Principal Clinical/Counselling Psychologist | East London NHS Foundation Trust

East London NHS Foundation Trust; City Of London; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in London is seeking a Principal/Counselling Psychologist for a role in the Newham Psychiatric Liaison Service. You will provide specialist psychological input, engage in direct clinical work, and support colleagues through training. The role offers a fixed-term contract aimed at improving the lives of individuals facing mental health challenges. Join a mission-driven organisation focused on inclusion and respect for all.

Qualifications

• Experience in providing psychological assessment and intervention.
• Strong skills in training and supervision of colleagues.
• Research skills for audit and quality improvement.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct psychological input to the Core 24 Psychiatric Liaison Service (PLS).
• Engage in operational leadership within the service.
• Contribute to training, supervision, and policy development.

Job description

There is an exciting role for a Principal/Counselling Psychologist in Newham Psychiatric Liaison Service (PLS). The Principal Psychologist will deliver specialist psychological input and be part of the operational leadership of wider crisis pathway. The PLS provides specialist multidisciplinary assessment and signposting for people presenting with complex mental health difficulties attending at Accident and Emergency and in the acute hospital setting.

The principal psychologist will work as a senior member of the services to provide direct psychological input for service users alongside training, support, supervision and formulation with colleagues to promote psychologically-informed conceptualisation and intervention across the system, including colleagues in A&E and acute hospital.

This role is being offered 0.8 WTE for a fixed term/secondment of 12 months.

This post is responsible for ensuring the systematic provision of specialist psychological input to the Core 24 Psychiatric Liaison Service (PLS). The PLS service provides specialist multidisciplinary assessment and management and signposting for people presenting with complex mental health difficulties attending at Accident and Emergency and in the acute hospital setting.

The post holder will utilise research skills for audit, policy, research and quality improvement, and contribute strongly to strategic service development for PLS.

Key Roles of the Job

• Specialist psychological input to the Core 24 Psychiatric Liaison Service (PLS).
• Direct clinical work as part of the MDT – as a senior member of the services to provide systematic specialist clinical psychological assessment, formulation, brief interventions, consultation and care planning as part of the multidisciplinary team.
• Indirect work (training, supervision and formulation) with colleagues.
• Being part of operational leadership of PLS and wider crisis pathway.

Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.

Principal/Counselling Psychologist: please see attached job description and person specification for further details on this post.

This advert closes on Sunday 16 Nov 2025.