Job summary
An opportunity to shape a pathway, a culture, and a system
We are seeking an exceptional Care Delivery Pathway Lead Psychologist for our Specialist and Secured teams to provide strategic, clinical & professional leadership across our expanding specialist, secured and prison-based services. This is a newly created role, offering a rare opportunity to shape, define and develop psychology leadership within a complex, high-impact care pathway at a pivotal moment of change.
Our secured services pathway is in a period of significant development and expansion, including the acquisition of seven new sites. We are therefore looking for a senior psychologist who brings a depth of experience in delivering psychological therapies and psychologically informed care in prisons and other specialist and secured environments, alongside the confidence & vision to contribute at system & organisational level.
As Lead Psychologist, you will hold overall professional responsibility for psychology & psychological therapies across the Specialist and Secured Pathway, providing strategic direction, clinical leadership and operational oversight. You will work as a core member of the Pathway Senior Leadership Team, bringing a distinctive psychological voice & perspective to decision-making, service redesign and culture change.
Main duties of the job
A central focus of the role is leading & embedding trauma-informed approaches across specialist, secure and prison settings - not only in clinical practice, but in leadership, workforce development and organisational culture.
You will work closely with operational and medical leaders to ensure that psychologically informed, compassionate and effective care is delivered consistently in environments that are often complex, pressured and high-risk.
We are looking for a senior consultant clinical or forensic psychologist with: - Extensive experience of delivering psychological therapies and psychologically informed care within prisons and/or other secured environments, including work with complexity, risk and trauma
- A strong track record of leadership at senior level, including supervision of consultant psychologists and psychology-led services
- Confidence and credibility to work alongside senior operational and medical leaders, contributing to strategic decision-making and service development
- A clear commitment to trauma-informed, formulation-driven and evidence-based practice, applied at individual, team and organisational levels
- The ability to hold organisational complexity, support teams through change, and help create cultures that are safe, reflective and compassionate - for both service users and staff
- The vision and authority to articulate the value of psychology within the pathway, influencing culture, policy and system design
About us
You will be comfortable working in challenging environments, able to contain and think under pressure, and motivated by the opportunity to help services stabilise, develop and improve during a period of significant change.
If you are an experienced senior psychologist with extensive experience working in prisons and secure environments, and you are looking for a role where you can lead, influence and build, we would be delighted to hear from you. Informal conversations are welcomed.
NHFT is an NHS Community and Mental Health Foundation Trust, providing physical, mental health and specialty services in hospital settings and in the community. We provide over 200 services across the county - as well as some specialist services in bordering and nearby counties. We work together with our partners to ensure that everyone who comes through our doors receives compassionate, person-centred care, regardless of their background or circumstances.
NHFT promotes a culture of learning, to improve the care and safety of our patients and colleagues. We have achieved our 'outstanding' rating by encouraging opportunity, innovation, development and growth across our workforce.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key responsibilities include:
- Providing strategic and professional leadership for psychology and psychological therapies across the Specialist and Secured Services Pathway
- Line management, supervision and support of Consultant Psychologists and psychology leads
- Leading on the development and governance of trauma-informed care across prisons and secure settings
- Contributing to service redesign, performance oversight and turnaround activity in collaboration with senior colleagues
- Ensuring robust clinical governance, risk management, supervision and quality assurance for psychological practice
- Supporting research, service evaluation and innovation, contributing to the pathways academic and developmental ambitions
- Acting as a visible, values-based psychology leader, shaping organisational culture and leadership practice within secured services
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key responsibilities include:
- Providing strategic and professional leadership for psychology and psychological therapies across the Specialist and Secured Services Pathway
- Line management, supervision and support of Consultant Psychologists and psychology leads
- Leading on the development and governance of trauma-informed care across prisons and secure settings
- Contributing to service redesign, performance oversight and turnaround activity in collaboration with senior colleagues
- Ensuring robust clinical governance, risk management, supervision and quality assurance for psychological practice
- Supporting research, service evaluation and innovation, contributing to the pathways academic and developmental ambitions
- Acting as a visible, values-based psychology leader, shaping organisational culture and leadership practice within secured services
Person Specification
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
- HCPC registered Practitioner Psychologist.
- Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice.
- Substantial experience as Consultant grade Psychologist within NHS.
- Substantial experience of managing psychological therapies staff and/or psychology-led services.
Desirable
- Training in the area of leadership and management, including the management of change and transformation.
- Accredited on BPS Register of Applied Psychology Practice Supervisors
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Doctoral level knowledge of clinical psychology including highly developed knowledge of lifespan developmental psychology, models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, and two or more distinct psychological therapies.
- Strong and credible leadership skills with the ability to engage and inspire psychological practitioners working in a range of clinical specialties across a range of services.
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration. Demonstrable ability to utilise and interpret Psychometric Tests competently
Desirable
- Record of having published in either peer reviewed or academic or professional journals and/or books.
Person Specification
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
- HCPC registered Practitioner Psychologist.
- Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice.
- Substantial experience as Consultant grade Psychologist within NHS.
- Substantial experience of managing psychological therapies staff and/or psychology-led services.
Desirable
- Training in the area of leadership and management, including the management of change and transformation.
- Accredited on BPS Register of Applied Psychology Practice Supervisors
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Doctoral level knowledge of clinical psychology including highly developed knowledge of lifespan developmental psychology, models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, and two or more distinct psychological therapies.
- Strong and credible leadership skills with the ability to engage and inspire psychological practitioners working in a range of clinical specialties across a range of services.
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration. Demonstrable ability to utilise and interpret Psychometric Tests competently
Desirable
- Record of having published in either peer reviewed or academic or professional journals and/or books.
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.
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
