Job summary
  We're seeking an ambitious, values-driven Clinical or Counselling Psychologist--or Family Therapist--to join our Community CAMHS team as a Principal Psychological Professional. This could be a development role from 8a to 8b, or a direct appointment at 8b.
This is a chance to lead and shape how psychological thinking informs care planning, culture, and outcomes for children and young people. If you're ready to grow your leadership, supervision and service development skills in a supportive but grounded environment, we want to hear from you.
Essential:
- 
Appropriate professional registration in line with Job Description / Person Specification 
- 
Experience in CAMHS or a related CYP mental health setting 
- 
Strong leadership, supervision, and team-building skills 
- 
Commitment to anti-oppressive, trauma-informed, and quality-improvement practices 
- 
Ambition to step into strategic roles within a changing NHS 
If applying as 8a, you'll need to show:
- 
Significant post-qualification experience 
- 
Developing leadership and supervision skills 
- 
Readiness and motivation to step up to a leadership role 
What we offer:
- 
A clear 8a-8b pathway (typically 12-24 months) with structured support 
- 
Protected time for leadership and supervision 
- 
Opportunities to influence service development, governance, and training 
- 
Access to peer networks, CPD and professional forums 
- 
Supervision from a Consultant Psychological Professional plus model-specific support (e.g. CBT, DDP, EMDR) 
Main duties of the job
  To learn more about our South Staffs CAMHS teams:? NHS MPFT - Cannock | NHS MPFT - Psychology
 ? Clinical Leadership & Strategic InfluenceProvide senior psychological leadership within Community CAMHS, embedding psychological thinking across care delivery. Influence service strategy, model development, and quality improvement. Act as a psychological lead in MDT decision-making, risk formulation, and complex case planning.
 ? Supervision, Consultation & DevelopmentDeliver clinical supervision to qualified/pre-qualified psychological staff and offer consultation across the MDT. Promote psychologically informed practice through training, coaching and reflective spaces. Support recruitment, induction and career planning for junior colleagues.
 ? Clinical Work & Case FormulationHold a focused caseload involving complex assessments, formulations and interventions. Contribute to multi-agency planning where psychological risk and systemic thinking are key. Ensure documentation and outcome measures meet governance standards.
 ? Service Improvement & GovernanceLead or support audit, evaluation, and innovation. Develop trauma-informed, anti-oppressive care pathways. Uphold clinical governance, safeguarding, and professional standards.
 ? Systemic & Partnership WorkingWork with partners across education, social care and the voluntary sector. Represent psychology in local and Trust-wide forums, shaping professional strategy and improving access for CYP.
  About us
  By joining Team MPFT, you will be helping your communities and in return for this, we will support you by;
   - Supporting your career development and progression
- Excellent NHS Pension scheme
- Generous maternity, paternity and adoption leave
- Options for flexible working
- Up to 27 days annual leave (increasing with service up to 33 days) and the opportunity to purchase additional leave
- Extensive Health and Wellbeing support and resources
- If you work in our community teams, we pay for your time travelling between patients
- Lease car if you complete more than 500 business miles per annum, fully insured and maintained (including tyres), mileage paid at lease car rate
- Salary sacrifice car - fully insured and maintained (including tyres), your gross pay is reduced by the cost of the vehicle before tax, NI and pension deductions are calculated, mileage paid at business rates
- Salary sacrifice bikes up to £2k
- Free car parking at all trust sites
- Free flu vaccinations every year
- Citizens Advice support linked with a Hardship Fund for one off additional support up to £250 (if the criteria is met)
And more. We are proud to be a diverse and inclusive organisation and there is a choice of staff networks that help you meet like-minded people.
 Please note this vacancy may close early if we receive a high volume of applications for the role.
 
      
      
