Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen within our Community Mental Health Service for a Principal Clinical or Counselling Psychologist to join the Specialist Psychological Intervention Team, based in Bridgwater.
This is a key leadership role within our expanding and evolving mental health services. As a trailblazer site for the Community Mental Health Framework, Somerset NHS Foundation Trust is transforming how we deliver care-breaking down traditional barriers and embedding trauma-informed, person-centred approaches across all our teams.
You will work within a highly supportive and passionate multidisciplinary service, bringing psychological leadership and expertise to the heart of community care. This is an ideal post for a skilled and compassionate psychologist who wants to lead service innovation, support complex casework, and be part of a system-wide improvement in mental health support across Somerset.
We are proud to have previously been named Mental Health Trust of the Year, recognising the energy, compassion and ambition of our teams.
"Working as part of the Community Mental Health Team is one of the most rewarding roles I have undertaken. Every day is different -- it is interesting, challenging, and I love being able to make a difference. From the moment I started, I felt relaxed and included."
Main duties of the job
You'll be responsible for providing clinical leadership in psychological care within the Community Mental Health Service. You'll act as locality lead for the SPI team, helping to integrate psychological thinking and trauma-informed practice across all aspects of care.
You'll work autonomously to manage your own clinical caseload, delivering therapy to people with complex trauma, personality disorders, psychosis, and other long-standing mental health issues. You'll work collaboratively with service users, their families, carers and support networks to provide care that is sensitive and recovery-focused.
You'll be central to supporting colleagues through consultation and supervision, as well as contributing to workforce development through teaching, mentoring and reflective practice spaces. You will play a significant role in service design, contributing to strategic planning, recruitment, and development of psychological services across the locality.
- Offer expert psychological input into multidisciplinary care planning, including risk assessment and management.
- Develop and lead on complex psychological interventions, including individual and group work.
- Use your skills to monitor and evaluate service quality through clinical audit, research, and quality improvement initiatives.
- Provide strategic advice to senior managers on evidence-based and innovative models of care.
- Support the emotional wellbeing and resilience of staff by offering containment, consultation and coaching
About us
At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:
- Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
- NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
- Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
- A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential
Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.
We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.
Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.
The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.
Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Lead the psychological strategy for adults with complex and enduring mental health needs across the Bridgwater locality.
- Offer highly specialist psychological assessment, formulation and therapy for clients with severe and enduring difficulties, using evidence-based approaches.
- Provide consultation, reflective practice and team formulation sessions to multidisciplinary colleagues, promoting trauma-informed and psychologically-minded care.
- Deliver clinical supervision to a wide range of psychological professionals, including assistant psychologists, Clinical Associate Psychologists, and doctoral trainees.
- Work with senior clinical and operational leaders to shape and deliver services that are collaborative, inclusive and recovery-focused.
- Support the training and development of psychological skills within the wider team and partner organisations, including VCSE groups.
- Contribute to the design and evaluation of services, using research and audit to drive continual improvement and high standards of care.
- Promote a culture of evidence-based practice, co-production and wellbeing for both service users and colleagues.
Please see the attached job description for full duties.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Lead the psychological strategy for adults with complex and enduring mental health needs across the Bridgwater locality.
- Offer highly specialist psychological assessment, formulation and therapy for clients with severe and enduring difficulties, using evidence-based approaches.
- Provide consultation, reflective practice and team formulation sessions to multidisciplinary colleagues, promoting trauma-informed and psychologically-minded care.
- Deliver clinical supervision to a wide range of psychological professionals, including assistant psychologists, Clinical Associate Psychologists, and doctoral trainees.
- Work with senior clinical and operational leaders to shape and deliver services that are collaborative, inclusive and recovery-focused.
- Support the training and development of psychological skills within the wider team and partner organisations, including VCSE groups.
- Contribute to the design and evaluation of services, using research and audit to drive continual improvement and high standards of care.
- Promote a culture of evidence-based practice, co-production and wellbeing for both service users and colleagues.
Please see the attached job description for full duties.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Doctoral-level qualification in Clinical or Counselling Psychology.
- Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Desirable
- Post-qualification training in a specialist psychological therapy.
- Training in clinical supervision.
- Management or leadership training/qualification.
Experience
Essential
- Significant post-qualification experience working with adults with severe and enduring mental health difficulties.
- Experience of providing psychological assessment, formulation and therapy within a multidisciplinary setting.
- Experience of supervising psychological professionals and/or trainees.
- Evidence of involvement in service development or quality improvement.
- Experience of working with high levels of clinical risk.
Desirable
- Experience in consultancy or reflective practice work with multidisciplinary teams.
- Experience of research, audit or service evaluation.
- Experience of working across organisational boundaries (e.g. with VCSE, primary care or local authority partners).
- Experience of managing or leading services or projects.
Additional Criteria
Essential
- Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle for work purposes.Commitment to supervision, professional development and reflective practice.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Doctoral-level qualification in Clinical or Counselling Psychology.
- Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Desirable
- Post-qualification training in a specialist psychological therapy.
- Training in clinical supervision.
- Management or leadership training/qualification.
Experience
Essential
- Significant post-qualification experience working with adults with severe and enduring mental health difficulties.
- Experience of providing psychological assessment, formulation and therapy within a multidisciplinary setting.
- Experience of supervising psychological professionals and/or trainees.
- Evidence of involvement in service development or quality improvement.
- Experience of working with high levels of clinical risk.
Desirable
- Experience in consultancy or reflective practice work with multidisciplinary teams.
- Experience of research, audit or service evaluation.
- Experience of working across organisational boundaries (e.g. with VCSE, primary care or local authority partners).
- Experience of managing or leading services or projects.
Additional Criteria
Essential
- Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle for work purposes.Commitment to supervision, professional development and reflective practice.
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.
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.
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).
