Greater Manchester Mental Health NHSFT

Principal Psychologist

The closing date is 30 June 2025

Job summary

Wigan Community Mental Health services are going through an exciting period of change in line with Community Transformation. We have an 8b psychology vacancy within the current Living Well team (soon to be Neighbourhood Mental Health Team) but with a view to expanding the psychology provision across all community teams including Specialist CMHT and Older Adult CMHT in the future.

Main duties of the job

Living Well Neighbourhood is an integrated secondary care team, made up of several partner organisations, we have key principles we all share, such as no hierarchy, no wrong door, trauma informed, strengths-based working, lived experience at the heart of the model and community engagement.

The post holder will be responsible for the promotion and management of a high- quality psychology provision.

The post holder will be an innovative and agile strategic leader who is proficient in working within and leading multi-disciplinary teams and with other partnerships. The post holder will be responsible for the development and management of a team of psychological therapists from a range of modalities to support Living Well Neighbourhood diverse staff teams through supervision, consultation, joint assessment, group work and staff training and will be future planning and evaluating need and creatively using the resource to ensure the psychological provision within Living Well meets the need.

The Post holder will create a strategic vision in partnership with VCSFE organisations and GMMH for an integrated psychological provision that will continue to support the needs of the Living Well Neighbourhood staff and a population that are ever changing therefore responsive and flexibility are key. The Living Well Neighbourhood population are often a cohort of people who are often perceived as not suitable, too complicated for the current structures or fall though the gaps.

About us

Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) Foundation Trust employs over 7000 members of staff, who deliver services from more than 122locations.

We provide inpatient and community-based mental health care for people living in Bolton, the city of Manchester, Salford,Trafford and the borough of Wigan, and a wide range of specialist mental health and substance misuse services across Greater Manchester, the north west of England and beyond.

Greater Manchester is one of the world's most innovative, original and exciting places to live and work. From the beauty of the surrounding countryside to the heart of the vibrant inner city with great shopping, entertainment and dining options.

Wherever you go you will experience a great northern welcome with people famed for their warmth, humour and generosity.

Our people enjoy their work, have opportunities to learn and develop their skills and are encouraged to generate new ideas that improve care for our service users.

Details

Date posted

26 June 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£62,215 to £72,293 a year per year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

437-7246520

Job locations

Hindley Town Hall / Crompton St Wigan

Cross St Hindley / Crompton St Wigan

WN33AX


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see attached job description and person specification

Staff benefits

  • Pay Enhancements:

Band

Saturday (midnight to midnight) and any week day after 8pm and before 6am

All time on Sundays and Public Holidays (midnight to midnight)

1

Time plus 47%

Time plus 94%

2

Time plus 41%

Time plus 83%

3

Time plus 35%

Time plus 69%

4 9

Time plus 30%

Time plus 60%

  • 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays rising to 29 after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years
  • Excellent pension
  • Cycle to work scheme
  • Salary sacrifice car scheme
  • Wellbeing programme
  • Blue Light Card Discounts
  • Genie Fuel Cards (for applicable roles)

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see attached job description and person specification

Staff benefits

  • Pay Enhancements:

Band

Saturday (midnight to midnight) and any week day after 8pm and before 6am

All time on Sundays and Public Holidays (midnight to midnight)

1

Time plus 47%

Time plus 94%

2

Time plus 41%

Time plus 83%

3

Time plus 35%

Time plus 69%

4 9

Time plus 30%

Time plus 60%

  • 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays rising to 29 after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years
  • Excellent pension
  • Cycle to work scheme
  • Salary sacrifice car scheme
  • Wellbeing programme
  • Blue Light Card Discounts
  • Genie Fuel Cards (for applicable roles)

Person Specification

Education / Qualifications

Essential

  • Post-graduate doctorate in clinical or counselling psychology, (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996), and Current registration as a practitioner psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council, OR Alternative core health profession qualification (i.e., nursing, social work, or occupational therapy) AND post graduate training in a NICE recommended talking therapy (i.e., minimum of a postgraduate diploma in cognitive therapy from an accredited course), alongside appropriate current professional registration. OR Core training as an accredited psychological therapist in a NICE recommended talking therapy e.g., accredited CBT therapist, accredited CAT therapist. FOR ALL APPLICANTS Post qualification training and accreditation in or eligibility and willingness to work towards accreditation in (where available) one of the following approaches CBT-P, EMDR, CAT, MBT, BFT. Completion of relevant modules of Accredited Doctoral Clinical Psychology Course: Introduction to Supervision Courses (approx. 30 hours) or equivalent, or professional equivalent e.g. CAT supervisor training.

