Principal Clinical Psychologist

NHS; Colwyn Bay; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 77,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading health organization in Wales seeks a Clinical Psychologist to lead a specialized service for children in care in Conwy. The role involves psychological assessment, therapy, and collaboration with social work professionals. Ideal candidates will have a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, and experience in a multi-disciplinary setting. The position offers an innovative work environment with opportunities for professional growth and development.

Qualifications

• Good Honours degree in Psychology.
• Eligibility for BPS Chartered status.
• Clinical supervision training.
• Doctoral level knowledge in clinical psychology.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of multi-disciplinary service for Children Looked After.
• Provide clinical psychology services and assessments.
• Ensure governance of staff’s psychological practice.
• Support improvements in service quality.

Skills

Psychological assessment

Therapeutic intervention

Clinical supervision

Research methodology

Multi-disciplinary collaboration

Education

Good Honours degree in Psychology

Post-graduate Doctorate in Clinical Psychology

Registration with HCPC as Clinical Psychologist

Clinical supervision training

Job description

Job summary

An exciting career opportunity in our Integrated CAMHS‑Social Care Partnership for Children in Care in Conwy. This is an innovative, one‑of‑a‑kind service with integration at its core. By bringing Social Work and Psychology together in practice, we believe we can achieve more for the children and young people we care for.

There is opportunity to practice in diverse ways, drawing on the multiple skills of clinical psychology, from leadership, supervision and consultation, to on‑going service design, research, assessment and formulation, direct and indirect intervention.

We work with children and young people and their carers to strengthen placements for children in care. The complexity of the work benefits from our integrated approach, bringing perspectives from Social Work practice together with those of psychology and mental health. This role is embedded into the EIPPS (Early Intervention, Prevention and Promotion Service) team in CAMHS and Conwy Social Care; offering early psychological interventions for children, young people and families in conjunction with our local authority partners. The position can bring strong working relationships with colleagues in both teams and opportunity to influence practice within and between the organisations.

This is an innovative, challenging, stimulating role, with great scope for creativity and professional growth. The successful candidate will be able to make a real difference to the lives of children in care in Conwy.

Main duties of the job

• Lead on the development and operation of a highly specialised multi‑agency, multi‑disciplinary service for Children Looked After within Conwy Children's Services; providing consultation, training, assessment and direct intervention.
• Provide a highly specialised clinical psychology service to clients within the service, providing specialised psychological assessment and therapy.
• Work autonomously in accordance with The BPS Code of Conduct, Ethical Principles and Guidelines 2004, and Health and Care Professions Council.
• Hold designated responsibility within the team, for the governance of staff’s psychological practice, to ensure the delivery of high quality clinical psychology services.
• Exercise delegated responsibility for the management and supervision of designated staff (e.g. staff appraisal/PADR and informal grievance).
• Contribute to the development of local team policies and procedures and to support improvements in service quality.
• Provide clinical placements and supervision for trainees and to deliver training to other professionals.
• Act as a panel member in the recruitment of designated staff, as appropriate.
• Assist the Consultant Clinical Psychologist, in conjunction with other senior staff, in the efficient day‑to‑day management of the service.
• English and/or Welsh speakers are equally welcome to apply; Welsh proficiency desirable.

About us

We are Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) North Wales, the largest health organisation in Wales, providing a full range of primary, community, mental health, acute and elective hospital services for a population of around 700,000 across North Wales. Join our team and get the support you need, in line with our Organisational Values and ‘Proud to Lead’ competence framework. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and welcome applicants under the “Disability Confident Employer” scheme.

Key details

• Date posted: 05 November 2025
• Pay scheme: Agenda for Change
• Band: 8b
• Salary: £65,424 to £76,021 per annum (pro rata)
• Contract: Fixed term, 18 months
• Working pattern: Part‑time
• Reference number: 050‑PST152‑1125
• Location: Bwthyn y Ddol, Brackley Road, Colwyn Bay, LL29 7UU

Person Specification

Qualifications – Essential

• Good Honours degree in Psychology.
• Eligibility for British Psychological Society Chartered status.
• Post‑graduate Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) accredited by the BPS.
• Registration with Health and Care Professions Council as a Clinical Psychologist.
• Clinical supervision training for supervising Doctoral trainees.
• Doctoral level advanced specialist knowledge of clinical psychology theory and practice, psychological therapies and their application, neuropsychological and psychometric assessment and interpretation.
• Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis as practised within clinical psychology.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management.
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development as recommended by the BPS and HCPC.

Qualifications – Desirable

• Post‑doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice.
• Well‑developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult‑to‑treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities, etc).
• Knowledge of highly specialised psychological therapies and assessment methodologies.
• Recognised qualification in supervision.
• Record of publications in peer‑reviewed or academic or professional journals and/or books.

Experience – Essential

• Substantial assessed experience as a qualified and senior clinical psychologist, normally including significant post‑qualification experience within the designated speciality where the post is located, or relevant transferable skills.
• Demonstration of further specialist training/experience through having received extensive and demonstrable clinical supervision of working as a specialist Clinical Psychologist or an alternative agreed by the Director of Psychology.
• Experience of specialised psychological assessment and treatment of a range of clients across a wide range of care settings.
• Experience of working with client groups across an increasing range of clinical severity.
• Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients’ psychological care, with experience of co‑ordinating care within the context of multi‑disciplinary care‑planning.
• Experience of providing teaching, training and/or professional and clinical supervision.

Experience – Desirable

• Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
• Experience of representing psychology within multi‑disciplinary care.
• Experience of professional management of qualified clinical psychologists and other staff.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975. A Disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service will be required to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled Worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

UK Registration

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

Employer details

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board

Bwthyn y Ddol
Brackley Road
Colwyn Bay
LL29 7UU

Website: https://bcuhb.nhs.wales/train-work-live/