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Career Opportunities

We are currently welcoming enquiries from potential associates.

Although we aim to be as informal as possible in our approach to recruiting new Associates, we strongly suggest that when making an application to Phoenix Psychological Services you follow our guidelines below.

1. Provide your BPS registration number.
2. State your geographical location and those areas of the UK that you would be willing to travel to/work in.
3. State if you are a Chartered Psychologist.
4. If you are not currently Chartered, state the date you expect to become Chartered and details of any prerequisite conditions you need to meet in order to become Chartered.
5. Briefly state your relevant experience including; dates, durations, number of reports, etc. bullet points are fine.
6. Indicate the specialist subject areas that you would be willing to work in.
7. Indicate why you are seeking an associate position.

Please also refer to our Associates' Frequently Asked Questions:

• Do I have to be a Chartered Psychologist?
• I'm not a Clinical Psychologist. Can I still apply?
• Do I need professional indemnity insurance?
• How do I apply for registration with Phoenix Psychological Services?
• What happens after I apply for registration?
• Will I need to sign a contract?
• If I become registered how do I get work?
• Can I say no to any work?
• Can I work in areas that I'm not necessarily that experienced in?
• What is an Expert Witness?
• What kind of legal cases do Expert Witnesses work in?
• What sort of things are Expert Witnesses asked to do?
• How should I structure a court report?
• Will I have to make court appearances if I do Expert Witness work?
• If I do get called into court what support can I expect?
• What is Organisational Consultancy?
• What aspects of Organisational Consultancy might an associate do?
• What if I am struggling with a professional issue arising from my work?
• Will I have to talk to the client about payment or take any money?
• What about administration?
• Will I have to adhere to the Data Protection Act?
• Do I need to register with the Information Commission?
• Do I need access to clinical space?
• Will I have access to psychological resources like tests and measures?
• How much will I get paid?
• Will I get travel expenses?
• Are other expenses paid?
• How and when will I get paid?
• Do I need to be self employed?
• How do I become self employed?
• Do I need to pay National Insurance Contributions?
• Do I need to be registered for VAT?
• Will I need an Accountant?
• Do I need an Operating or Trading Licence?