Desirable

  • Completion of further post qualification training within psychological therapies (e.g. CAT, CBT, EMDR,, MBT etc.).

Experience

Essential

  • Demonstrable significant post-qualification experience of: specialist assessment and treatment of complex and often co-occurring mental health problems in working age adults in a secondary care setting. Experience of developing psychological formulations to inform care for service users and teams involved in multiple systems of care i.e., systemic formulation of complex need. Demonstrable substantial experience of working and leading within complex care systems. Demonstrable post-qualification experience of working with complex health problems, including problems associated with complex relational and emotional needs, and severe depression, anxiety, co-morbid substance misuse and trauma. Demonstrable experience of working with people experiencing a suicidal and/or safeguarding crisis. Demonstrable experience of working within adult multidisciplinary/agency mental health teams. Demonstrable experience of clinical leadership within a previous role. Demonstrable experience of providing clinical supervision to psychologists, psychological therapists or other core health professions and non-therapists. Demonstrable experience of providing teaching/ training upon clinical interventions

Desirable

  • Experience of audit and service evaluation within psychological therapy services Experience of applying within a multi-cultural framework Research experience within an area relevant to work. Ability to demonstrate further specialist clinical experience and training. Experience of leading and/or developing teams. Demonstrable experience of the application of psychological therapy in diverse cultural and ethnic contexts. Demonstrable experience of managing demand for psychological services via a stepped-care framework.

Knowledge

Essential

  • Understanding of the national and regional legislation, guidance and policy directives in relation to the development and delivery of psychological therapies within inpatient services. Evidence of post-qualification CPD as recommended and/or accredited by the BPS, or other professional body. Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, enabling the communication of complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information with clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues within the NHS and other agencies. Up to date knowledge of the needs of people with severe and enduring mental health problems, and of psychological approaches to recovery. Familiarity with computing technology, including keyboard skills, and use of word-processing, e-mail, and internet software

Desirable

  • Completion of specialist therapy courses.

skills & abilities

Essential

  • Ability to work with service users, carers and families to engage with their needs and provide them with appropriate psychological support and intervention. Skills in providing psychological consultation to other professional and non-professional groups Well developed, effective communication skills, both orally and in writing, enabling complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to be shared with clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues within the NHS and other agencies. Ability to prioritise work, operate a waiting list, meet short deadlines and an unpredictable work pattern that requires regular revision of plans. Ability to sit in constrained position for client therapy, testing and for computer work. Ability to work at a high level of professional autonomy and responsibility, in a collaborative multi-disciplinary environment and also as a lone worker in circumstances where there may be exposure to verbal and sometimes physical aggression Able to sustain the intense concentration necessary for client assessment and formulation, individual therapy sessions, interviews Ability to work and communicate highly sensitive, contentious information effectively in a highly emotive or hostile atmosphere, and to overcome barriers to acceptance/psychological resistance to potentially threatening information. Ability to identify, provide and promote appropriate means of support to carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations. Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour

Desirable

  • Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials, suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings Ability to demonstrate an area of special interest/skill in therapeutic intervention Ability to move equipment (including case files, bulky neuropsychological tests, self-help materials, audio-visual equipment) between office base and other work settings.
Person Specification

Education / Qualifications

Essential

  • Post-graduate doctorate in clinical or counselling psychology, (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996), and Current registration as a practitioner psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council, OR Alternative core health profession qualification (i.e., nursing, social work, or occupational therapy) AND post graduate training in a NICE recommended talking therapy (i.e., minimum of a postgraduate diploma in cognitive therapy from an accredited course), alongside appropriate current professional registration. OR Core training as an accredited psychological therapist in a NICE recommended talking therapy e.g., accredited CBT therapist, accredited CAT therapist. FOR ALL APPLICANTS Post qualification training and accreditation in or eligibility and willingness to work towards accreditation in (where available) one of the following approaches CBT-P, EMDR, CAT, MBT, BFT. Completion of relevant modules of Accredited Doctoral Clinical Psychology Course: Introduction to Supervision Courses (approx. 30 hours) or equivalent, or professional equivalent e.g. CAT supervisor training.

