Job summary
- Main area
- Psychology
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8a
- Contract
- Fixed term: 12 months (From start date)
- Hours
- Full time
- Job share
- Compressed hours
- Job ref
- 311-F825-25-A
- Employer
- Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Heathfield House
- Town
- Stockport
- Salary
- £55,690 - £62,682 per annum, pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 09/09/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Clinical Psychologist/ Forensic Psychologist/ Counselling Psychologist
NHS AfC: Band 8a
If you are Kind, Fair, Ingenious and Determined then we want you to come and join our #PennineCarePeople
https://www.penninecare.nhs.uk/values
Job overview
The postholder will input into Heathfield House (Cale Green) and Bevan Place (Stepping Hill Hospital). Both units provide inpatient rehabilitation to support men with severe and enduring mental health needs, with the aim of moving towards more independent living. Men have a primary diagnosis of a psychotic illness, but may have additional difficulties with trauma, emotional regulation, substance use, forensic history, or cognitive skills. Bevan Place specifically supports men who are aged over 50, and may have additional medical needs. The rehabilitation services aim to support re-integration into the community, and work closely with the newly established Community Rehabilitation Team.
For more information about our services please visit: https://www.penninecare.nhs.uk/rhsd
The post is offered at 8a, however a band 7 development post will be considered for candidates with suitable experience.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be responsible for the promotion and management of a high-quality psychology service across the units and will be supported by Assistant Psychologist provision.
The post will require you to provide psychological assessment, formulation and intervention to service users who present with complex mental health problems, alongside a possible history of trauma, substance misuse and forensic histories. The post holder will provide direct face-to-face clinical sessions and support the psychosocial intervention work of colleagues.
You will be expected to attend MDT meetings and to facilitate regular reflective practice groups to offer the MDT reflective space, develop psychological formulations and provide bespoke training. In addition, you will provide one-to-one clinical supervision to Psychologists and other members of the MDT as appropriate and dependent on experience. The post will require you to be involved in service developments including transformation work, Quality Improvement projects and governance within the service as required.
The post holder will be part of a respected psychology team within RHS that includes Clinical and Forensic Psychologists, and Assistant Psychologists. Regular supervision will be provided, as well as team meetings and peer support.
Working for our organisation
We would welcome applications for flexible working patterns, including compressed hours or a job share. We support staff to work flexibly and recognise and respect the roles our colleagues hold outside of their working hours.
All wards have adequate office space for psychology staff.
Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the top of our agenda. We believe that a diverse, inclusive and engaged culture is vital; that everyone’s value should be recognised and respected.
We proactively challenge injustices, and are the only Trust in the North West to publicly recognise our commitment to becoming anti-racist and supporting our transgender and non-binary colleagues. We also have thriving staff networks to make sure everyone has a voice.
Our vision is for a happier and more hopeful life for everyone in our communities and our staff work hard to deliver the very best care for the people who use our services. We’re really proud of our #PennineCarePeople and do everything we can to make sure we’re a great place to work.
We are committed to staff development through shared learning, training and peer supervision. We are working hard in the Rehabilitation and High Support Care Hub to reduce restrictive practices, and to provide trauma-informed care.
Our trust values are:
Kindness
Fairness
Ingenuity
Determination
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see attached job description and person specification to support your application for this post. Please refer to the essential criteria in the person specification which will highlight the skills, knowledge and experience you will need to demonstrate in your application, by way of example, to give yourself the best opportunity to be shortlisted.
For further details, discussion or to arrange an informal visit please contact Dr Louisa McNair, Consultant Clinical Psychologist (Clinical Lead) on 07917 503634 or [email protected] or Dr Suzanna Moore, Forensic Psychologist (current postholder) on [email protected]
Person specification
Education / Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Good honours degree in psychology. Eligibility for graduate membership of the British Psychological Society (BPS).
- Doctoral level training in Clinical Psychology, Counselling Psychology or Forensic Psychology
- HCPC registered as a Practitioner Psychologist
Desirable criteria
- Further qualifications and / or training in a range of therapy models / interventions
- Further training and / or qualifications in the delivery of clinical supervision
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of working in an inpatient setting (psychiatric rehabilitation / PICU / acute/secure services)
- Demonstrable experience of delivering highly specialist psychological assessments and interventions (individual and group) within an NHS mental health environment.
- Experience of working within multidisciplinary services in mental health providing therapy to service users with high levels of complexity
- Experience of providing clinical supervision to other psychological therapists
- Experience in teaching / training of other qualified mental health staff / non psychology staff
Desirable criteria
- Experience of providing line management to other psychological therapists
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Knowledge of the application of clinical governance and risk management policies
Desirable criteria
- Expertise in administration and interpretation of specialist psychological assessment tools
- Knowledge of procedures that maintain and contribute to the improvement of psychological services Knowledge of systems theory and organisational change
Skills and Abilities
Essential criteria
- Willingness to work as part of a psychology team providing input into the low secure units.
- Skills in models of service delivery and an ability to articulate the value added by clinical psychology services within the context of multi-disciplinary mental health inpatient services.
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment and intervention.
- Ability to contain and work with organisational stress and ability to ‘hold’ the stress of others.
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and / or clinically sensitive information to service users, their families, carers and other professional colleagues, both within and outside the NHS
- Ability to play an active role in service development via evaluation, audit and research.
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non professional groups
- Ability to prioritise work, manage waiting lists, meet deadlines and revise work plans accordingly
Desirable criteria
- A wish to continue to develop expertise in the service area
Work Related Circumstances
Essential criteria
- Use of a car or access to a means of mobility to travel across the Trust footprint in line with service needs.
- Willing to carry out all duties and responsibilities of the post in accordance with the Trust’s Equal Opportunities and Equality and Diversity policies
- Appointments to regulated and controlled activities require an enhanced DBS disclosure.
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
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Dr Louisa McNair
- Job title
- Consultant Clinical Psychologist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07917 503634
If you have problems applying, contact
- Address
-
Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust
225 Old Street
225 Old Street
OL6 7SR
- Telephone
- 01617163181
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