Principal Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist B8A

NHS Ayrshire & Arran; Pennsylvania; On-site; USD 69,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is seeking an experienced Principal Child Psychotherapist to lead clinical practice, supervision, governance and workforce development within Specialist Children’s Services and Wee Minds Matter.

The role combines strategic leadership with hands-on psychotherapy, service improvement and cross-team collaboration to sustain high-quality care for children and families across CAMHS.

Qualifications

• Registration with the Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP).
• Substantial post-qualification experience as a Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist.
• Experience of supervision, leadership, service development or quality improvement activities.
• Strong understanding of clinical governance, safeguarding and risk management.
• Excellent organisational, communication and relationship‑building skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical leadership and professional supervision across CAMHS and Wee Minds Matter.
• Governance, safeguarding, risk management and quality improvement activities.
• Develop and implement workforce development and governance standards.
• Deliver clinical sessions within Tier 3 CAMHS and Wee Minds Matter Infant Mental Health Service.
• Collaborate across multidisciplinary teams to ensure high-quality care.

Skills

Leadership experience

Communication

Team working

Education

Doctoral qualification or equivalent

Job description

Principal Child Psychotherapist (Band 8A) Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and

Wee Minds Matter

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and motivated Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist to join NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde as a Principal Child Psychotherapist within Specialist Children’s Services. This senior leadership role combines clinical practice, professional leadership, supervision, governance, service improvement and workforce development. The successful applicant will work closely with the Professional Lead for Child Psychotherapy and colleagues across CAMHS and Infant Mental Health services to support the continued development of high-quality, safe and effective psychotherapy services across the Health Board.

The post offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the future direction of Child Psychotherapy services within one of the largest CAMHS systems in Scotland. We are seeking a candidate who is motivated by service development, enjoys collaborative leadership and is committed to translating professional values into sustainable systems that improve outcomes for children, young people, families and staff.

The role includes responsibility for supporting clinical governance, professional standards, high-quality electronic record keeping, child protection practice, workforce development, supervision and quality improvement activity. The post holder will play a key role in ensuring consistency of practice across services and in supporting the development of a strong, connected and resilient professional workforce.

The post includes leadership and implementation responsibilities across Child Psychotherapy services; professional, clinical and governance supervision of Child Psychotherapists, Assistant Child Psychotherapists and trainees; organisation and facilitation of regular team meetings, reflective forums and professional development activity; supporting the development of safe and effective systems for clinical governance, safeguarding, risk management and professional practice; audit, evaluation, service development and quality improvement work; clinical practice within Tier 3 CAMHS; and dedicated clinical sessions within the Wee Minds Matter Infant Mental Health Service.

A typical week may include a combination of clinical work within Tier 3 CAMHS and 2 dedicated sessions working with Wee Minds Matter, professional and governance supervision, multidisciplinary consultation, leadership meetings, quality improvement activity, team development work, service evaluation and workforce development initiatives. Who We Are Looking For We are seeking a candidate who can combine clinical credibility with strong organisational skills, emotional intelligence, sound professional judgement and the ability to build positive working relationships across multidisciplinary teams. Applicants must be able to demonstrate experience of leading service improvement initiatives and supporting teams to deliver high-quality care through periods of organisational change.

Essential Requirements

• Registration with the Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP)
• Substantial post-qualification experience as a Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist.
• Experience of supervision, leadership, service development or quality improvement activities.
• Strong understanding of clinical governance, safeguarding and risk management.
• Excellent organisational, communication and relationship‑building skills.

Desirable Requirements

• Doctoral qualification or equivalent evidence of significant research, audit or evaluation activity.
• Experience of service redesign, workforce development or organisational change.
• Leadership training or experience within health, social care or education settings.
• Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle for work purposes.

What We Offer

This post would particularly suit an experienced Child Psychotherapist who is ambitious for the profession, enjoys working at both strategic and clinical levels, and wishes to develop their leadership experience within a supportive environment that values innovation, collaboration, continuous improvement and professional development.

The successful candidate will have opportunities to contribute to service innovation, workforce development, quality improvement, evaluation and research activities, while helping to shape the future development of Child Psychotherapy and Infant Mental Health services across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. We offer excellent opportunities for continuing professional development, leadership development, research, service innovation and involvement in regional and national developments in Child Psychotherapy and Infant Mental Health.

We are looking for a leader who can bring energy, curiosity and resilience to a developing service. The successful candidate will be someone who enjoys building effective systems, supporting colleagues to thrive, and working collaboratively to create a culture of safety, learning and continuous improvement. They will be motivated by the opportunity to make a lasting contribution to the future of Child Psychotherapy services and the outcomes achieved for children, young people and families.

For an informal discussion please contact: Andrew Dawson, Professional Lead for Child Psychotherapy telephone [phone] email [e-mail]

Details on how to contact the Recruitment Service and the Recruitment Process:

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NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) recognises the importance of work-life balance and is committed to offering a range of flexible working options where service needs allow. For roles where less than full-time hours can be accommodated, and where the tenure is listed as "various", we encourage applications from individuals seeking flexible working arrangements. Flexible working will be included as a topic for discussion during the recruitment process.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde encourages applications from all sections of the community.

We are committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion and are proud of the diverse workforce we employ.

By signing the Armed Forces Covenant, NHSGGC has pledged its commitment to being a Forces Friendly Employer.

We welcome applications from across the Armed Forces Community and recognise military skills, experience and qualifications throughout the recruitment and selection process.