Principal Applied Psychologist

Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust; North East; On-site; GBP 64,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in England is seeking a Principal Applied Psychologist to lead within their Intensive Support Team. This role focuses on delivering high-quality psychological care to individuals with complex needs while contributing to service development. Ideal candidates will have significant experience, strong leadership skills, and a passion for trauma-informed approaches. Mentorship will be provided for career growth.

Benefits

CPD opportunities

Supportive work environment

Mentoring from experienced professionals

Qualifications

• Must have significant post-qualification experience with learning disabilities.
• Experience in intensive support or crisis settings is preferred.
• Commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion in practice.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and supervision within a multi-disciplinary team.
• Deliver high-quality psychological assessments and interventions.
• Support the development of psychologically informed care.
• Collaborate with service users and partner agencies for trauma-informed care.

Skills

Leadership skills

Trauma-informed care

Person-centred care

Clinical assessments

Supervision skills

Education

Postgraduate training in clinical psychology

HCPC registration as Practitioner Psychologist

Post doctoral training in specialized areas

Job description

Job Summary

We are seeking a Principal Applied Psychologist to join our Intensive Support Team (IST) within the Adult Learning Disability Urgent Care Pathway at Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust.

This is a unique opportunity to shape and deliver psychologically informed care across the Durham and Tees Valley region, supporting individuals with complex needs who require intensive, responsive, and trauma-informed interventions. The postholder will be a member of the team's leadership team and will focus upon leading on transformation work within the IST, as well as the development of the role of psychology within this relatively new team. The postholder will also work closely with the Psychology Professions lead for urgent care to identify and implement a psychological model across inpatient services and the IST. The post holder will also be required to provide cover into Bankfields Inpatient Unit when needed.

We would welcome applications from existing Principal Psychologists. We would also encourage applications from experienced Highly Specialist Psychologists looking for a career development opportunity. The successful candidate will receive mentoring and supervision from the Psychological Professions Lead for the Urgent Care Pathway.

The post would suit a compassionate, enthusiastic Psychologist, who is looking to develop their clinical and professional leadership skills in the day-to-day leadership and governance of the psychological care of patients within the IST.

Main duties of the job

As a Principal Psychologist, the postholder will :

• Provide clinical leadership and supervision within a skilled multi-disciplinary team.
• Deliver high-quality psychological assessments, formulations, and interventions.
• Support the development and implementation of psychologically informed care across the Urgent Care Pathway.
• Contribute to service development, quality improvement, and workforce development initiatives.
• Work collaboratively with service users, carers, and partner agencies to promote recovery-focused trauma informed care.
• Support the development of the profession by offering Trainee Clinical Psychology placements, providing academic support to the Doctoral programme and offering clinical supervision to Assistant Psychologists and band 7‑8a psychology staff where needed

The successful candidate will have :

• Significant post‑qualification experience, ideally with individuals with a learning disability and autism. Some experience within intensive support, urgent care, or crisis settings would also be helpful.
• Strong leadership, supervision, and consultation skills.
• An ability to contribute to the collective clinical leadership of the service and be part of governance and assurance processes.
• A passion for trauma‑informed, person‑centred care.
• Commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion in psychological practice.

About us

Applicants will be required to have post‑graduate training (doctoral level equivalent) in clinical / counselling (or its equivalent prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS and be registered as a Practitioner Psychologist with the HCPC.

Psychologists & Psychological Therapists provide key leadership roles within the Trust. To support this we have developed leadership profiles for each psychology band and the profile card associated with this post is attached on NHS Jobs. You can find more information about the NHS Leadership Academy's Healthcare Leadership Model and the profiles at their website. We encourage you to look at these resources as they will play a part in the interview process.

The Trust is a strongly value based, person‑centred organisation which has taken a strategic approach to continued service improvement, the modernisation of clinical roles and the introduction of care pathways embedded within a functioning system of governance.

You’ll be a part of an environment where there is a strong emphasis on teamwork and CPD, with continuous access to a range of training opportunities to move your career forward.

Details

• Date posted: 21 November 2025
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 8b
• Salary: £64,455 to £74,896 a year per annum
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Full‑time
• Reference number: 346‑TSL‑029‑25‑B
• Job locations: Lancaster House / Lanchester Road Hospital, Falcon Ct, / Lanchester Road, Stockton-on-Tees / Durham, TS18 3TS

Job description

Job responsibilities

As a service, we are keen to support and invest in the ongoing development of our Psychologists through CPD opportunities. To support this, we use the leadership profiles for each psychology band, you will find these attached to the advert.

We are responsive to the wellbeing of our psychology team and place a strong emphasis on self‑care and supporting one another. This means there are clear job plans and people are encouraged to maintain a work‑life balance. We pride ourselves in building a positive working atmosphere and opportunities for development.

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for further detailed information to ensure that you meet the role criteria before applying.

Please do not hesitate to make contact for informal discussions about the role before applying.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Post‑graduate training (doctoral level equivalent) in clinical / counselling / forensic 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
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Trained in care co‑ordination

Desirable

• Registration with BPS

Experience

Essential

• Exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care as a care co‑ordinator and leader of a multidisciplinary team.
• Liaison and joint working with statutory, voluntary and private sector agencies
• 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.
• Teaching, training, clinical supervision and field supervisor for doctoral theses
• Research and development
• Active participation in quality and service improvement initiatives

Desirable

• Project Management

Knowledge

Essential

• Doctoral level knowledge of evidence‑based practice relevant to the role
• Risk assessment and risk management
• Clinical governance
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health and its implications for clinical practice
• Audit and research methodology
• Social Inclusion agenda
• Knowledge of the Trust's Quality Improvement System

Desirable

• Highly developed knowledge and skills in the care of difficult to treat groups: dual diagnoses, additional disabilities or severely challenging behaviour