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Job summary

Main area
Inpatient Principal Psychologist
Grade
Band 8b
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
351-CEN2362-CC
Employer
Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Avondale Unit RPH
Town
Preston
Salary
£64,455 - £74,896 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
20/11/2025 23:59

Employer heading

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust logo

Clinical Psychologist Principal

Band 8b

Our Vision is to provide the best mental health, learning disability, autism and community based services for the populations we serve.

As an integrated mental health, learning disability and community Trust, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including:

•    Primary and secondary mental health care for children and adults including specialist inpatient child and adolescent mental health provision, perinatal mental health, forensic services including low and medium secure care.
•    Specialist community support for children and adults with learning disabilities and autism, including intensive support.
•    Community physical health and well-being services for children and adults.

The Trust was first established in 2002 and employs approximately 7,000 staff who provide care from more than 400 sites. The organisation offers opportunities for medics, mental health and general nurses, allied health professionals, psychology, administration and clerical staff, apprentices and volunteers.

Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust supports 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, home/remote working, and flexi-time.

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

Please note that further communication from Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCft) will normally be to the email address given on the application form. You should also ensure that email addresses and telephone numbers are provided for your referees, to enable LSCft to contact them.

Job overview

An exciting opportunity for a Band 8B Clinical Psychologist has arisen to join the Central Home-Based Treatment Team and Central Mental Health Liaison Team.

Home Based Treatment Team offer 24-hour support to service users, and their families/carers, who are suffering from mental health concerns that would otherwise require admission to an acute inpatient environment. There is a strong focus on preventative interventions, robust risk management and the recovery model to provide quality care in a community setting. 

MHLT provide Mental health assessments to service users who present to the Royal Preston Accident and Emergency Department and Chorley Urgent Centre In addition MHLT provide assessment, care and treatment plans to patients who are receiving care on the medical wards. The team has a full MDT approach consisting of Mental Health Nurses, Doctors, Health Care Assistants and Trainee Advanced Clinical Practitioner. 

The Central Home-Based Treatment Team and Mental health Liaison team strive towards excellence and pride themselves as teams who are kind, compassionate and flexible. 

The Post holder will be supported by the local Professional Lead for Clinical Psychology.

Main duties of the job

To be responsible for ensuring the systematic provision of a high quality specialist clinical psychology service to clients and staff within the HBTT and IRS areas of responsibility.

To supervise and support psychological assessment and therapy provided by other psychologists and other clinical members of the team who provide psychologically based care, treatment and assessment.  

To work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of psychological practice within the designated areas of responsibility. 

To utilise research skills, audit, policy and service development and research and implement policy changes within the areas served by the team/service in agreement with the relevant manager.   

Working for our organisation

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.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For further information about the role, please see the attached recruitment pack which includes a detailed job description and person specification, or visit our website via Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS FT.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Doctoral level training in clinical psychology or equivalent for those who trained prior to 1996, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the BPS

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration
  • Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
  • Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
  • Formal training in supervision of other psychologists
  • Evidence continuing profession development as recommended by the British Psychological Society

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Substantial assessed experience of working as a qualified clinical psychologist at senior level
  • Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
  • Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for client’s psychological care and treatment both as a professionally qualified care co-ordinator and also within the context of multidisciplinary care plan
  • Demonstrable experience of conducting complex audit/research and service evaluation

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Ability to sustain intense levels of concentration responding and participating as required
  • Ability to cope and deal with highly distressing emotional circumstances
  • Ability to cope with unpleasant working conditions

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoNo smoking policyArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerCare Leaver CovenantStep into healthDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - Gold

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Sasha Fort
Job title
Service Managers
Email address
[email protected]
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