology or neurorehabilitation is desirable. The post offers a unique opportunity to help shape and evaluate a dedicated HASU neuropsychology model during a defined Winter Pressures period, with findings informing future service development and the case for sustained provision from 2027/28.

About us

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) is one of the most complex NHS trusts in the UK, serving a large and diverse population. We provide academically led acute and specialist services, to people from the local area, from throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. Our vision is to deliver top-quality patient care, excellent education, and world-class research.

We provide first-class acute and specialist services across eight sites:

• University College Hospital (incorporating the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing)
• National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
• Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals
• University College Hospital Grafton Way Building
• Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine
• University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre
• The Hospital for Tropical Diseases
• University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street

We are dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of many complex illnesses. UCLH specialises in women's health and the treatment of cancer, infection, neurological, gastrointestinal and oral disease. It has world class support services including critical care, imaging, nuclear medicine and pathology.

We are committed to sustainability and have pledged to become a carbon net zero health service, embedding sustainable practice throughout UCLH. We have set an ambitious target of net zero for our direct emissions by 2031 and indirect emissions by 2040.

Details

Date posted

23 October 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£58,133 to £65,261 a year per annum inclusive of HCAS

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

4 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

309-UCLH-8373171

Job locations

National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery, UCLH

Queen Square

London

WC1N 3BG

United Kingdom

Job description

Job responsibilities

For the full Person Specification and more information regarding the main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description.

Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff*

UCLH top trust to work at in England for the second year running! : University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

*In the most recent NHS staff survey UCLH had the highest percentage of staff who said they would recommend us as a place to work, out of all general acute or acute/community NHS trusts in England for the second year in a row.

UCLH top trust to work at in England for the second year running! University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Once again, UCLH has received the highest score of all general acute and acute/community NHS trusts in England for staff that would recommend us as a place to work.

Job description Job responsibilities For the full Person Specification and more information regarding the main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description. Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff* UCLH top trust to work at in England for the second year running! : University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust *In the most recent NHS staff survey UCLH had the highest percentage of staff who said they would recommend us as a place to work, out of all general acute or acute/community NHS trusts in England for the second year in a row. UCLH top trust to work at in England for the second year running! University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Once again, UCLH has received the highest score of all general acute and acute/community NHS trusts in England for staff that would recommend us as a place to work.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Qualifications

Essential

• Honours degree in psychology or related disciplines, and a Doctorate and/or PhD level in clinical psychology / neuropsychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS
• Registered, or eligible to be registered, as a Clinical Psychologist with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• Specialist knowledge of neuropsychological syndromes, functional neuroanatomy, neuropsychological assessment and psychometrics.

Desirable

• Doctoral level research completed in a relevant area of clinical neuropsychology
• Knowledge of stroke, acute neurorehabilitation and community stroke pathways and relevant national guidance.
• Knowledge of stroke, acute neurorehabilitation and community stroke pathways and relevant national guidance.

Experience

Essential

• Experience conducting, interpreting and communicating findings from adult neuropsychological assessment.
• Experience providing psychological and/or cognitive rehabilitation interventions to adults with neurological conditions.
• Experience working effectively within multidisciplinary teams in the assessment and management of complex neurological disability

Desirable

• Experience contributing to rehabilitation and discharge planning for patients with complex cognitive, behavioural or psychological needs.
• PPrevious experience presenting to peers / colleagues on a range of clinical and research issues
• Experience working in stroke, acute neurology or neurorehabilitation
• Neuropsychological experience across a range of clinical settings, client ages and neuropsychological syndromes
• Experience contributing to audit, quality improvement or service evaluation.

Communication

Essential

• A high level of interpersonal and communication skills.
• Must be able to cope with highly emotive and psychologically challenging demands of working with neurologically impaired patients for long periods of time.
• Must be able to communicate effectively with a wide range of people in a sensitive, caring and non-judgemental manner.

Personal and People Development

Essential

• Ability to establish good rapport and professional working relationships within multidisciplinary teams and other agencies for extended periods of time
• Ability to show leadership, initiative and utilise clinical supervision in different services effectively
• Ability to identify areas for own personal/ professional development through highly developed reflective practice skills and integrate knowledge gained into own practice
• Effective time management and ability to prioritise own workload
• Ability to autonomously manage own caseload
• Ability to complete clinical and research duties in an autonomous fashion.

Responsibilities towards promoting Equality Diversity and Inclusion

Essential

• Demonstratable understanding of the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion and/or Knowledge of the NHS obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duties
• Ability to provide equitable neuropsychological assessment and intervention by adapting practice to cultural, linguistic, disability and communication needs.

