Principal Clinical Psychologist

Job summary

Are you an experienced Clinical Psychologist seeking a leadership role where you can shape clinical practice, supervise and support colleagues, and drive service development across a forward-thinking CAMHS team?

As the Principal Clinical Psychologist, you will play a key role in the development, provision, evaluation and governance of psychological interventions within CAMHS.

At Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB), we are committed to supporting our staff with a range of benefits, including:

? A relocation package to make your move as smooth as possible

? Generous annual leave, starting at 28 days plus bank holidays

? A highly competitive NHS pension scheme

? A Car Lease Salary Sacrifice Scheme, helping you access a new vehicle at a lower cost

? A Cycle to Work Scheme, encouraging a healthier and greener commute

? Protected time for CPD, including leadership training, research opportunities, and accreditation in therapeutic models

Join BCUHB and take the next step in your leadership journey, where your expertise and vision will shape the future of mental health care!

The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply

Main duties of the job

As the Principal Clinical Psychologist, you will play a key role in the development, provision, evaluation and governance of psychological interventions within our CAMHS team. Working closely with the Consultant Psychologist and service leads, you will provide clinical leadership within the MDT, influence service development, guide complex case decisions, and collaborate with multi-agency colleagues to enhance care. We have strong peer networks within Child Psychology and close links to the North Wales Clinical Psychology Programme.

Person Specification

Qualifications/Knowledge

Essential

• Good Honours Degree in Psychology
• Eligibility for British Psychological Society Chartered status.
• Post-graduate Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the British Psychological Society.
• Registration with Health and Care Professions Council as a Clinical Psychologist.
• Clinical supervision training for supervising Doctoral trainees.
• Doctoral level advanced specialist knowledge of clinical psychology theory and practice, psychological therapies and their application, neuropsychological and psychometric assessment and interpretation.
• Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis as practised within clinical psychology.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management.

Desirable

• Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice.
• Well-developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult-to-treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc).
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of highly specialised psychological therapies and assessment methodologies.
• Recognised qualification in supervision.
• Record of publications in peer reviewed or academic or professional journals and/or books.

Experience

Essential

• Substantial assessed experience of working as a qualified and senior clinical psychologist, normally including significant post-qualification experience within the designated speciality where the post is located, or relevant transferable skills.
• Assessed experience of working effectively as a qualified and senior level clinical psychologist in the designated speciality, or relevant transferable skills. Demonstration of further specialist training/experience through having received extensive and demonstrable clinical supervision of working as a specialist Clinical Psychologist or an alternative agreed by the Director of Psychology.
• Experience of specialised psychological assessment and treatment of a range of clients across a wide range of care settings.
• Experience of working with client groups across an increasing range of clinical severity.
• Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients’ psychological care, with experience of co-ordinating care within the context of multi-disciplinary care-planning.
• Experience of providing teaching, training and/or professional and clinical supervision.

Desirable

• Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
• Experience of representing psychology within the context of multi-disciplinary care.
• Experience of professional management of qualified clinical psychologists and other staff.

Aptitude and Abilities

Essential

• The ability to demonstrate a high level of competence to work within the designated speciality.
• Well-developed skills in the supervision of other staff, including Trainee Clinical Psychologists.
• Well-developed skills in effectively communicating very complex, highly technical and clinically sensitive information, both orally and in writing, to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
• Developed skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
• Capable of maintaining a high degree of professionalism and safe clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
• The ability to identify and provide appropriate means of support to line-managed staff who deal with highly distressing situations, severely challenging behaviours and other stressors.
• The ability to use a variety of complex multi-media materials for a range of purposes such as teaching and training
• Capable of effective workload management when facing competing demands.
• The ability to work collaboratively with a wide range of multidisciplinary colleagues.
• Basic IT Skills

Desirable

• Ability to speak Welsh.
• Ability to demonstrate leadership and management skills.
• Advanced IT skills.

Closing Date: 26 July 2026