Principal Psychologist, Service Lead

NHS; London; On-site; GBP 72,000 - 84,000; Full time

Job summary

A major healthcare provider in London is seeking a qualified Clinical Psychologist to lead the Men's Mental Health Treatment Requirement service. This role involves developing and implementing services, overseeing clinical supervision, and ensuring quality of care. Candidates should have a degree in psychology and significant experience in clinical settings. The position offers a salary of £72,921 to £83,362 per annum, with flexible working options.

Benefits

Commitment to staff personal development

Flexible working options

Access to CPD opportunities

Qualifications

• Significant post-qualification specialist training in clinical practice.
• Experience of working with diverse client groups and handling distressing situations.
• Commitment to continuing professional development as per HCPC guidance.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and implementation of the Men's MHTR service.
• Oversee quality and performance, providing management oversight.
• Collaborate with partners to deliver the service across London.

Skills

Advanced skills in complex psychological assessment and intervention

Strong communication skills

Consultation skills

Knowledge of offender assessment

Strong planning and organisational skills

Education

Honours degree in Psychology

Doctoral level training in clinical psychology

HCPC Registered as a Practitioner Psychologist

Job description

Overview

North London Forensic Collaborative is the largest forensic Provider Collaborative in England and a partnership between five NHS Trusts. This post is hosted by Central North West London NHS Foundation Trust and works with clinical leads across East London NHS Foundation Trust, North East London NHS Foundation Trust and Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust. The role leads and develops a newly commissioned pan-London Men's Mental Health Treatment Requirement (MHTR) service to reduce custodial sentences and improve wellbeing for men in the criminal justice system with mental health needs.

Mental Health Treatment Requirements (MHTRs) were introduced by the Criminal Justice Act in 2003 to address mental health and substance misuse issues underpinning offending behaviour, offering courts an alternative to short custodial sentences and aiming to prevent reoffending by addressing underlying vulnerabilities and improving quality of life. The service aims to increase the use of primary care treatment requirements as part of a community sentence, offering psychologically informed interventions and advice.

Main duties

CNWL are recruiting to two posts operating as a job share. The roles will be responsible for operational service delivery across North West and North Central London, with equivalent posts in North East London via NELFT and ELFT. Clinical leads and services are expected to work closely to ensure courts across London are covered throughout the year. The successful candidates will hold a small complex clinical caseload and provide supervision of the clinical team.

We welcome applications from staff reflecting the population served and from those with protected characteristics, including minoritised ethnic groups. Applicants will be considered for all NLFC posts at interview. All three trusts support flexible working and applications for secondments to this substantive role will be considered.

Responsibilities

• Lead on development and implementation of the Mens MHTR service and provide management oversight and clinical supervision of the team.
• Oversee quality and performance, including quarterly reporting to commissioners.
• Work as a job share with other service leads and collaborate with partners to deliver the service across London.
• Oversee and sign off court directions, including covering sign-off for NLFC colleagues during periods of leave.
• Liaise with key stakeholders to maintain working relationships.

About us

By joining CNWL's Health & Justice Directorate you will join a large department of psychologists and psychological therapists providing mental health and OPD services across London, Surrey, Kent and Bucks. We offer supervision, CPD opportunities, active research forums and career progression support. Staff receive regular supervision and opportunities for development.

Click here to find out more about Psychology at CNWL.

What we can offer you

CNWL is recognised locally, nationally and internationally for high-quality, innovative healthcare. We aim to recruit in line with our values and to contribute to national health strategy and policy. With us, you will get:

• A Trust committed to staff personal development and wellbeing, with a leadership programme.
• An opportunity to work for a top NHS employer
• Flexible working
• Variety of work
• Access to CPD opportunities

Details

Date posted: 23 September 2025

Pay scheme: Agenda for Change

Band: Band 8b

Salary: £72,921 to £83,362 a year per annum inc HCAS (pro rata if P/T)

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full-time

Reference number: 333-D-HJ-1867

Job locations: The Gordon Hospital, Bloomburg Street, London, SW1V 2RH

Job description and responsibilities

For further information about the advertised role, please refer to the job description and person specification included in the documents section of this advert.

To lead on the development and implementation of the Mens MHTR service and hold management oversight and clinical supervision of the team.

To oversee and be responsible for quality and performance, including quarterly reporting to commissioners.

To work as a job share with other service leads and work alongside partners to deliver the service across London.

To have oversight and sign off of court directions, including covering sign-off for NLFC colleagues during periods of leave.

To liaise and ensure working relationships with key stakeholders.

Person specification

Education and Qualifications

• An honours degree in Psychology as accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).
• Doctoral level training in clinical, counselling or forensic psychology or equivalent, including models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology, equivalent to that accredited by the BPS.
• Evidence of significant post-qualification specialist training and developing expertise in a relevant specialist area of clinical practice.
• HCPC Registered as a Practitioner Psychologist.
• Completion of supervisor training course.

Desirable

• Pre- or post-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.

Previous Experience

• Substantial assessed experience of working as a qualified clinical psychologist at a highly specialist level or as otherwise agreed by the Chief Psychologist.
• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment across outpatient, community, primary care and inpatient settings.
• Experience of working with diverse client groups across the life course and handling highly emotive and distressing situations.
• Experience of teaching, training and multidisciplinary collaboration.
• Experience of leading on projects of service design or improvement and of leadership and supervision of trainees and staff.

Desirable

• Awareness of institutional dynamics
• Research/publications on relevant issues
• Experience of working with trauma-informed approaches
• Understanding of court processes and current sentence procedures

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

• Advanced skills in complex psychological assessment and intervention with sustained concentration.
• Strong communication skills, including conveying complex information to diverse audiences.
• Consultation skills for professional and non-professional groups.
• Doctoral-level knowledge of research methodology and data analysis in clinical psychology.
• Broad clinical knowledge, IT skills, and the ability to teach and train others using multi-media materials.
• Knowledge of clinical governance and ability to manage challenging material and behaviour.
• Knowledge of offender assessment, management and treatment models.
• Ability to work with complex problems including sexual/violent offending and self-harm.
• Strong planning and organisational skills for service provision and quality practice.
• Commitment to continuing professional development as per HCPC guidance.
• Excellent IT skills.

Desirable

• Knowledge of specialised psychological therapies for difficult-to-treat groups and ability to develop new initiatives.
• Ability to write reports for varied audiences including courts and service purchasers.

Attitudes, Aptitudes and Personal Characteristics

• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work flexibly in a team.
• Self-awareness and commitment to self-care; appreciation of work-life balance.
• Desirable: experience of working in a multicultural framework.

Legal and recruitment information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check: This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires disclosure checks.

Certificate of Sponsorship: Applications from job seekers requiring Skilled Worker sponsorship will be considered. For details visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

UK Registration: Applicants must have current UK professional registration. See NHS Careers website for more information.

Employer details: Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Address: The Gordon Hospital, Bloomburg Street, London, SW1V 2RH

Employer’s website: cnwl.nhs.uk/work