Desirable

  • Completion of further post qualification training within psychological therapies (e.g. CAT, CBT, EMDR,, MBT etc.).

Experience

Essential

  • Demonstrable significant post-qualification experience of: specialist assessment and treatment of complex and often co-occurring mental health problems in working age adults in a secondary care setting. Experience of developing psychological formulations to inform care for service users and teams involved in multiple systems of care i.e., systemic formulation of complex need. Demonstrable substantial experience of working and leading within complex care systems. Demonstrable post-qualification experience of working with complex health problems, including problems associated with complex relational and emotional needs, and severe depression, anxiety, co-morbid substance misuse and trauma. Demonstrable experience of working with people experiencing a suicidal and/or safeguarding crisis. Demonstrable experience of working within adult multidisciplinary/agency mental health teams. Demonstrable experience of clinical leadership within a previous role. Demonstrable experience of providing clinical supervision to psychologists, psychological therapists or other core health professions and non-therapists. Demonstrable experience of providing teaching/ training upon clinical interventions

Desirable

  • Experience of audit and service evaluation within psychological therapy services Experience of applying within a multi-cultural framework Research experience within an area relevant to work. Ability to demonstrate further specialist clinical experience and training. Experience of leading and/or developing teams. Demonstrable experience of the application of psychological therapy in diverse cultural and ethnic contexts. Demonstrable experience of managing demand for psychological services via a stepped-care framework.

Knowledge

Essential

  • Understanding of the national and regional legislation, guidance and policy directives in relation to the development and delivery of psychological therapies within inpatient services. Evidence of post-qualification CPD as recommended and/or accredited by the BPS, or other professional body. Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, enabling the communication of complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information with clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues within the NHS and other agencies. Up to date knowledge of the needs of people with severe and enduring mental health problems, and of psychological approaches to recovery. Familiarity with computing technology, including keyboard skills, and use of word-processing, e-mail, and internet software

Desirable

  • Completion of specialist therapy courses.

skills & abilities

Essential

  • Ability to work with service users, carers and families to engage with their needs and provide them with appropriate psychological support and intervention. Skills in providing psychological consultation to other professional and non-professional groups Well developed, effective communication skills, both orally and in writing, enabling complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to be shared with clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues within the NHS and other agencies. Ability to prioritise work, operate a waiting list, meet short deadlines and an unpredictable work pattern that requires regular revision of plans. Ability to sit in constrained position for client therapy, testing and for computer work. Ability to work at a high level of professional autonomy and responsibility, in a collaborative multi-disciplinary environment and also as a lone worker in circumstances where there may be exposure to verbal and sometimes physical aggression Able to sustain the intense concentration necessary for client assessment and formulation, individual therapy sessions, interviews Ability to work and communicate highly sensitive, contentious information effectively in a highly emotive or hostile atmosphere, and to overcome barriers to acceptance/psychological resistance to potentially threatening information. Ability to identify, provide and promote appropriate means of support to carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations. Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour

Desirable

  • Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials, suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings Ability to demonstrate an area of special interest/skill in therapeutic intervention Ability to move equipment (including case files, bulky neuropsychological tests, self-help materials, audio-visual equipment) between office base and other work settings.

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

Greater Manchester Mental Health NHSFT

Address

Hindley Town Hall / Crompton St Wigan

Cross St Hindley / Crompton St Wigan

WN33AX


Employer's website

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


Employer details

Employer name

Greater Manchester Mental Health NHSFT

Address

Hindley Town Hall / Crompton St Wigan

Cross St Hindley / Crompton St Wigan

WN33AX


Employer's website

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


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Consultant Psychologist

Peter Dargan

Peter.Dargan@gmmh.nhs.uk

Details

Date posted

26 June 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£62,215 to £72,293 a year per year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

437-7246520

Job locations

Hindley Town Hall / Crompton St Wigan

Cross St Hindley / Crompton St Wigan

WN33AX


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

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