Principal Clinical Psychologist

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust; Salford; On-site; GBP 64,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS Trust in Salford is seeking a Principal Clinical Psychologist. The role involves providing leadership within the CAMHS team, ensuring high-quality psychological care for children and young people. Applicants must have a Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology and significant CAMHS experience. The Trust values professional growth and supports diverse psychological practices to cater to various needs. Competitive salary package relates to the NHS pay band.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in CAMHS as a clinical psychologist.
• Experience with children and families across various settings.
• Working knowledge of professional systems in child psychology.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and high-quality psychological services.
• Support the systematic delivery of clinical psychology services.
• Develop and implement local policy and service improvement initiatives.

Skills

Psychological assessment

Intervention strategies

Supervision of staff

Multidisciplinary collaboration

Cultural awareness

Education

Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology

Eligibility for BPS Chartered status

Job description

Principal Clinical Psychologist

The closing date is 06 January 2026

We are looking for a highly experienced Clinical Psychologist to join our innovative Salford CAMHS team.

Salford Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services provide support to children and young people aged 5‑18 years presenting with a wide range of complex emotional, behavioural, and neurodevelopmental difficulties. The post holder will have an integral role in supporting access into CAMHS and strengthening the delivery of high quality psychological care across our pathways. The role includes providing clinical leadership, supervision, consultation, and training to members of the wider MDT.

The post holder will work closely with the Senior Leadership Team and the Lead Consultant Psychologist for Salford. They will hold a clinical caseload and contribute significantly to the development and integration of evidence based intervention pathways in line with local transformation priorities.

We have strong connections with regional Clinical Psychology training providers through supervision of trainees, teaching, and research activities. Salford CAMHS values service innovation, co‑production with service users and families, and continuous professional development.

This post is open to highly experienced Clinical Psychologists and other suitably qualified psychological practitioners. Substantial CAMHS experience and eligibility for HCPC registration (or equivalent professional accreditation where appropriate) is essential.

N.B. The post will be in Salford (Pendleton Gateway)

Main duties of the job

As a senior, highly specialist Clinical Psychologist / equivalent psychological practitioner with substantial senior clinical experience and post‑qualification training, the post‑holder will work alongside other senior staff to provide leadership and support the systematic delivery of a high‑quality specialist clinical psychology/psychological service to children, young people and families in Salford, within a comprehensive and integrated CAMHS.

The post‑holder will support the leadership team in representing clinical psychology/psychological services and CAMHS in Salford across multi‑agency development forums, particularly those relating to community and primary care provision. They will also contribute to non‑clinical leadership activities, including the development and implementation of local policy and service improvement initiatives for Salford CAMHS.

Effective working relationships are essential at all levels and with multiple stakeholders across Salford CAMHS (within both core and specialist pathways), Children's Services, Community Health, Education, and wider partner agencies.

About us

Join Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) and become part of a 30,000 plus strong team, delivering exceptional care to over 1 million people every year. As the largest provider of specialist services, and our Oxford Road Campus in Manchester, the largest health academic campus in Europe, we are forward‑thinking, committed to clinical excellence and driven to deliver innovation, and continuous improvement. Whether you're beginning your career or taking the next step, MFT offers a stimulating and supportive environment where your contribution truly matters. Our Hive Electronic Patient Record system enables safer, smarter, and more efficient ways of working - empowering you to deliver the best possible outcomes for our patients. You'll be part of a collaborative, multi‑disciplinary community, working alongside professionals from a wide range of clinical backgrounds. Together, we push boundaries, share knowledge, and deliver care that transforms lives. At MFT, you'll find a workplace where everyone is respected, supported, and encouraged to thrive. We offer clear clinical pathways for professional development, helping you grow your skills and achieve your ambitions. Your journey at MFT is more than a job - it's an opportunity to make a lasting impact. We'll support you as you shape the future of healthcare, one patient at a time.

Job responsibilities

To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience you’ll need, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the Supporting Documents heading. So that you’re even more equipped to make an informed decision to apply to us, you’ll need to take time to read the Candidate Essentials Guide that sits with the Job Description and Person Specification. This document provides you with details about the Trust, our benefits and outlines how we care for you as you care for others. Most importantly, it also contains critical information you’ll need to be aware of before you submit an application form.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your application

Here at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, we’re proud to be ALL HERE FOR YOU for our patients, our communities, and each other.

As part of our commitment to fairness, transparency, and personal integrity, we ask all applicants to ensure that their job applications reflect their own experiences, skills, and motivations. While AI tools can support spelling, grammar, or formatting, we expect that the content of your application especially personal statements and responses to role‑specific questions is written by you. This helps us get to know the real you and ensures that our recruitment process remains equitable and meaningful for everyone.

Thank you for helping us uphold the values that make our Trust a place where people belong, grow, and thrive. We look forward to receiving your application.

Diversity Matters

MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, please contact the manager named below.

Person Specification

Registration/Accreditation

• Registered/accredited with the British Psychological Society.

Qualifications

• Diploma, masters, doctoral degree or equivalent accepted as qualifying the person to work as a clinical psychologist.
• Eligibility for BPS Chartered status
• Post doctoral training course in an area of specialist practice

Experience

• Significant Experience of working as a specialist child clinical psychologist in CAMHS.
• Experience in assessment and therapeutic work with children and families across the age range with a full range of presenting problems and across settings including community, outpatient and clinic settings.
• Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment independently and within a multidisciplinary and multiagency context.
• Experience of teaching, training and/or professional and clinical supervision.
• Working knowledge of professional systems involved in work with young people, both in specialist hospital and community settings.
• Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
• Experience of representing psychology within the context of multidisciplinary care.

Knowledge, Skills and Ability

• Knowledge of legislation and national guidance in relation to the needs of children and young people.
• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management in work with children and families
• Ability to integrate psychological theories and outcome data with clinical practice and service provision
• Ability to work with people from different backgrounds, cultures and of different ages
• Ability to cope with stressful interpersonal situations including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems.
• Enhanced skills in assessment and intervention of young people with neurodevelopmental disorders

Education and Supervision

• Experience in designing, planning and undertaking clinical research and service evaluation.
• Experience in teaching and training staff from other professional groups in psychological skills and concepts.
• Experience of teaching, training and supervision of assistant psychologists and trainee clinical psychologists
• Formal training in supervision of other psychologists

Personal attributes/work related circumstance

• A commitment to undertake further relevant training and self‑directed study.
• A commitment to the inclusion of young people's, parent/carer views in service delivery, development and design
• Ability to travel across the MFT footprint

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.

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

£64,455 to £74,896 a year (pro rata)