Consultant Clinical/Forensic/Counselling Psychologist

NHS; Preston; On-site; GBP 76,000 - 89,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization is seeking a Consultant Clinical/Forensic/Counselling Psychologist to lead the Inpatient Psychology Services at Guild Lodge in Preston. The ideal candidate should have substantial experience in secure care and be skilled in complex psychological assessments. This role will involve providing leadership, clinical supervision, and collaboration with multi-disciplinary teams to ensure high standards of psychological service in a medium secure setting. Salary ranges from £76,965 to £88,682 per year, with a commitment to flexible working patterns.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Strong development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience providing supervision and consultation to colleagues and services.
• Substantial post-qualification experience in the designated specialty/service.
• Strong skills in complex psychological assessments and interventions.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical leadership and supervision to the forensic inpatient service.
• Collaborate with other senior clinical staff on service planning.
• Hold a clinical caseload within the inpatient forensic service.

Skills

Psychological leadership

Complex psychological assessments

Communication skills

Experience in secure care

Education

Post-graduate doctoral level training in Clinical/Forensic/Counselling psychology

HCPC registration as a practitioner psychologist

Job description

Overview

We are excited to announce a fantastic opportunity for an 8c Consultant Clinical/Forensic/Counselling Psychologist to be the Lead for Inpatient Psychology Services at Guild Lodge Secure Mental Health Inpatient Hospital.

Guild Lodge is a regional secure unit providing medium secure, low secure and step down provision for men and women with complex mental health difficulties, and a specialist pathway for men with acquired brain injury.

An experienced candidate is required to provide psychological leadership and clinical supervision into the inpatient psychology service, and to work closely with their counterpart in the community service to ensure continuity of psychological input across transition. The successful applicant will work alongside a well established large psychology team to ensure a high standard of psychological service.

We seek a dynamic and enthusiastic person with experience in secure care, including risk assessment and formulation, management of personality disorder, interventions for psychosis, accreditation in at least one model of a relevant therapy, and a track record of delivering supervision and other aspects of clinical leadership to psychology and non-psychology staff.

Responsibilities

• Work as a senior member of the service to provide clinical leadership, supervision and strategic service development to the forensic inpatient service.
• Collaborate with other senior clinical and managerial staff to provide a psychological perspective to service planning and transformation.
• Hold a clinical caseload within the inpatient forensic service and contribute to wide service discussions.
• Provide supervision and consultation to colleagues and other services.
• Provide governance/oversight for interventions, referrals, waiting lists and clinical delivery.
• Provide psychological leadership as a core part of the role.

This opportunity comes at an exciting time for the service, with psychology taking a lead role in transformation; candidates should demonstrate experience in service development.

The post will be supported via clinical supervision and managerial supervision with the Associate Director of Operations for Forensic Services and professional supervision from the Associate Director of Psychological Professions for Specialist Network.

About us

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of mental health services across the area, including inpatient and specialist provision for child and adolescent mental health, perinatal mental health and forensic services including low and medium secure care. The Trust also provides physical health and well-being services in the community with partners in Lancashire, Cumbria and Sefton.

The Trust supports flexible working patterns and a positive work/life balance, including term time, part time, compressed hours, flexi-time and career breaks. Applicants are encouraged to discuss these options at interview.

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

Details

Date posted: 26 September 2025

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 8c

Salary: £76,965 to £88,682 per year

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full-time

Reference number: 351-SPS1354-MF-B

Job locations: Guild Lodge, Whittingham, Preston, PR3 2JH

Job responsibilities

For more details on this vacancy please review the attached job description and person specification. For informal discussion please contact: Dr Rebecca Brockhouse, Associate Network Director for Psychological Professions, Specialist Network; [e-mail], or Dr Chris Harrop, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, current lead for inpatient services; [e-mail]

Person Specification

Qualifications Essential

• Post-graduate doctoral level training in Clinical/Forensic/Counselling psychology (or equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, including models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
• HCPC registered as a practitioner psychologist (Clinical/Forensic/Counselling).
• Eligibility for consultant Clinical/Forensic/Counselling psychologist appointment approval from external BPS assessor.
• Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS.

Experience Essential

• Substantial post-qualification experience in the designated specialty/type of service.
• Experience with a wide range of client groups across the life course in different settings (outpatient, community, primary care, inpatient and residential care) and handling emotive and distressing situations.
• Experience with full clinical responsibilities for clients' psychological care and treatment within a multi-disciplinary care plan.
• Experience providing a range of complex psychological assessments and interventions requiring highly developed analytic and interpretative skills.

Knowledge Essential

• Doctoral level knowledge of clinical psychology, lifespan development, psychopathology, psychometrics and neuropsychology, plus two or more distinct therapies.
• Skills in complex psychological assessment, intervention and management requiring sustained concentration.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for clients, families, carers and professionals within and outside the NHS.
• Ability to provide consultation to professional and non-professional groups.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and will require a DBS check.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.