Professional Head of Psychology and Psychotherapy | South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust; City Of London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent healthcare organization in the UK is seeking a Head of Psychology & Psychotherapy for Forensic Services. This role involves leading clinical excellence and workforce development while innovating in mental health care. The ideal candidate will ensure quality standards, conduct research, and manage a skilled team, contributing to the service's extensive capabilities. This position offers a unique opportunity to shape policy and improve recovery-focused care across diverse settings.

Benefits

Professional development opportunities

Working alongside leading experts in mental health

Qualifications

• Proven leadership experience in psychology and psychotherapy.
• Ability to manage and influence teams effectively.
• Strong background in clinical governance and policy development.

Responsibilities

• Drive clinical excellence and strategic developments in Forensic Services.
• Lead the delivery of specialist psychology and psychotherapy services.
• Conduct research and facilitate training programs.

Skills

Leadership

Clinical excellence

Workforce development

Strategic innovation

Expert clinical input

Education

Professional qualification in psychology

Job description

We’re seeking an exceptional leader to become Head of Psychology & Psychotherapy for Forensic Services at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. This role offers the opportunity to influence care across secure inpatient and community settings, guiding a diverse and expert team of psychological professionals.

You’ll drive clinical excellence, workforce development, and strategic innovation across services including MSUs, LSUs, and specialist pathways. As a key member of the Trust-wide leadership group (TPPAC), you’ll help shape policy, governance, and quality standards across the organisation.

We offer a unique environment where care, research, and education intersect - partnering with King’s College London and King’s Health Partners. Join us to lead meaningful change, support recovery-focused care, and contribute to nationally recognised service development.

If you’re ready to lead with compassion, expertise, and vision - this is your next step.

To work with Operational Managers and senior clinical leaders to ensure all service users of the Forensic Services in-patient and community services have appropriate access to psychology or psychotherapy as an element in their pathway to recovery.

To provide forensic psychology and psychotherapy leadership, encapsulating: workforce development; professional regulation and development; implementation and development of psychology and psychotherapy guidance and policy; development of psychology and psychotherapy protocols specific to the Forensic Services, Trust and professional regulation (HCPC).

To contribute to strategic developments of the Forensic Services.

To lead, manage and plan the delivery of a highly specialist psychology and psychotherapy service to Forensic Services and personally provide expert clinical input.

The postholder will ensure the conduct of research, service evaluation and audits relevant to the Forensic Service, the psychology & psychotherapy service provision and the service research and evidence-based practice agenda.

Establish training andeducational needs and ensure good communication and liaison with the Trust Director of Psychology & Psychotherapy, Trust advisors and the Education and Training Department in partnership with the IoPPN to facilitate appropriate learning, training and education.

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) provide the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK as well as substance misuse services for people who are addicted to drugs & alcohol. We work with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London and are part of King’s Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre. There are very few organisations in the world that have such wide-ranging capabilities. Our scope is unique because it is built on three major foundations: care & treatment, science & research, and training.

SLaM employ around 5,000 staff and serve a local population of 1.1 million people. We have more than 230 services including inpatient wards, outpatient and community services. Currently, we provide inpatient care for approximately 5,300 people each year and treat more than 45,000 patients in the community in Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark; as well as substance misuse services for residents of Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich.

By coming to work at SLaM, you will gain experience of being part of an organisation with a rich history and international reputation in mental health care. You will have access to professional development / learning opportunities, and have the chance to work alongside people who are world leaders in their field. SLaM delivered more than 14,000 training experiences in 2014; providing an extensive range of learning opportunities for staff at all levels.

The role covers Medium Secure, Low Secure, Community Forensic Mental Health teams including specialist community teams and offender personality disorder services. The service supports male and female service users. The P&P staffing complement is currently in excess of 40 individuals and this is growing with current service developments. The team work together to deliver individualised recovery‑orientated care in individual therapies and group interventions. The service has recently benefitted from the inclusion of peer support work, and the service development continues to grow this aspect. The implementation of the Patient & Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF) has been a priority of the Directorate in its aspirations to contribute to the Trust’s Anti‑Racism Action Plan.

This advert closes on Monday 1 Dec 2025