Values

Essential

• Demonstrate ability to meet Trust Values of safety, kindness, teamwork and improving

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Demonstrates understanding of, and ability to, manage the needs of patients with acute and long-term disability, including the use of supportive counselling skills as appropriate
• Demonstrates professional and effective verbal and written communication skills including excellent negotiation skills with patients, carers and other health professional staff in service delivery
• Ability to communicate highly sensitive information to cognitively impaired and/or psychologically vulnerable people and their carers, who may have significant barriers to understanding or acceptance

Desirable

• Management of verbal aggression, inappropriate behaviour and risk of physical aggression from people with a behavioural / cognitive disturbance.

Specific Requirements Academic and research

Essential

• Previous experience of research indicating the ability to conduct research autonomously, with supervision as required.
• Quality and service improvement Evidence of working effectively in multidisciplinary teams
• Evidence of effective clinical reasoning in the assessment and management of complex neurological disorders.
• Information processing (IT skills) Competent IT skills (word processing, spreadsheets, statistical packages)

Desirable

• Interest in conducting scientific research within relevant areas of clinical neuropsychology

Person Specification Knowledge and Qualifications Essential Honours degree in psychology or related disciplines, and a Doctorate and/or PhD level in clinical psychology / neuropsychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS Registered, or eligible to be registered, as a Clinical Psychologist with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) Specialist knowledge of neuropsychological syndromes, functional neuroanatomy, neuropsychological assessment and psychometrics. Desirable Doctoral level research completed in a relevant area of clinical neuropsychology Knowledge of stroke, acute neurorehabilitation and community stroke pathways and relevant national guidance. Knowledge of stroke, acute neurorehabilitation and community stroke pathways and relevant national guidance. Experience Essential Experience conducting, interpreting and communicating findings from adult neuropsychological assessment. Experience providing psychological and/or cognitive rehabilitation interventions to adults with neurological conditions. Experience working effectively within multidisciplinary teams in the assessment and management of complex neurological disability Desirable Experience contributing to rehabilitation and discharge planning for patients with complex cognitive, behavioural or psychological needs. PPrevious experience presenting to peers / colleagues on a range of clinical and research issues Experience working in stroke, acute neurology or neurorehabilitation Neuropsychological experience across a range of clinical settings, client ages and neuropsychological syndromes Experience contributing to audit, quality improvement or service evaluation. Communication Essential A high level of interpersonal and communication skills. Must be able to cope with highly emotive and psychologically challenging demands of working with neurologically impaired patients for long periods of time. Must be able to communicate effectively with a wide range of people in a sensitive, caring and non-judgemental manner. Personal and People Development Essential Ability to establish good rapport and professional working relationships within multidisciplinary teams and other agencies for extended periods of time Ability to show leadership, initiative and utilise clinical supervision in different services effectively Ability to identify areas for own personal/ professional development through highly developed reflective practice skills and integrate knowledge gained into own practice Effective time management and ability to prioritise own workload Ability to autonomously manage own caseload Ability to complete clinical and research duties in an autonomous fashion. Responsibilities towards promoting Equality Diversity and Inclusion Essential Demonstratable understanding of the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion and/or Knowledge of the NHS obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duties Ability to provide equitable neuropsychological assessment and intervention by adapting practice to cultural, linguistic, disability and communication needs. Values Essential Demonstrate ability to meet Trust Values of safety, kindness, teamwork and improving Skills and Abilities Essential Demonstrates understanding of, and ability to, manage the needs of patients with acute and long-term disability, including the use of supportive counselling skills as appropriate Demonstrates professional and effective verbal and written communication skills including excellent negotiation skills with patients, carers and other health professional staff in service delivery Ability to communicate highly sensitive information to cognitively impaired and/or psychologically vulnerable people and their carers, who may have significant barriers to understanding or acceptance Desirable Management of verbal aggression, inappropriate behaviour and risk of physical aggression from people with a behavioural / cognitive disturbance. Specific Requirements Academic and research Essential Previous experience of research indicating the ability to conduct research autonomously, with supervision as required. Quality and service improvement Evidence of working effectively in multidisciplinary teams Evidence of effective clinical reasoning in the assessment and management of complex neurological disorders. Information processing (IT skills) Competent IT skills (word processing, spreadsheets, statistical packages) Desirable Interest in conducting scientific research within relevant areas of clinical neuropsychology

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions. Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab). From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab). UK Registration Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery, UCLH

Queen Square

London

WC1N 3BG

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.uclh.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery, UCLH

Queen Square

London

WC1N 3BG

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.uclh.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)