As Phoenix Psychological Services guarantee that all our associates are Chartered Psychologists you must at least be eligible for chartered status with the BPS and willing to apply before we will consider your application. Consult the BPS Website for further details.
We don't have a preference in terms of psychology profession as we believe that individuals from different psychological disciplines offer unique and transferable skills and experiences to the varied work that we undertake. We certainly welcome Chartered Psychologists with skills in clinical, counselling, educational, forensic, health and / or occupational psychology. Please note that all professional qualifications and registration details will be checked before registration.
We require you to have personal professional indemnity insurance, which is available via the BPS, and costs from £44 per year. Proof of this cover will be required before we can offer you any work.
If you are interested in learning more about the opportunities available then please send a covering letter and your CV to Dr Elizabeth Gillett stating your areas of expertise, what sort of work you would be interested in and your limitations, for example geographical coverage.
If you meet our criteria we will conduct an informal telephone interview. If after this conversation we agree to pursue registration further we will draw up a contract detailing our terms and conditions.
Yes. We expect all associates to sign our contract, which provides all parties with a clear framework of expectations on both sides. It is made clear that Phoenix Psychological Services do not guarantee any work, or that the associate guarantees availability.
When Phoenix Psychological Services has an enquiry regarding some work we match it up to our associate profiles, in terms of nature of work, client group, presenting problem, geographical area etc. The associate who matches best will be contacted and given an outline of the work. At this point the associate states their interest, and if necessary gives an outline of their requirements and time frame. Phoenix Psychological Services will then inform the client and pass the necessary information back to the associate, for them to initiate direct contact. From this point the associate is the 'case holder' and takes professional responsibility.
Absolutely. The associate has total control over the nature and amount of work taken on. This is why we will never pass your details to a client until you have agreed to take on that work, as we may need to speak to several associates before finding a viable match. The vast majority of associates have permanent full or part time jobs, alongside families, so we recognise that people aren't always available, and as long as you don't mind us contacting you to check if you are interested, we don't mind you saying no!
It depends what you mean by experienced. Most Chartered Psychologists have a vast range of skills and experiences that are transferable between client groups and settings. In fact as Phoenix Psychological Services recognise the enormous potential for transferring skills it actively encourages its associates to spread their wings and try different things. We are confident that with the right support and guidance any Chartered Psychologist can achieve competence and fulfilment in others areas of applied psychology. Of course many associates only want to work in their comfort zone, which is fine, but if you fancy trying something different, perhaps some organisational consultancy, or expert witness work, just let us know and we will talk you through what is involved.
An expert witness is a professional appointed by the court to provide an expert opinion on some aspect of a legal case. They are there to inform the court and particularly the judge on an area of specialist knowledge and give their opinion based on the information provided to them and collected during their assessment. They do not make decisions they merely inform the court process. For psychological professions this often means giving an opinion on for example, the psychological impact of abuse on a child, the likely support required for a parent with limited skills, the required therapeutic input required by a person experiencing trauma following a car accident or the intellectual capacity of a defendant in a criminal justice case.
In theory they can be requested in any kind of legal case, whether criminal justice, civil, family court or in mental health or educational tribunals. In our experience most of our requests come from civil procedures, such as family cases, both public (e.g. children who are in Local Authority care) and private (e.g. access issues) and personal injury cases, although the variety is ever growing.
Typically what will happen is that the court will decide that a psychologist is required and will draw up a letter of instruction, which will lay out the questions that they want answered and a submission date for the report. The identified expert witness will have the relevant documents released to them for background information. It is then up to the expert witness to design an assessment process that will enable them to answer the specified question. This assessment may include clinical interviews with the relevant individual(s); psychometric assessment; contacting other professionals involved; the collection of other reports and written data; and visits to relevant environments (e.g. schools, foster placements). Following the assessment, as with any other psychological work the expert witness draws up a formulation. This assessment and formulation is the basis for the report, which is then submitted to the court.
Phoenix Psychological Services uses a standardised report structure which we provide to all associates, based on our experiences of court work. Further guidance and support is available on request. All associates are expected to submit their draft reports by email to the office a week before the court submission date to ensure that all reports can be peer reviewed. All comments and suggested changes will be returned to the associate for amendment. Following amendment Phoenix Psychological Services will format and print the report, sending hard copies on to the associate for signing, prior to the submission to the court. This peer review and printing process ensures a consistent quality professional report both in terms of content and presentation.
On average only 1 in 10 experts actually have to present themselves to the court, as the vast majority of the time their findings are accepted by both sides. However, there is always that possibility, so don't assume it won't happen (and remember that this can happen as part of your work within the NHS!)
Phoenix Psychological Services will provide you with support and guidance on what to expect when presenting to court. We will make sure you have a chance to talk through your findings with a psychologist experienced in court attendance before your appearance. What is important to remember is that if you are working with a client group that you are experienced in, you are just doing your usual job and all you will be asked about is your professional opinion. You are not there to make a decision or take responsibility for what happens next, that is the court's responsibility.
This is a generic term we use to describe the process of providing psychological advice, facilitation, insight and training to organisations. We offer a range of bespoke psychological workshops and opportunities to organisations focusing on the human factors within the workplace, such as pressure, interpersonal communication, conflict management and the emotional impact of organisational change. In addition we offer opportunities to teams to think about performance and relationships using psychological facilitation techniques.
