Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

Senior Clinical/Forensic Psychologist (B7-B8a preceptorship available)

The closing date is 03 November 2025

Job summary

We are excited to announce a fantastic opportunity has arisen for a 7/ 7-8a Clinical/ Forensic/ Counselling Psychologist to work across the Forensic Outreach Service (FOS) and the Forensic Community Mental Health Team (FCMT). Both of these teams form part of the Community Business Unit at Guild Park. The Forensic Outreach service provides a consultancy service to local services who manage cases where there are significant risk concerns. The FCMHT is a multi-disciplinary team whose task is to ensure safe and lasting transitions for service users moving on from secure inpatient care into the community. The post holder would be joining experienced and friendly multi-disciplinary teams as well as a supportive group of psychology colleagues.

The role requires the post holder to have the ability to work with clients who present with the full range of clinical needs and risk behaviours, and the ability to engage with, and respond to, highly complex clinical, professional and ethical challenges, and demands on clinicians and services. There will also be opportunities to use audit and evaluation to inform and develop practice and service provision.

Main duties of the job

Other aspects of the psychology role would include:

Provide risk formulation based psychological advice to the team,Implement direct psychological intervention to some service users managed by the team.
Provide formal consultation and reflective space to MDT practitioners
Undertake joint working with other key stakeholders including the criminal justice system (CJS) Community Mental Health Teams and inpatient services within LSCFT's Adult Mental Health Network in managing high risk and complexity of need, either in local hospitals, the community, probation placements, or prison.
Building comprehensive risk formulations with which to guide recommendations to the referring team
Provide psychologically informed guidance to other FOS team practitioners that are from Nursing, Occupational Therapy and Social Work disciplines
Where feasible, model alternative approaches and solutions through direct working with service users that have been referred.

The post holder will be supported to and expected to develop expertise in all aspects of forensic/clinical practice across the different services within Guild Park. If taking up the preceptorship/development post at band 7, the post holder will be expected to reach the set of competencies expected of a Clinical/Forensic/ Counselling Psychologist working at 8a within an agreed time frame in order to make the transition to the higher grade. This will be assessed through the usual appraisal and supervision systems.

About us

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including secondary mental health care across this area. Specialist provision comprises inpatient child and adolescent mental health services, perinatal mental health and forensic services including low and medium secure care.

The Trust also provides a range of physical health and well-being services in the community alongside a range of partners in the Lancashire, Cumbria and Sefton area.

Lancashire & South Cumbria Foundation Trust encourages flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as; term time, part time, compressed hours, flexi-time and career breaks. We encourage applicants to state clearly on their application forms this request and discuss these options at interview.

For more information please visit our website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT.

Date posted

20 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£55,690 to £62,682 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

351-SPS1498-MF

Job locations

Parlick Centre, Guild Park

Preston

PR3 2JH

Job description

Job responsibilities

For more details on this vacancy please review the attached job description and person specification.

Job description

Job responsibilities

For more details on this vacancy please review the attached job description and person specification.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Post graduate doctoral level psychology training and/or the training equivalent training for those trained prior to 1996.
Eligibility for graduate membership of the BPS.
HCPC Registration

Knowledge

Essential

Knowledge and skills in the use of complex methods and techniques of psychological assessment and intervention, including risk assessment models and approaches.
Knowledge of, and ability to utilise and interpret, neuropsychological assessment tools and approaches.
Ability to independently integrate and analyse complex clinical information derived from a variety of sources to inform individual care, treatment and management plans.
Ability to develop and maintain appropriate personal and professional boundaries in the context of complex clinical work and demands, and in roles and relationships with multidisciplinary and agency colleagues

Experience

Essential

Experience of working as a psychologist or as a trainee psychologist with clients with complex and enduring mental health and risk needs and in a clinical setting.
Experience of providing a range of psychological assessments and interventions and adapting these to meet clients' presenting needs/communication abilities as required.
Experience of using information derived from a variety of sources and to make complex clinical judgements and formulate clients' needs.
Experience of working with clients with cognitive impairments and undertaking assessment of clients' cognitive functioning.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Post graduate doctoral level psychology training and/or the training equivalent training for those trained prior to 1996.
Eligibility for graduate membership of the BPS.
HCPC Registration

Knowledge

Essential

Knowledge and skills in the use of complex methods and techniques of psychological assessment and intervention, including risk assessment models and approaches.
Knowledge of, and ability to utilise and interpret, neuropsychological assessment tools and approaches.
Ability to independently integrate and analyse complex clinical information derived from a variety of sources to inform individual care, treatment and management plans.
Ability to develop and maintain appropriate personal and professional boundaries in the context of complex clinical work and demands, and in roles and relationships with multidisciplinary and agency colleagues

Experience

Essential

Experience of working as a psychologist or as a trainee psychologist with clients with complex and enduring mental health and risk needs and in a clinical setting.
Experience of providing a range of psychological assessments and interventions and adapting these to meet clients' presenting needs/communication abilities as required.
Experience of using information derived from a variety of sources and to make complex clinical judgements and formulate clients' needs.
Experience of working with clients with cognitive impairments and undertaking assessment of clients' cognitive functioning.

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

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Parlick Centre, Guild Park

Preston

PR3 2JH

Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Parlick Centre, Guild Park

Preston

PR3 2JH

Employer's website

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