Principal Clinical Psychologist

NHS; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in the UK is seeking a Principal Clinical Psychologist to join their acute mental health team. The successful candidate will have a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and significant experience in acute mental health settings. Responsibilities include providing specialist psychological assessment and therapy, along with clinical supervision of less experienced practitioners. The role offers opportunities for professional development and leadership within a supportive team environment, focusing on trauma informed care and service improvement.

Qualifications

• Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and HCPC registration.
• Significant experience in acute mental health and team leadership.
• Formal training in supervising other psychologists.

Responsibilities

• Provide highly specialist psychological assessment and therapy.
• Coordinate and supervise psychological service delivery.
• Utilize research skills for service development.

Skills

Clinical supervision

Psychological assessment

Leadership in multidisciplinary teams

Education

Doctorate in Clinical Psychology

HCPC registered practitioner psychologist

Job description

Principal Clinical Psychologist

The closing date is 04 February 2026

We are looking for a compassionate, enthusiastic principal clinical psychologist to join our acute mental health team of psychologists, psychotherapists and CAPs. The role is an interesting and exciting opportunity to develop your skills in clinical work, leadership and service development.

This post will provide you with the opportunity to support service users and their families within an established psychiatric intensive care unit through direct work, consultation, formulation, supervision and care planning. Psychology is highly valued by the ward leadership team. The Trust has a strong focus on trauma informed care, human rights and restriction reduction and you will be supported to lead in these areas.

You will be part of an acute psychology team which includes our acute wards, liaison and home treatment teams and this post would contribute to ensuring development of the team through supervision and CPD. The psychology team is research active and has close links with Sheffield University. Secondment for internal candidates would be supported.

Main duties of the job

To provide a qualified highly specialist clinical psychology service to service users of the psychiatric intensive care unit, Endcliffe ward. To provide highly specialist psychological assessment and therapy at the same time as offering highly specialised advice and consultation on service users' psychological care to psychologist colleagues, non‑psychologist colleagues and to other, non‑professional carers. In common with all Clinical Psychologists, to receive regular clinical supervision in accordance with good practice.

To provide clinical supervision to less experienced practitioner psychologists, therapists, assistants, trainees or other professionals. The postholder is responsible for the co‑ordination and organisation of the work of other psychologists and other clinical members of the team who provide psychologically based care and treatment.

To take sole professional responsibility and exercise autonomous professional and clinical judgement within the overall framework of Trust, HCPC and BPS professional policies/guidelines/standards. To utilise research skills for audit, policy and service development and research within the area served by the team and service.

About us

We prioritise the well‑being and safety of both our service users and employees. It is our policy and a condition of employment that all employees must join the DBS Update Service. This service carries an annual fee, which employees are responsible for paying up front. However, employees may claim this cost back through the Trust's Employee Expenses Reimbursement Policy. For those requiring a Basic DBS check, it is necessary to register for a DBS Online Account.

Job responsibilities

Please review the job description and person specification attached to find out more about the role and contact Jo Varela with any questions.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Doctorate in Clinical Psychology
• HCPC registered practitioner psychologist
• Formal training in supervision of other psychologists
• Additional further training and qualification in area of relevant clinical experience
• Formal training in leadership or management relevant to healthcare
• Training in an area relevant to acute mental health presentations

Experience

• Significant experience in working with acute mental health, risk or behavioural distress
• Experience in leading in multidisciplinary teams
• Significant experience in psychological assessment, formulation and intervention of complexity
• Experience of reducing restrictive practice
• Significant experience of team formulation and care planning of complex presentations
• Experience of adapting psychological work and including patients from diverse backgrounds

Theory

• Experience of leadership and service development
• Well‑developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychotherapeutic/psychological therapies for people with SMI
• Experience of working within MHA/MCA safeguarding legislation
• Evidence of delivering formal CPD to others
• Highly specialist knowledge in 2 or more modalities of assessment or intervention

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 to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Address

Endcliffe Ward, Northern General Hospital