  
    Job description
    Job responsibilities
    Location:
 The post-holder will be expected to mainly work from the Cannock CAMHS site (West Chadsmoor Clinic,WS11 4NJ)for clinical interventions and MDM meetings. The site is equipped with a Family Therapy room with recording equipment and observation room. Outside of this,CAMHS staff need to be able to work in a range of settings, most usually clinic settings but also other community sites as well as attending meetings at different bases. As such, the ability to travel across South Staffordshire is required. The impact of working in pandemic conditions has facilitated use of digital/remote working practices and this is likely to continue where it is of benefit. Our staff have primarily returned to working from base and the supportive team environment this provides.
 Qualifications and training:
 Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical or counselling psychology (or equivalent prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, including models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
 Or,
 Post-graduate qualification via a relevant core CAMHS mental health/social welfare professional training as recognised by AFT followed by post-qualification CAMHS experience and completion of a Masters level qualification in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy as accredited by AFT.
 And,
 Trained in clinical supervision and the supervision of psychological professionals in training such as Doctorate-level Trainee Psychologists or MSc-level Family Therapy Trainees.
  Knowledge, Experience and Skills:
 Working as a registered Practitioner Psychologist or Family Therapist within specialist CAMHS with experience of the full range of clinical severity of mental health needs across a range of care settings.
 Experience of providing clinical consultation services to other professional staff.
 Teaching, training, and clinical supervision of pre-qualified and trainee psychologists or trainee Family Therapists including field supervision of research theses.
 Experience of Research, Audit and Quality Improvement activities in psychological practice
 The ability to adapt interventions to meet the mental health needs of neurodivergent children and young people is required. For Family Therapy applicants, there is the potential to develop a tertiary clinic with Family Therapy colleagues based in other teams.
 For further information relating to this position please Job Description and Person Specification 
 Thepost is part-time (30 hours). All staff can request flexible working opportunities through their Team Leader; please note that the current working hours for CAMHS clinics are Monday-Friday, 9am- 5pm.
  Please be aware that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in completing application forms will be monitored to ensure fairness and transparency. If you have used AI you must state this in your application.
   
  
    
      
        Job description
      
    
    
      Job responsibilities
      Location:
 The post-holder will be expected to mainly work from the Cannock CAMHS site (West Chadsmoor Clinic,WS11 4NJ)for clinical interventions and MDM meetings. The site is equipped with a Family Therapy room with recording equipment and observation room. Outside of this,CAMHS staff need to be able to work in a range of settings, most usually clinic settings but also other community sites as well as attending meetings at different bases. As such, the ability to travel across South Staffordshire is required. The impact of working in pandemic conditions has facilitated use of digital/remote working practices and this is likely to continue where it is of benefit. Our staff have primarily returned to working from base and the supportive team environment this provides.
 Qualifications and training:
 Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical or counselling psychology (or equivalent prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, including models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
 Or,
 Post-graduate qualification via a relevant core CAMHS mental health/social welfare professional training as recognised by AFT followed by post-qualification CAMHS experience and completion of a Masters level qualification in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy as accredited by AFT.
 And,
 Trained in clinical supervision and the supervision of psychological professionals in training such as Doctorate-level Trainee Psychologists or MSc-level Family Therapy Trainees.
  Knowledge, Experience and Skills:
 Working as a registered Practitioner Psychologist or Family Therapist within specialist CAMHS with experience of the full range of clinical severity of mental health needs across a range of care settings.
 Experience of providing clinical consultation services to other professional staff.
 Teaching, training, and clinical supervision of pre-qualified and trainee psychologists or trainee Family Therapists including field supervision of research theses.
 Experience of Research, Audit and Quality Improvement activities in psychological practice
 The ability to adapt interventions to meet the mental health needs of neurodivergent children and young people is required. For Family Therapy applicants, there is the potential to develop a tertiary clinic with Family Therapy colleagues based in other teams.
 For further information relating to this position please Job Description and Person Specification 
 Thepost is part-time (30 hours). All staff can request flexible working opportunities through their Team Leader; please note that the current working hours for CAMHS clinics are Monday-Friday, 9am- 5pm.
  Please be aware that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in completing application forms will be monitored to ensure fairness and transparency. If you have used AI you must state this in your application.
     
   
      
  
    Person Specification
    
    
      
        
          Qualifications
        
      
      
      Essential
      
        
        - Registration with appropriate regulatory  body/organisation: HCPC or appropriate  section of UKCP.
- Evidence of continuing relevant professional  development sufficient to ensure continued  professional registration. To include ongoing  CPD in relation to CAMHS specialty clinical  delivery.
- Trained in clinical supervision and the  supervision of psychological professionals in  training such as Doctorate-level Trainee  Psychologists or MSc-level Family Therapy  Trainees.
- Post-graduate doctoral level training in  clinical or counselling psychology (or  equivalent prior to 1996) as accredited by the  BPS, including models of psychopathology,  clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology,  two or more distinct psychological therapies  and lifespan developmental psychology. A For Practitioner Psychologists: full membership of a professional body (e.g.  registration with the British Psychological  Society as a Chartered Psychologist) A or Post-graduate qualification in relevant core  CAMHS mental health/social welfare  professional training recognised by AFT  followed by post-qualification CAMHS  experience and then completion of a Masters  level qualification in Family and Systemic  Psychotherapy as accredited by AFT.
Desirable
        
