Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Principal Psychologist, Older People inpatients

The closing date is 13 February 2026

Job summary

We are pleased to advertise a key role for a Clinical Psychologist to join the Dementia & Older People's Clinical Psychology Service (DOPPS) within Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT). We are looking to recruit a Principal Clinical Psychologist to lead our inpatient services for older people. The post can be based within our Liaison Psychiatry service for Older People (LPOP) at Northampton General Hospital or within our older people's inpateint services at Berrywood Hospital..

LPOP offer psychological assessment, formulation and intervention for people over the age of 65 years with dementia, as well as those experiencing distress from emotional disorders or psychosis , who are under the care of the General Hospitals. There are also opportunities to be involved in staff training, service development and case formulation with teams.

The role within LPOP will focus on work within the general hospitals and link in with the psychological provision within the 4 Older People's Community Mental Health Teams (OPCMHTs), 2 in-patient psychiatric units in the county and the Memory Assessment Services (MAS), each of which has its own psychology provision.

Main duties of the job

Lead the psychologists working with older people within the inpatient services in NHFT.
Offer assessment, formulation and intervention for a wide range of presentations
Offer Case Formulation and training sessions for staff teams to extend psychological ways of working, including joint training within the Frailty pathway
Offer enhanced neuropsychological assessment to support dementia diagnosis for older people with more complex presentations
Build on systems and processes that support person-centred care for people with dementia at the general hospitals
Support the development of a Structured Clinical Management pathway for older people with personality disorder
Support the service in using outcome information to inform and develop good practice
Contribute to service user forums and audit projects to collect data that can inform Trust management, commissioners and other relevant stakeholders of the needs of this population

About us

NHFT is an integrated primary care and mental health Trust, providing physical, mental health and specialty services in both hospital settings and out in the community. Because we put the person at the centre of all we do, we focus on delivering care that is as easy to access as possible. This means many of our services can be provided at home, work or in schools.

NHFT promotes a culture of learning to improve the care and safety of our patients and staff, which focuses on people who enable our Trust to be 'outstanding' by supporting opportunity, innovation, development and growth.

There are a significant number of psychologists employed within the Trust working across different specialties and there are excellent opportunities for professional development through regular monthly psychology meetings and active peer supervision networks. We welcome applications from people from diverse backgrounds who are under-represented in service delivery.

Joining this service can offer:

Supervision from the Principal Clinical Neuropsychologist.
Opportunities for innovative joint work with 3rd sector organisations
Potential for training in other therapeutic approaches relevant to the role
Links and participation in the BPS Faculty of Psychology for Older People (FPOP) & LPOP special interest groups within the BPS
The opportunity to work within a well integrated Psychology Service that meets regularly for CPD, case audits and organisational support

Date posted

30 January 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£64,455 to £74,896 a year pa pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

270-TG693-MH

Job locations

Northampton General Hospital

Cliftonville Road

Northampton

NN1 5BD

Job description

Job responsibilities

For further information on the advertised role, please refer to the job description located under the Supporting Documents heading.

Job description

Job responsibilities

For further information on the advertised role, please refer to the job description located under the Supporting Documents heading.

Person Specification

Behaviours and Values

Essential

Belief in the value of lived experience in the development and provision in the service and ability to incorporate this skillfully into the service model
Demonstrates the ability (and commitment) to work as a collaborative and reflective practitioner and to support others to do likewise.
To highly value the value of team working

Knowldege and Experience

Essential

Post graduate training to Doctoral level in Clinical Psychology or equivalent as accredited by BPS
Assessed experience of working as a qualified clinical psychologist for a minimum of 4 years with 2 years as a Senior Clinical Psychologist
Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialized areas of psychological practice including substantial experience of issues
Evidence of Continuing Professional Development as recommended by the BPS
Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan.
Experience of supervising others

Desirable

Experience of Expereince representing and leading psychology within the context of multi-disciplinary care.
Formal training in supervision of other psychologists

skills and Abilities

Essential

To be confident in offering advice, consultation, supervision and training to a range of professional staff to support to help improve patients' functioning.
To be able to evaluate and make decisions about treatment options, taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes
To be confident in providing specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to patients' formulation, diagnosis or equivalent and treatment or management plan

Person Specification

Behaviours and Values

Essential

Belief in the value of lived experience in the development and provision in the service and ability to incorporate this skillfully into the service model
Demonstrates the ability (and commitment) to work as a collaborative and reflective practitioner and to support others to do likewise.
To highly value the value of team working

Knowldege and Experience

Essential

Post graduate training to Doctoral level in Clinical Psychology or equivalent as accredited by BPS
Assessed experience of working as a qualified clinical psychologist for a minimum of 4 years with 2 years as a Senior Clinical Psychologist
Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialized areas of psychological practice including substantial experience of issues
Evidence of Continuing Professional Development as recommended by the BPS
Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan.
Experience of supervising others

Desirable

Experience of Expereince representing and leading psychology within the context of multi-disciplinary care.
Formal training in supervision of other psychologists

skills and Abilities

Essential

To be confident in offering advice, consultation, supervision and training to a range of professional staff to support to help improve patients' functioning.
To be able to evaluate and make decisions about treatment options, taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes
To be confident in providing specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to patients' formulation, diagnosis or equivalent and treatment or management plan

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.

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

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

Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Address

Northampton General Hospital

Cliftonville Road

Northampton

NN1 5BD

Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Address

Northampton General Hospital

Cliftonville Road

Northampton

NN1 5BD

Employer's website

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