Clinical Psychologist

NHS Trust; Preston; On-site; GBP 49,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT) is recruiting a qualified Clinical Psychologist to work at Guild Lodge, Preston, at band 7 or 8a depending on experience, with a preceptorship for band 7 entrants. The role is based in the men’s service within low/medium secure settings.

You will contribute to neuropsychological assessment, risk assessment and a range of psychological interventions, with opportunities for supervision and professional development.

Qualifications

• Post graduate doctoral level clinical psychology training and/or the training equivalent for those trained prior to 1996.
• Eligibility for graduate membership of the British Psychological Society (BPS).
• HCPC Registration.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality psychological and neuropsychological assessments.
• Contribute to multidisciplinary risk assessment and formulation.
• Develop and deliver psychological interventions and supervise other professionals.

Skills

Clinical psychology

Risk assessment

Neuropsychological assessments

Education

Post graduate doctoral level clinical psychology training

Eligibility for graduate membership of the BPS

HCPC Registration

Job description

Site Guild Lodge, Guild Park Town Preston Salary £49,387 - £64,750 per annum pro rata (subject to confirmation) Salary period Yearly Closing 11/11/2026 23:59

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

As an integrated Trust, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT) delivers a comprehensive 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, and forensic services with low and medium secure care.
• Specialist mental health inpatient care for individuals with learning disabilities, alongside specialist community support for children and adults with learning disabilities and autism, including intensive support.
• Extensive community physical health and well-being services for children and adults, covering prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and long-term condition management.

The Trust was first established in 2002 and employs approximately 7,500 staff who provide care from more than 400 sites. The organisation offers opportunities for medics, mental health, general nurses, children’s nurses, allied health professionals, psychology, administration and clerical staff, apprentices and volunteers, as well as those specialising in learning disabilities and community physical health services.

We are pleased to offer one post for a qualified Clinical Psychologist, working at either band 7 or 8a dependent on experience. The post would be a preceptorship for those recruited at band 7. The post is based in Guild Lodge, which includes men’s, women’s medium and low secure services as well as the nationally recognised secure Acquired Brain Injury service. The post will be based primarily within the men’s service; however, the successful applicant may also be expected to support the wider service as part of their role, depending on service need.

Candidates wishing to develop their skills and knowledge in neuropsychological assessment and rehabilitation, psychosis, personality difficulties, and developmental trauma will find the setting to be of particular interest. The post-holders will be expected to assess and formulate service user risks and needs and provide a range of group and individual interventions. An interest in acquiring skills in relational and integrative approaches such as Schema Therapy may be an advantage, as training and supervision may be provided. The post holders will contribute to the development of the psychological knowledge and skills of the wider workforce through consultation, joint working, and training and/or supervision of other professionals.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will will contribute to the provision of a high quality, specialist clinical psychology service, to service users with complex and high-risk needs, resident at Guild Lodge, within low and/or medium secure settings.

The post will involve working as part of a multidisciplinary team, undertaking highly specialist psychological and neuropsychological assessments, contributing to the process of multidisciplinary risk assessment and formulation, and to the preparation, implementation, and evaluation of appropriate treatment and risk management plans.

The post-holder will join a team of psychological practitioners in this and partnered services in offering a range of psychological interventions aimed at mitigating risk. The role requires the ability to work with clients who present with the full range of clinical needs and risk behaviours, and the ability to engage with, and respond to, highly complex clinical, professional and ethical challenges, and demands on clinicians and services.

The post holder will be expected to provide psychological advice and consultation to non-psychologist colleagues and/or carers where psychological interventions form a key aspect of a service user’s treatment programme. There will be opportunities to use audit and evaluation, to inform and develop practice and service provision.

Working for our organisation

LSCFT values diversity and inclusion, recognising that talent from varied backgrounds creates a flexible, creative, and effective workforce. We actively challenge discrimination and welcome applications from all, regardless of age, disability (including those with experience of accessing or caring for someone who has accessed mental health or learning disability services), ethnicity, gender, religion, belief, or sexual orientation.

Our aim is to reflect the communities we serve, so we particularly encourage applications from under-represented groups. If you’d like to discuss your application, please ask.

We also welcome individuals with lived experience relevant to the role or service area, as your insight brings authenticity to our services.

LSCFT support 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 and flexi-time.

The wellbeing of our people is at the heart of everything we do. We offer a wide range of resources, tools and support to help you thrive both in and out of work.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about this role.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Post graduate doctoral level clinical psychology training and/or the training equivalent training for those trained prior to 1996
• Eligibility for graduate membership of the BPS.
• HCPC Registration.

Experience

• Experience of working as a clinical psychologist or as a trainee clinical psychologist with clients with complex and enduring mental health and risk needs.
• Experience of providing a range of psychological assessments and interventions and adapting these to meet clients’ presenting needs/communication abilities as required.
• Experience of using information derived from a variety of sources and to make complex clinical judgements and formulate clients' needs.

Knowledge

• Knowledge and skills in the use of complex methods and techniques of psychological assessment and intervention, including risk assessment models and approaches.
• Knowledge of, and ability to utilise and interpret, neuropsychological assessment tools and approaches
• Ability to independently integrate and analyse complex clinical information derived from a variety of sources to inform individual care, treatment and management plans.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.

Name Christian O'Dea Job title Consultant Clinical Psychologist Telephone number 01772 676131 Additional information

For further information please contact:

Dr Phaedra Robinson, Principal Clinical Psychologist
Tel. [phone]