Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Principal Clinical Psychologist & MHST Clinical Lead

The closing date is 20 February 2026

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our dynamic, award-winning service asClinical Lead of Greenwich CAMHS Mental Health Support Team (MHST).

Mental Health Support Teams are part of an exciting National joint initiative with schools, to improve the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people (CYP) in response to the government's Green Paper: Transforming children and young people's mental health provision. In NHSE's published priorities for CYP mental health, it outlines that all schools have access to Mental Health Support Teams by 2029/2030.

Main duties of the job

As Clinical Lead, you will be responsible for supporting the team to provide a clinically safe and responsive mental health and wellbeing service to CYP and families within several local primary and secondary education settings.

You will work in close partnership with partner agencies as well as having an outward facing role of liaison and relationship building with our local and National MHST colleagues. Following recent expansion, an Oxleas CAMHS MHST management team has been developed which the postholder will be part of.

Experience of strong clinical and leadership skills are essential for this role. You will also need to have excellent communication and management skills with a passion for early intervention mental health support for CYP and families.

About us

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's homes.We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

  • We're Kind
  • We're Fair
  • We Listen
  • We Care

Details

Date posted

27 January 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£70,396 to £80,837 a year pro rata per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

277-7760841-CYP

Job locations

Bostal House

Abbeywood

SE2 0AS


Job description

Job responsibilities

This post provides excellent CPD opportunities, and the post holder will be part of an active and welcoming psychology group in Oxleas CAMHS which provides regular development opportunities throughout the year.

Job description

Job responsibilities

This post provides excellent CPD opportunities, and the post holder will be part of an active and welcoming psychology group in Oxleas CAMHS which provides regular development opportunities throughout the year.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Post-graduate Doctoral level training and qualification in Clinical Psychology, as accredited by the BPS and recognised by HCPC.
  • Professional registration with HCPC as a Practitioner Psychologist.
  • Further training in at least one specialised area of psychological practice relevant to children and young people's mental health, through formal qualification (post-graduate diploma or equivalent) OR a combination of specialist short courses/an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice in specialism.
  • Completed training in clinical supervision.
  • Completed CPD in clinical leadership

Experience

Essential

  • Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist in Child and Adolescent Mental Health services, including working within schools in CAMHS teams or equivalent.
  • Experience of undertaking leadership responsibilities
  • Experience of specialist psychological assessment, formulation and treatment of children and young people with a wide range of psychological needs, across the range of severity
  • Experience of providing clinical supervision to qualified and non-qualified Psychologists, Psychological Professionals and clinicians from other disciplines.
  • Experience that supports working within diverse local communities.

Desirable

  • Experience of carrying out post-qualification research, quality improvement and/or audit and service evaluation projects.

Skills

Essential

  • Knowledge of the theory and practice of clinical leadership.
  • Advanced theoretical knowledge of child and adolescent mental health and the evidence base for relevant interventions.
  • Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care, including health inequalities affecting children and their families.
  • Knowledge of a range of therapeutic ideas/approaches/models in assessment and treatment relevant to working within a school context.
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Post-graduate Doctoral level training and qualification in Clinical Psychology, as accredited by the BPS and recognised by HCPC.
  • Professional registration with HCPC as a Practitioner Psychologist.
  • Further training in at least one specialised area of psychological practice relevant to children and young people's mental health, through formal qualification (post-graduate diploma or equivalent) OR a combination of specialist short courses/an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice in specialism.
  • Completed training in clinical supervision.
  • Completed CPD in clinical leadership

Experience

Essential

  • Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist in Child and Adolescent Mental Health services, including working within schools in CAMHS teams or equivalent.
  • Experience of undertaking leadership responsibilities
  • Experience of specialist psychological assessment, formulation and treatment of children and young people with a wide range of psychological needs, across the range of severity
  • Experience of providing clinical supervision to qualified and non-qualified Psychologists, Psychological Professionals and clinicians from other disciplines.
  • Experience that supports working within diverse local communities.

Desirable

  • Experience of carrying out post-qualification research, quality improvement and/or audit and service evaluation projects.

Skills

Essential

  • Knowledge of the theory and practice of clinical leadership.
  • Advanced theoretical knowledge of child and adolescent mental health and the evidence base for relevant interventions.
  • Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care, including health inequalities affecting children and their families.
  • Knowledge of a range of therapeutic ideas/approaches/models in assessment and treatment relevant to working within a school context.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Bostal House

Abbeywood

SE2 0AS


Employer's website

http://oxleas.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Bostal House

Abbeywood

SE2 0AS


Employer's website

http://oxleas.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Consultant Clinical Psychologist & Clinical Lead

Nidhi Dholakia-Wellens

nidhi.dholakia-wellens@nhs.net

Details

Date posted

27 January 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£70,396 to £80,837 a year pro rata per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

277-7760841-CYP

Job locations

Bostal House

Abbeywood

SE2 0AS


Supporting documents

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