Principle Applied Psychologist: Sponsorship Available

Job summary

This exciting role provides highly specialist psychological assessment, formulation and intervention for individuals with complex mental health needs, drawing on a range of evidence-based therapeutic models. The post holder will work with complexity, risk and uncertainty, offering psychological expertise to support formulation-driven and integrated care.Alongside a significant clinical caseload, the post holder will take a senior leadership role, providing supervision, clinical oversight and consultation to psychological therapists and multidisciplinary colleagues. They will support reflective practice and promote psychologically informed thinking across teams and pathways.

Main duties of the job

Working with senior clinical and operational leads, the post holder will contribute to service development, quality improvement and strategic planning, supporting effective pathways and responsive, high-quality care within system pressures. Strong leadership, communication and consultation skills are essential, with the ability to influence.A key aspect of the role is shaping and sustaining a culture of psychological safety, containment and shared responsibility. The post holder will promote reflective practice, curiosity and psychologically informed responses to clinical and organisational challenges, supporting staff to think and work with complexity.They will also support staff wellbeing and resilience, helping teams process the emotional impact of clinical work and maintain effective, cohesive functioning in high-pressure environments.We particularly welcome applicants with an interest in trauma and complex emotional needs.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Post-graduate training (doctoral level equivalent) in clinical / counselling psychology (or its equivalent prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS.
• HCPC registration as a Practitioner Psychologist
• Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice
• Trained in clinical supervision and the supervision of doctoral trainees
• Experienced in care co ordination
• Evidence of continuing professional development

Desirable

• Registration with BPS
• Additional post doctoral training in working with complex emotional needs, e.g., DBT.

Experience

Essential

• Working as a qualified applied psychologist within the designated service including a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and a range of clinical severity across the full range of care settings.
• Working with people with complex emotional needs.
• Exercising full clinical responsibility for clients’ psychological care as a care co ordinator/key worker and leader of a multidisciplinary team
• Liaison and joint working with statutory, voluntary and private sector agencies
• Teaching, training, clinical supervision of other psychological practitioners.
• Active participation in quality and service improvement initiatives.

Desirable

• Leading a therapy team

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health and its implications for clinical practice.

Desirable

• Project Management / audit / quality Improvement knowledge

Skills

Essential

• Evidence- based practice relevant to the role & in the care of difficult to treat groups e.g. dual diagnoses, additional disabilities or severely challenging behavior
• Risk assessment and risk management & clinical governance
• Communicate highly complex, highly sensitive and contentious information effectively, to a wide range of people
• Adapt creatively the evidence base for interventions in mental health for clients with communication difficulties / learning disabilities.
• Articulate the value added by applied psychology services within the context of multidisciplinary mental health and learning disability healthcare provision.
• Undertake complex multiagency working and liaise with multiple systems
• Utilise psychometric tests competently
• Provide effective teaching, training and clinical supervision for the multidisciplinary team.
• Identify, provide and promote appropriate interventions / means of support for carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and challenging behaviours.
• Utilise appropriate clinical governance mechanisms within own work.

Desirable

• Leadership skills
• Project Management / audit / quality Improvement skills

Closing Date: 4 November 2026