This will vary depending on the client and the associate but owing to the nature of the work it is difficult to get associates involved in the wider organisational work with ongoing clients. Therefore most associates will get involved at the delivery stage. Typically this means offering a day of facilitation to a team following a briefing or doing a training workshop on some aspect of human performance. This may be alone or as co facilitator. Phoenix Psychological Services have a comprehensive range of materials, models and formats available for associates to use, but we actively encourage associates to integrate their own ideas and materials into their presentations and often commission paid preparation time.
Phoenix Psychological Services is a professional psychological service provider and will provide professional support (e.g. telephone supervision / advice), guidance (e.g. reading lists) and if necessary additional resource to ensure that all clients and associates are protected and treated fairly.
Definitely not. It will be made clear to clients from the outset that all financial matters will be dealt with by Phoenix Psychological Services' office in Kenilworth. They will be invoiced either monthly, if ongoing, or following an agreed piece of work. If a client asks you about this then please direct them to our office, and let us know as soon as possible so we can contact them directly. For your own protection, and that of the client never accept any money, either cheque or cash, as this needs to be properly recorded and receipts issued. We feel it is important that the associate is free from the financial arrangements and we work very hard to ensure the separation of the business from the psychology.
Phoenix Psychological Services will take on all the required administration tasks for each case. In practice once the case is allocated to an associate it is often easier for the associate to do things directly with the client, such as arranging appointments, and of course you are responsible for your own clinical notes. We do request that all correspondence is sent via Phoenix Psychological Services and that associates let us know the details of all appointments so that we can write to confirm the arrangements with the client. During the work all letters or reports required should be emailed in a draft form to the office and we will format, print and post it to the client, as agreed.
Yes. As with any personal information you are responsible for adhering to the requirements laid down in the Data Protection Act. As practising Chartered Psychologists you are expected to know, understand and follow these requirements in a professional and ethical manner.
As you are likely to collate personal information regarding your clients we would strongly suggest that you register with the Information Commissioner. All businesses have to comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 so if you keep personal records on a computer then you must register. Even if you only keep paper records it is likely that they fall within the Act. The Information Commissioner promotes good housekeeping and requires that individuals work within the principals of the Data Protection Act 1998. These principals should be familiar to you as you are required to abide by them for work within the NHS. Registration is a formality and currently the registration fee is £35.00 per year. Visit www.dataprotection.gov.uk for further information.
No, not necessarily. For expert witness work and organisational consultancy, the commissioning body will always provide accommodation. For other work it depends on your own personal preference and circumstances and that of the client. Some associates have a room suitable to see clients in their own home whilst others do work in the client's home. Many NHS employers allow employees to use their premises out of hours for a small fee and it is also possible to rent clinical rooms by the hour from private letting agents. Furthermore a clinical room is available at our Kenilworth offices for use by associates as required. There are many options and it really depends on each case and your own style.
When these are required Phoenix Psychological Services will help you source them if necessary. We own some resources which can be made available, although in our experience it is often more convenient for associates to find local sources. Many NHS employers will allow use of certain tests and measures for a small fee.
The terms and conditions will depend largely on the nature of the work and your level of experience our rates are very generous and will always be agreed before any commitment is made on either side.
It depends on the nature of the work undertaken. Certainly for Expert Witness work you will get standard 2nd class travel expenses and an hourly travel rate, normally 50% of the agreed hourly rate. For organisational consultancy you will get 2nd class travel expenses only. For other types of work you will not be paid travel expenses.
For expert witness work and organisational consultancy there may be the occasional requirement for overnight stays, at the associate's discretion. Costs of the accommodation and food will be fully reimbursed via the submission of receipts. Other costs including renting clinical rooms will need to be negotiated and agreed before a commitment is made to carry out the work.
Phoenix Psychological Services ask that all their associates provide an invoice for the work undertaken. Depending on the nature of the work this invoice should either be sent by the last day of the month in which the work was undertaken (e.g. organisational consultancy, ongoing clinical work) or at the end of an agreed piece of work (e.g. clinical assessment, expert witness report). The invoice should detail the number of hours worked, the nature of work, the agreed hourly rate and any expenses (if applicable). For most work we guarantee to pay you in full by cheque within 30 days of receiving this invoice, however for expert witness work it may be within 60 days. The invoicing and payment arrangements will be made clear for each piece of work as it is assigned.
Yes. As an Associate you shall be subcontracting your services to Phoenix Psychological Services for an agreed fee. This in effect constitutes the actions of a business and must be treated as such.
That depends on how much Associate work you intend to undertake. In most cases you need do nothing more than inform the Inland Revenue that you are conducting work outside the PAYE system, keep basic accounting records and fill out a tax self assessment form each year. In our experience we have found the Inland Revenue extremely helpful. Check out their web site www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk for further details or telephone them on 08459 154515 to request a free Business Start Up Video.
Yes. But if you are currently working full time, it is likely that your current NI contributions paid as part of the PAYE system will cover your class 2 Contributions but you may still need to pay Class 4 Contributions on any profit.
That depends on how much work you undertake. Currently if your turnover as a self employed person exceeds £52,000 per annum then you will need to register for VAT. In our experience associates do not normally reach this threshold but we would be happy to assist if you do.
It is often beneficial to consult an accountant for help preparing your accounts and filling out the self assessment forms. They can also advise on National Insurance Contributions, VAT and provide general business guidance. Accountants fees for this type of work are generally in the region of £150.00 per year which is well worth it as you are likely to save money overall on your tax bill.
It is not likely that you will need such a licence but it is worth checking with your local authority to make sure.

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