Job summary
Are you passionate about shaping the future of community mental health care?
We're looking for a dynamic and compassionate Principal Clinical Psychologist to play a leading role in transforming how psychological support is delivered across our Adult Community Mental Health Service.
This is an exciting opportunity to influence culture and practice at a time of real innovation. Our teams are on a journey toward fully embedding a traumainformed, personcentred and collaborative approach, recognising the profound impact of people's lived experiences--service users and colleagues alike.
As the Locality Lead for Specialist Psychological Interventions (SPI), you will be at the heart of this change. You'll guide and inspire multidisciplinary colleagues, champion psychologically informed care, and shape accessible, flexible pathways that truly meet people where they are. Alongside your leadership role, you'll also work directly with individuals facing some of the most complex and enduring mental health challenges, offering highly specialist assessment, formulation and intervention.
If you're someone who leads with empathy, thrives on collaboration, and is motivated by meaningful, values based work, we'd love you to join us.
Main duties of the job
- Provide highly specialist psychological assessments, formulations and interventions for people with complex mental health needs.
- Offer clinical leadership, consultation and team formulation, supporting colleagues across the locality.
- Deliver specialist clinical supervision to a range of staff groups, including trainees and developing roles (e.g., CAPs).
- Lead on the development of a traumainformed, safe and collaborative approach to care.
- Guide multidisciplinary teams in delivering psychologically informed interventions, risk management and care planning.
- Contribute to service development, evaluation and quality improvement, informed by audit and evidence-based practice.
- Participate in recruitment, training and development to grow psychological capacity within the service.
- Work autonomously within professional, national and Trust guidelines to ensure high standards of psychological care.
About us
At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:
- Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
- NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
- Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
- A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential
Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.
We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.
Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.
The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.
Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.
Job description
Job responsibilities
As Principal Clinical Psychologist, you will play a key role in shaping and delivering psychological care across our Community Mental Health Service. You will:
Clinical Practice
- Provide highly specialist psychological assessments, formulations and interventions, including for individuals presenting with high levels of complexity or risk.
- Develop and lead an autonomous clinical consultation service for adults with severe and enduring mental health needs.
- Deliver specialist psychological input into multidisciplinary case discussions, care planning meetings and risk assessments.
- Communicate complex and sensitive clinical information with compassion, clarity and cultural awareness.
Leadership & Supervision
- Act as Locality SPI Lead, embedding psychological thinking across the service through training, supervision, consultation and team formulation.
- Provide clinical supervision for psychologists, CAPs, trainees, assistant psychologists and wider MDT staff.
- Champion psychologically informed, trauma-aware principles across the service.
- Support the Trust's culture of inclusive leadership, valuing diverse perspectives and promoting staff wellbeing.
Service Development & Governance
- Lead and contribute to quality improvement, service evaluation, audit and research activities.
- Support the design and implementation of operational policies and evidence-based practice.
- Collaborate with senior managers and professional leads on strategic planning and service transformation aligned with the Community Mental Health Framework.
- Ensure compliance with safeguarding, information governance, risk management and health and safety standards.
Education & Training
- Provide specialist teaching and training to MDT colleagues, trainees and partner agencies.
- Lead on developing psychologically informed practice across community pathways.
- Support the professional development of staff through structured and informal learning opportunities.
Additional Requirements
- The role involves travel across the locality to meet service needs.
- There may be occasional exposure to distressing situations or challenging behaviour; appropriate support, supervision and training are provided.
- Candidates must hold HCPC registration and a doctoral qualification in Clinical or Counselling Psychology.
Job description
Job responsibilities
As Principal Clinical Psychologist, you will play a key role in shaping and delivering psychological care across our Community Mental Health Service. You will:
Clinical Practice
- Provide highly specialist psychological assessments, formulations and interventions, including for individuals presenting with high levels of complexity or risk.
- Develop and lead an autonomous clinical consultation service for adults with severe and enduring mental health needs.
- Deliver specialist psychological input into multidisciplinary case discussions, care planning meetings and risk assessments.
- Communicate complex and sensitive clinical information with compassion, clarity and cultural awareness.
Leadership & Supervision
- Act as Locality SPI Lead, embedding psychological thinking across the service through training, supervision, consultation and team formulation.
- Provide clinical supervision for psychologists, CAPs, trainees, assistant psychologists and wider MDT staff.
- Champion psychologically informed, trauma-aware principles across the service.
- Support the Trust's culture of inclusive leadership, valuing diverse perspectives and promoting staff wellbeing.
Service Development & Governance
- Lead and contribute to quality improvement, service evaluation, audit and research activities.
- Support the design and implementation of operational policies and evidence-based practice.
- Collaborate with senior managers and professional leads on strategic planning and service transformation aligned with the Community Mental Health Framework.
- Ensure compliance with safeguarding, information governance, risk management and health and safety standards.
Education & Training
- Provide specialist teaching and training to MDT colleagues, trainees and partner agencies.
- Lead on developing psychologically informed practice across community pathways.
- Support the professional development of staff through structured and informal learning opportunities.
Additional Requirements
- The role involves travel across the locality to meet service needs.
- There may be occasional exposure to distressing situations or challenging behaviour; appropriate support, supervision and training are provided.
- Candidates must hold HCPC registration and a doctoral qualification in Clinical or Counselling Psychology.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Doctoral Clinical / Counselling Psychology qualification or equivalent.Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council.
Desirable
- Relevant specialist CPD qualification or post-qualification training in psychological therapy.Management training/ qualificationClinical supervision training
Experience
Essential
- Significant specialist post qualification experience in the field of severe mental illness.Experience of work across service settings and agencies.Clinical and audit work within specialist area.Teaching/training with range of staff and other professions.Supervision experience with all grades of staff.Working with clients presenting risk to self and/or others.Experience of Service Development/Project Work
Desirable
- Consultancy work in multi-professional settings.R&D work in specialist area.Experience managing Services
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Doctoral Clinical / Counselling Psychology qualification or equivalent.Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council.
Desirable
- Relevant specialist CPD qualification or post-qualification training in psychological therapy.Management training/ qualificationClinical supervision training
Experience
Essential
- Significant specialist post qualification experience in the field of severe mental illness.Experience of work across service settings and agencies.Clinical and audit work within specialist area.Teaching/training with range of staff and other professions.Supervision experience with all grades of staff.Working with clients presenting risk to self and/or others.Experience of Service Development/Project Work
Desirable
- Consultancy work in multi-professional settings.R&D work in specialist area.Experience managing Services
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
