An exciting leadership opportunity in Clinical Health Psychology
We are seeking an experienced and inspiring Principal Clinical Psychologist to lead our Adult Clinical Health Psychology Service. This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of psychological care within physical health services while joining a thriving Clinical Health Psychology Department with a reputation for innovation, collaboration and high-quality patient care. You will combine strategic leadership with highly specialist clinical practice, influencing services across acute and community healthcare settings.
Main duties of the job
Provide operational, professional, strategic and clinical leadership for the Adult Clinical Health Psychology Service.
Lead and manage the delivery of high-quality, evidence-based psychological services for adults living with physical health conditions and complex psychological adjustment difficulties.
Work collaboratively with the Head and Deputy Head of Clinical Health Psychology to support service development, workforce planning, quality improvement and performance management.
Provide line management, professional leadership and clinical supervision to psychological professionals within the service.
Maintain a highly specialist clinical caseload involving complex presentations and consultation to multidisciplinary teams.
Promote psychologically and trauma-informed approaches across healthcare services and pathways.
The Adult Clinical Health Psychology Service is a specialist service within Clinical Health Psychology Department. We are a well-established department providing specialist psychological care across a range of physical healthcare pathways within the acute trust & wider healthcare system.
This is an exciting opportunity to lead a respected service while contributing to the ongoing development of Psychology across the Trust. You will join a supportive and ambitious department with a strong commitment to high-quality patient care, staff wellbeing & continuous improvement. We offer:
- A balance of leadership, service development & highly specialist clinical practice.
- A collaborative & welcoming culture that values kindness, curiosity & shared learning.
- Flexible & agile working arrangements.
- Strong professional support through supervision, peer consultation & reflective practice.
- Excellent opportunities for CPD, teaching, research, quality improvement & leadership development.
- Established links with universities, regional training programmes & Psychology services across South West.
We are looking for an experienced clinical leader who is passionate about psychological care in physical health settings & motivated by the opportunity to shape services, support staff & improve outcomes for patients & families. This role offers a rare opportunity to shape services, develop the workforce & influence the role of psychology within an acute NHS trust.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Clinical Leadership
- Lead the Adult Clinical Health Psychology Service, ensuring safe, effective and equitable service delivery.
- Provide highly specialist psychological assessment, formulation and intervention for adults with complex physical health conditions, taking into account theoretical and therapeutic models.
- Undertake highly complex clinical decision-making involving significant levels of uncertainty and risk.
- Act as an expert resource to multidisciplinary teams regarding psychological aspects of physical health conditions.
- Promote psychologically informed approaches across healthcare services.
- To provide clinical and service development consultation to other health and social care staff and foster reflective practice in teams
Leadership and Service Development
Lead service planning, development and transformation initiatives within Adult Clinical Health Psychology.
Lead the development and implementation of policies, practices and procedures for ACHP and wider CHP service
Develop and implement service objectives aligned with Trust priorities and national policy.
Monitor service performance and activity, ensuring delivery against agreed standards and performance indicators.
Contribute to business planning, workforce planning and service redesign initiatives.
Support the development and integration of psychological care pathways across acute and community settings.
Management Responsibilities
- Hold line management responsibility for designated psychology staff.
- Undertake recruitment, achievement and development reviews, performance management and workforce planning activities.
- Support compassionate and inclusive staff wellbeing, engagement and retention
Professional Leadership
- Provide professional leadership and support to staff within the Clinical Health Psychology Service.
- Maintain high standards of psychological practice in accordance with HCPC, BPS and Trust governance requirements.
- Lead on professional standards, policies and procedures relating to psychological practice.
- Support the development of trainees and junior colleagues.
- Contribute to professional leadership, service meetings and departmental development activities.
Supervision, Teaching and Training
Provide clinical and professional supervision to qualified and trainee psychological professionals.
Deliver consultation, teaching and training to psychology and multidisciplinary colleagues.
Research, audit and quality improvement
Promote a culture of evidence-based practice, service evaluation and continuous improvement.
Lead, support and participate in audit, service evaluation and quality improvement activities.
Person specification
Qualifications and Professional Registration
- Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (or equivalent HCPC-recognised qualification).
- HCPC registration as a Practitioner Psychologist.
- Evidence of ongoing CPD.
- Post-doctoral training relevant to Clinical Health Psychology.
Clinical Experience
- Significant post-qualification experience within Clinical Health Psychology/Physical Health settings.
- Experience working with adults with complex physical health conditions and psychological adjustment difficulties.
- Experience managing complex clinical risk.
- Experience at Band 8A/8B level or equivalent.
- Research experience within Clinical Health Psychology.
Leadership & Management Experience
- Experience of service leadership and service development
- Experience of line management and performance management
- Experience of workforce planning and supervision of qualified and trainee staff
- Experience leading service transformation and change programmes
- Experience of business planning and strategic workforce development
Knowledge
- Advanced knowledge of psychological theory and evidence-based interventions relevant to Clinical Health Psychology
- Understanding of NHS structures, governance and health policy
- Knowledge of professional, ethical and legal frameworks
- Understanding of supervision models and quality improvement approaches
- Knowledge of integrated care systems, commissioning processes and national policy relating to physical health psychology services
Clinical Skills
- Highly developed assessment, formulation and intervention skills
- Ability to provide expert consultation to multidisciplinary teams
- Ability to manage highly complex clinical presentations and uncertainty
- Additional specialist therapeutic skills relevant to physical health settings
Leadership & Communication Skills
- Excellent leadership and people management skills
- Ability to manage competing priorities and complex workloads
- Ability to build effective relationships across professional and organisational boundaries
- Experience representing services at regional or national forums
Service Development & Quality Improvement
- Experience of audit, service evaluation and quality improvement
- Ability to lead service development initiatives and monitor service performance
- Experience leading transformation projects or research programmes
Teaching, Training & Supervision
- Experience providing clinical supervision to qualified and trainee psychological professionals
- Experience delivering teaching and training
- Experience developing training or working with doctoral training courses
- Collaborative and inclusive leadership style
- Commitment to compassionate, person-centred car
- Professional credibility and integrity
- Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion
- Resilience and ability to work under pressure
- Commitment to staff wellbeing and development
- Strategic thinker with enthusiasm for innovation and service improvement
You will be joining the organisation at an exciting time. As the first fully integrated care organisation in England, we are working to improve the way we deliver safe, high-quality health and social care. We have a positive and vibrant working atmosphere, we are proud of our investment in our staff both in terms of developing potential career skills and valuing people.
If you provide support to a family member or friend with health or care needs, we aim to be a Carer-friendly employer. We have a ‘Staff Carers’ policy which includes flexible working where possible and a Carer’s Passport scheme that links you into support and discounts.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
- Correspondence will be sent via Trac, text, and email. Please ensure you check your email and Trac account regularly.
- If you have not received an invitation to interview within 28 days of the closing date, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.
The Trust is committed to preventing discrimination, valuing diversity and achieving equality of opportunity. No person (staff, patient or public) will receive less favourable treatment on the grounds of the nine protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. If you require support you can obtain this from our Equality Business Forum which has representatives from all protected groups.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
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