Principal Clinical / Forensic / Counselling Psychologist

NHS; Walsall, Dudley; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Part time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in Walsall seeks a Principal Clinical/Forensic/Counselling Psychologist to provide leadership and support in an in-patient setting. You will guide other psychologists, assess patients, and facilitate team training. Suitable candidates will have a doctoral degree, HCPC registration, and experience in supervision. This part-time role offers the chance to impact patient care while working flexibly and contributing to service development efforts. It's an opportunity to enhance your leadership skills in a supportive environment.

Benefits

Flexible working

Compressed hours

Qualifications

• Post‑graduate doctoral level training in Applied Psychology required.
• HCPC registration is essential.
• Experience in supervision of doctoral trainees is necessary.
• Experience working with diverse client groups across a range of clinical severity.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and clinical supervision to other psychologists.
• Conduct psychological assessments, formulation and care planning.
• Facilitate training packages for all staff and work systemically with MDT.

Skills

Psychological assessments

Clinical supervision

Good communication skills

Risk assessment and management

Team working skills

Evidence of continuing professional development

Education

Post‑graduate doctoral level training in Applied Psychology

HCPC registration

Trained in clinical supervision

Job description

Principal Clinical/Forensic/Counselling Psychologist

The closing date is 22 January 2026

This is an opportunity for someone who is keen to use their leadership and psychological skills in a fast‑paced MDT environment. The role is suitable for those who put patient care and recovery at the centre of their practice. As Principal Psychologist, you will offer leadership support and clinical supervision to other psychologists who work across all of the in‑patient areas, and you will apply your own clinical skills into the in‑patient services across the trust to support MDTs, engage in psychological care with patients, and work systemically with ward‑based staff and wider urgent care psychology services. You will join a wider team of urgent care psychologists (clinical, forensic and counselling) who work across in‑patients, Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), Mental Health Liaison Teams (MHLS) and Crisis and Home Treatment Teams (CRHTT).

Main duties of the job

This post will allow you to take a key role in further developing and enhancing the psychological offer within the in‑patient setting. Your role will involve working on the wards and engaging in individual client work including psychological assessments, formulation, care planning, interventions and risk assessments and management within the context of MDT working. You will also work systemically with the MDT in facilitating reflective practice groups and the development and delivery of training packages.

If successful, you will oversee the Senior Psychologists, Assistant Psychologists and Trainee Psychologists within the service areas, offering opportunities to strengthen your supervisory and leadership skills. You will be supported by the Consultant Psychologist for Urgent Care. As a Principal Psychologist, there are opportunities to get involved in organisational and service development work streams, encouraging you to look beyond your team and support the wider system. We have links with the local universities across the clinical and forensic psychology doctorate courses.

About us

BCHFT is a relatively new organisation having formed in 2020 from two legacy Trusts (Black Country Partnership and Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Trusts).

Across the organisation, there is a strong leadership structure for psychology supported by the Divisional Leads for Psychology and the Director of Therapies. We have a robust trust‑wide Consultant Psychology leadership team who support strategic developments across the organisation, as well as offering support to the family of psychological professional staff.

We are highly regarded by colleagues of all professions within our services and are the "go‑to" people for complex problems and creative ideas to make a difference to staff, patients and carers.

Job responsibilities

We are looking for an applied clinical/forensic/counselling psychologist who is keen to apply their knowledge and skills in an in‑patient setting. Good team working skills are essential.

Person Specification

Qualifications, knowledge and skills

• Post‑graduate doctoral level training in Applied Psychology (or its equivalent as accredited by the BPS including models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology)
• HCPC registration
• Trained in clinical supervision and the supervision of doctoral trainees
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• 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
• Liaison and joint working with statutory, voluntary and private sector agencies
• Research and development experience
• Experience of training and teaching others
• Active participation in quality improvement and service governance initiatives
• Experienced in risk assessment and management
• Demonstrable evidence of Trust behaviours
• Demonstrable evidence of good communication skills
• Willing to work flexibly across all the trust‑wide in‑patient areas
• Completed service evaluations and audits
• Experience in working on service development and re‑design
• Experienced in the supervision of Applied Psychologists, Trainee Psychologists and Assistant Psychologists
• BPS / ACP membership

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Part‑time, Flexible working, Compressed hours