East London NHS Foundation Trust

Principal Clinical Psychologist

The closing date is 17 August 2025

Job summary

Job Advertisement

Title: Principal Clinical Psychologist

Band: 8b or developmental from 8a to 8b

Team: Emotional Behavioural Teal 3

Permanent - 0.8 wte

We are looking for an enthusiastic and experienced Principal Clinical Psychologist with a keen interest in service development and delivery to join our thriving and innovative multi-disciplinary Emotional & Behavioural Team (EB3). We are also open for Band 8a's to apply as a development role into the Band 8b post. This is an opportunity to bring a psychological perspective in clinical thinking to the team and to shape and develop the service which offers a range of therapeutic interventions to young people aged 5-18 and their families. This is a leadership role that will also oversee clinical supervision and consultation within the team and participate in leadership meetings and decision making.

We are a team that prides itself on creative, innovative and evidenced based approaches to our work with service users and carers and value a supportive and reflective culture in the work environment. Our team is inclusive and we consciously think about varying contexts we work within (i.e. ethnic, neurodiversity, cultural and socio-economic factors). Our work is underpinned by strong values to treat each other, service users and agency partners with respect and care.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will provide guidance on evidence-based therapies that can help address the demand on service, and in particular the growing complex challenges that young people and their families face, and how we as a service can most effectively respond. They will lead on service audits, quality improvement projects and clinical outcomes, ensuring that the findings of the audits inform service development. The successful candidate will also have responsibilities that include direct clinical work and case management of complex and high-risk cases, line management and clinical supervision.

The post holder will work with the Clinical Team Lead to ensure operational services are effective and will provide frontline leadership to the staff within the Multidisciplinary Team. The successful post-holder will directly contribute to service development and to the positive working environment within the multi-disciplinary team. The post holder will lead by example to maintain high standards of care and practice and to empower the team to take on a greater range of clinical tasks to improve client care in the specialist CAMH service. The post holder will be a highly visible presence in clinical practice and be accessible to clients and their families.

About us

Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.

Details

Date posted

08 August 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£64,455 to £74,896 a year Pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

363-SSLB7366448

Job locations

North Beds CAMHS

9 Rush Court

Bedford

MK40 3JT


Job description

Job responsibilities

For a more detailed information please see attached job description and person specification document

Job description

Job responsibilities

For a more detailed information please see attached job description and person specification document

Person Specification

Education/ Qualification/ Training

Essential

  • Postgraduate Training in Clinical Psychology leading to Practitioner Psychologist Registration with the HCPC, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
  • Post qualification training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice.
  • Post qualification training in Eating Disorders; Complex Mental health presentations in adolescence and / or CBT with children and adolescents.

Desirable

  • Management or leadership training

Experience

Essential

  • Substantial post-qualification experience of working within an NHS CAMHS service as a clinical psychologist.
  • Experience of liaison and joint work with other statutory, including Social Services and Education, and voluntary agencies, including crisis management.
  • Experience of the application of psychology and delivering services in different cultural contexts
  • Experience of teaching, training and professional and clinical supervision.
  • Experience of assessing adolescents for psychotherapy including risk assessment and management. Crisis management and skills for promoting helpful reflection amongst the clinical team.
  • Experience of providing Evidence based interventions to patients with complex problems.
  • Experience of developing and implementing care pathways.
  • Experience of using clinical outcome measures.
  • Service development experience.

Desirable

  • Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the full range of care settings including outpatient, community, primary care, in-patient and residential care settings.
  • Experience of representing the profession in policy and academic forums.
  • Experience of leadership, operational, and/ or line management responsibilities.

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

  • Doctorate level knowledge of clinical psychology including highly developed knowledge of lifespan developmental psychology, models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, and two or more distinct psychological therapies.
  • Knowledge of legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to the health and welfare of children and adolescents and mental health.
  • Specialist knowledge - Complex Cases. Highly developed knowledge of severe child and adolescent mental health problems, including comprehensive multi- disciplinary assessment, systems of psychiatric classification and intervention.
  • Highly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialist psychological therapies for complex presentations in adolescence e.g., psychosis, OCD, eating disorders, severe depression, neuro-developmental disorders and their assessment, dual diagnosis.
Person Specification

Education/ Qualification/ Training

Essential

  • Postgraduate Training in Clinical Psychology leading to Practitioner Psychologist Registration with the HCPC, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
  • Post qualification training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice.
  • Post qualification training in Eating Disorders; Complex Mental health presentations in adolescence and / or CBT with children and adolescents.

Desirable

  • Management or leadership training

Experience

Essential

  • Substantial post-qualification experience of working within an NHS CAMHS service as a clinical psychologist.
  • Experience of liaison and joint work with other statutory, including Social Services and Education, and voluntary agencies, including crisis management.
  • Experience of the application of psychology and delivering services in different cultural contexts
  • Experience of teaching, training and professional and clinical supervision.
  • Experience of assessing adolescents for psychotherapy including risk assessment and management. Crisis management and skills for promoting helpful reflection amongst the clinical team.
  • Experience of providing Evidence based interventions to patients with complex problems.
  • Experience of developing and implementing care pathways.
  • Experience of using clinical outcome measures.
  • Service development experience.

Desirable

  • Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the full range of care settings including outpatient, community, primary care, in-patient and residential care settings.
  • Experience of representing the profession in policy and academic forums.
  • Experience of leadership, operational, and/ or line management responsibilities.

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

  • Doctorate level knowledge of clinical psychology including highly developed knowledge of lifespan developmental psychology, models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, and two or more distinct psychological therapies.
  • Knowledge of legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to the health and welfare of children and adolescents and mental health.
  • Specialist knowledge - Complex Cases. Highly developed knowledge of severe child and adolescent mental health problems, including comprehensive multi- disciplinary assessment, systems of psychiatric classification and intervention.
  • Highly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialist psychological therapies for complex presentations in adolescence e.g., psychosis, OCD, eating disorders, severe depression, neuro-developmental disorders and their assessment, dual diagnosis.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

Employer details

Employer name

East London NHS Foundation Trust

Address

North Beds CAMHS

9 Rush Court

Bedford

MK40 3JT


Employer's website

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


Employer details

Employer name

East London NHS Foundation Trust

Address

North Beds CAMHS

9 Rush Court

Bedford

MK40 3JT


Employer's website

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


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Clinical Team Lead

Teresa Pacchiega

teresa.pacchiega@nhs.net

01234893300

Details

Date posted

08 August 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£64,455 to £74,896 a year Pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

363-SSLB7366448

Job locations

North Beds CAMHS

9 Rush Court

Bedford

MK40 3JT


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

East London NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)