Principal Clinical Psychologist

North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare Trust; Stoke-on-Trent; Hybrid; GBP 64,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A reputable healthcare trust in the UK is seeking a Principal Clinical Psychologist to provide highly specialist psychological assessments and therapy. This role includes developing treatment plans and conducting risk assessments for clients with complex mental health conditions. Candidates should have a doctoral level training in psychology, extensive experience, and knowledge of evidence-based practices. The position offers flexible and hybrid working arrangements, contributing to a supportive team environment.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Continuing professional development

Qualifications

• Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical/counselling psychology.
• Substantial experience as an applied psychologist across various client groups.
• Knowledge of evidence-based practice.

Responsibilities

• Provide highly specialist psychological assessments.
• Conduct risk assessments and management for clients.
• Develop and implement psychological therapy plans.

Skills

Psychological assessment

Risk assessment and management

Clinical supervision

Evidence-based practice

Education

Post-graduate doctoral training in clinical psychology

Post-doctoral training in specialized areas

Job description

Go back North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare Trust

Principal Clinical Psychologist

The closing date is 04 January 2026

Are you looking to further develop your career within a supportive and innovative service? We are looking for an enthusiastic and highly motivated Principal Clinical Psychologists to join the Community Mental Health Directorate.

This role offers flexibility and hybrid working, 22.5 hours across 3-5 days - ideal for working parents or professionals looking to complement their private and personal commitments, with the benefits of working in a multidisciplinary team in the NHS.

The post will be based at the Lyme Brook Centre, Newcastle-under-Lyme with an opportunity to work across the directorate into clinical pathways of interest. The post offers the opportunity to develop skills in leadership, supervision and service development, alongside the Consultant Clinical Psychologist. You will be part of an integrated MDT, working closely with colleagues to deliver trauma informed pathways.

There are opportunities to further develop expertise in a range of psychological models as funded via NHSE, e.g. CAT, CBTp/pd, etc. Specialist supervision groups and interest groups in various models (CAT, CFT, EMDR) are also provided. There is excellent support for continuing professional development, additional peer supervision and participation in quality innovations, research, and audit. We have strong links with the local Clinical Psychology Training course at Staffordshire University.

We are supportive of flexible working and blended office time with remote working.

Main duties of the job

To be accountable for own professional practice in the delivery of highly specialist psychological care to clients with highly complex mental health conditions.

To be compassionate in meeting the needs of clients, their carers and families.

To provide clinical supervision and training to less experienced colleagues within the designated psychology service and to other members of the multidisciplinary team.

To act as field supervisor to doctorate trainees.

To be proactive in continual service improvement within own area.

To promote at all times a positive image of people with mental ill health.

To promote at all times a positive image of the service and the wider Trust.

About us

As a Trust we remain bold and ambitious with plans for both service and system collaborative transformation over the coming years to improve the health and wellbeing of our local people through high quality care.

We pride ourselves onensuring our team has their wellbeing put first and as such provide a range of wellness opportunities including flexible working.

We are committed to the Greener NHS national ambition to becoming the world's first 'carbon net zero' national health system by 2045 (Greener NHS (england.nhs.uk). As part of this, sustainability is embedded in our strategy as one of our four key enablers. In order to deliver on this commitment, we recognise that we need a workforce that is as passionate as we are about achieving these goals, for the benefit of our service users, workforce, local communities and the planet alike. For 2024/2025, we have launched our "Proud to be Green" engagement campaign which is aligned to the targets set out in our Green Plan. As a Trust, you can be assured that we will commit to supporting you in working towards our net zero ambitions, set out in our Green Plan, through our sustainability programme".

The Trust is committed to ensuring that a diverse workforce is representative and inclusive at all levels. We would very much welcome applications from all under-represented groups including women, people with disabilities, people from global majority backgrounds, and those from the lesbian, gay, bi and trans communities.

Job responsibilities

Provides highly specialist psychological assessment of clients with highly complex and contentious conditions based on the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of data from a variety of sources.

Responsible for recognising the potential for or signs of client harm, abuse or neglect, including poor clinical practice, reporting all such concerns and taking all reasonable steps to protect the client. Responsible for identifying and reporting concerns regarding the safeguarding of children who may be at risk.

Undertakes risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and provides highly specialist advice to other professionals on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management and the high physical risks inherent in the client group.

Formulates plans for highly specialist psychological therapy and/or management of clients mental health conditions based upon an appropriate conceptual framework and evidence-based practice. Negotiates the implementation of such plans with clients and/or their carers.

Implements a range of highly specialist psychological therapies for individual clients, carers, families and groups, adjusting and refining psychological formulations as required.

Undertakes highly skilled evaluations and makes decisions about treatment options.

Provides highly specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other staff contributing directly to clients diagnosis, formulation and intervention plan.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical / counselling psychology (or its equivalent prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, including models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
• Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice

Experience

• Substantial experience of 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

Knowledge

• Doctoral level knowledge of Evidence- based practice relevant to the role
• Risk assessment and risk management

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.

North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare Trust

£64,455 to £74,896 a yearPro rata per annum