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Trainee Clinical Associates in Applied Psychology posts
Health Boards in Scotland are recruiting to a number of Trainee Clinical Psychologist in Applied Psychology posts. Successful applicants will concurrently undertake the MSc in Psychological Therapies in Primary Care (MSc PTPC) which is jointly run by the University of Dundee and the University of Stirling.
These are fixed term posts for 12 months which runs for the MSc training period. Posts are aligned with Agenda for Change Band 6.
You will be employed on a full-time basis by the same NHS Scotland Health Board for the duration of your contract. Your Band 6 employment is conditional upon you remaining registered on the MSc PTPC Programme.
You will undertake clinically supervised work with individuals or groups linked to the MSc programme objectives.
MSc in Psychological Therapies in Primary Care Programme
This BPS- and BABCP-accredited, NHS-funded professional training course provides you with the clinical competences to work in modern mental health services. Delivered jointly by the University of Stirling and the University of Dundee, it is designed by NHS professionals and clinical academics to give you the clinical and professional skills you need to work as a clinical associate in applied psychology within the NHS.
You'll receive expert training in delivering evidence-based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to adults in primary care, and develop your knowledge of the prevalence, diagnostic criteria, presentation and treatment of common mental health disorders within a CBT framework.
You'll gain the abilities to meet a range of performance targets safely, while responding constructively to clinical supervision, in line with professional and ethical guidelines.
Who you are
You are a Psychology honours graduate of a British Psychological Society (BPS) OR Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) accredited degree programme that confers the Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC) with an Upper Second or First Class Honours degree. A MSc Psychology conversion degree will also be accepted, if it is of Merit grade (average mark of 60% or higher) and if it confers GBC with the BPS.
You will have an interest in applying psychology to working with mental health problems. You should have appropriate personal qualities suited to employment in the NHS. Some experience of working in a caring or clinical setting is desirable but not essential. Recruitment is jointly undertaken by representative senior academic and NHS staff.
You will be able to provide evidence of right to work in the UK without restriction.
Please note: If you have received funding from NES for participation in any of the training programmes listed below you are ineligible to apply for these posts. Where applicants have withdrawn from any of these programmes before completion, they will be ineligible to apply for 2 years from date of exit.
- Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (University of Edinburgh/NHS Scotland and University of Glasgow/NHS Scotland)
- MSc Applied Psychology for Children and Young People (University of Edinburgh/NHS Scotland)
- Post-graduate certificate in Enhanced Psychological Practice (NHS Education for Scotland/NHS Scotland)
- Stage 2 Health Psychology Training (NHS Scotland)
- Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy Training (Human Development Scotland/NHS Scotland)
- NES funded certificates and diplomas in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), Family Based Treatment (FBT), and Family Therapy (FT).
Please also see restrictions on applying for further NES funded training programmes post-completion on the University website.
What you’ll bring
You will bring enthusiasm and commitment to learning through supervised practice alongside further academic study.
Selection Procedure
The selection and appointment procedure reflects the partnership of NHS Scotland employers, NES, and the Universities, in the commitment to attract excellent candidates. Successful candidates will be employees of the individual NHS Health Boards. Applicants will be asked to state which boards they would accept placements in as part of the application process. You will be required to meet the requirements of your employing board with regards to attending placement setting and in relation to hybrid or remote working patterns.
Members of the MSc PTPC Programme Team and representatives from employing health boards will undertake a shortlisting process of the applications submitted. All decisions through screening, shortlisting and invitation to interview stages are made with the applicant’s identity concealed. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview where the panels will comprise of representatives from employing NHS Health Boards and the MSc PTPC Programme Team. Interviews will be held remotely via Microsoft Teams between 29th September and 3rd October 2025.
Following interviews, each NHS Board area will appoint the appropriate number of successful candidates to places available within their health board.
After interview candidates will receive a conditional offer or reserve listing or will be informed that they have been unsuccessful. Feedback after interview is not given routinely but is available to unsuccessful applicants on request.
Funding for the MSc PTPC programme is provided by NHS Education for Scotland (NES).
On acceptance of conditional programme and employment offers, pre-employment arrangements will be undertaken directly with the employing NHS Board, who will: carry out pre-employment checks such as employer references and your right to work in the UK; carry out health assessments and arrange Protection of Vulnerable Groups (criminal records) checks. Unconditional offers of employment and training places are subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks. Following these checks, appointees will - through a combination of face to face and remote delivery - work with a caseload in their health board for the duration of the education programme.
Successful applicants will also be required to register with the University of Dundee and University of Stirling and matriculate with both institutions.
It should be noted participation in the MSc PTPC programme is a full-time commitment. You will not be able to work in another job while undertaking this training. It is a highly demanding programme of academic and professional training that will require you to be flexible, very-well organised and self-motivated. Trainees should complete the programme within the scheduled 12 months.
You will have a role in mental health services that will require you to work and think like a health professional. You will need to be resourceful, determined and prepared to work and prepare for your clinical duties while managing the academic demands of training.
The minimum training standards of our accrediting bodies are high and you should be sure that your circumstances will allow you to make the commitments that will be necessary to undertake this training
If you are interested in this vacancy, please refer to the university website where you will find additional information including job descriptions and person specifications. The supporting document attached provides further information about some of the health boards participating.
The deadline for applications is 09.00 hours on Wednesday 23rd July.
The MSc PTPC programme and posts are scheduled to commence 12th January 2026. As part of the educational programme trainees will be required to attend ALL scheduled teaching workshops. Teaching timetable includes a three-week induction period:
- Monday 12 January 2026 - placement with your employing health board
- Monday 19 January 2026 - University of Dundee (Ninewells Hospital) intensive academic training period
- Monday 26 January 2026 - University of Stirling intensive academic training period
Thereafter attendance at university is usually on the last week of the month.
- In January-March teaching is Monday-Friday.
- Teaching on other months is Tuesday-Friday
- In July university attendance is not required.
Interviews are scheduled to take place week commencing 29th September. Interviews will be held remotely via Microsoft Teams.
Informal enquiries relating to these posts and the MSc PTPC programme can be made by contacting msc-ptpc@dundee.ac.uk. Please note that there will be a high volume of enquiries and responses may take up to 5 days.