          
          - Post registration qualification/registration in  one or more additional specialised areas of  psychological practice (e.g. neuropsychology,  trauma, attachment) as required for specific  clinical post.
- Leadership development training and/or  qualification
- For Practitioner Psychologists: full membership of a professional body (e.g.  registration with the British Psychological  Society as a Chartered Psychologist)
        
          Experience
        
      
      
      Essential
      
        
        - Working as a registered Practitioner  Psychologist or Family Therapist both within  the designated service area and also with the  full range of clinical severity across the full  range of care settings (in-patient and  outpatient settings, community, primary care  inpatient and residential settings).
- Experience of working in specialist CYP  mental health provision which includes multi-disciplinary working.
- Exercising full clinical responsibility for  clients' psychological care as a care co-ordinator
- Experience of providing clinical consultation  services to other professional staff.
- Experience of working in the NHS and/or  publicly funded health or care settings
- Experience of working collaboratively with  CYP and their families/carers and  professional network
- Liaison and joint working with statutory,  voluntary and private sector agencies
- Teaching, training, and clinical supervision of  pre-qualified and trainee psychologists or  Family Therapists including field supervision  of research theses.
- Quality and Assurance Governance issues.
- Research, Audit, Quality Improvement and/or  Development activities
Desirable
        
          
          - Experience of working with CYP with  attachment and trauma needs is highly  desirable
- Experience of clinical leadership in a multi-disciplinary team.
- Project management of quality and service  improvement initiatives.
- Working at a strategic level.
        
          Skills, Knowledge and Abilities
        
      
      
      Essential
      
        
        - Demonstrate skills in the use of complex  methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management and their  application in a CYP mental health setting.
- Evidence-based practice relevant to the role
- Application of psychological understanding,  formulation and intervention across  therapeutic modalities and within clinical,  multi-disciplinary and service level working
- Identify, provide and promote appropriate  interventions / means of support for carers  and staff exposed to highly distressing  situations and challenging behaviours.
- Communicate highly complex, highly  sensitive and highly contentious information  effectively, to a wide range of people
- Adapt evidence based interventions  creatively for clients with communication  difficulties / learning disabilities and have the  ability to tailor interventions where CYP have  not responded to normally recommended  interventions
- Demonstrate skills in providing liaison,  consultation and clinical supervision to other  professionals and non-professional groups in  health and non-health settings.
- Articulate sensitively and collaboratively the  value added by the range of psychological  services within the context of multidisciplinary  mental health and learning disability  healthcare provision, whilst also valuing the  range of roles and skills represented in the  MDT.
- Undertake complex multiagency working and  liaise with multiple systems
- Risk assessment and risk management
- Utilise psychometric tests competently
- Utilise appropriate clinical governance  mechanisms.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the  client group and mental health and its  implications for clinical practice.
- Audit and research methodology
- Social Inclusion agenda
- Application of psychological understanding,  formulation and intervention across  therapeutic modalities and within clinical,  multi-disciplinary and service level working.
- Provide effective teaching, training and  clinical supervision for the multidisciplinary  team.
- Demonstrate proficiency in the use of  Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook  and similar applications. Online Clinical  Consulting platforms (e.g. One Consultation)
- Use multimedia materials for presentations in  professional, academic and public settings.
Desirable
        
          
          - Skilled in effective clinical leadership.
- Highly developed skills to meet the mental  health and attachment needs of Looked After  Children, either through direct work or  through the support of professional and care  networks.
        
          Personal Attributes
        
      
      
      Essential
      
        
        - Ability to develop productive therapeutic  relationships with a range of clients.
- Able to work in accordance with the Trust  Values and Behaviours.
- Able to engage with vulnerable children,  young people and families and work  effectively in highly distressing and  challenging circumstances
- Able to maintain a high degree of  professionalism within highly emotive and  distressing problems, verbal abuse and the  threat of physical assault.
- Able to provide containment, insight and  direct input to complex and challenging cases  where there is a high degree of parental  distress and/or hostility in addition to the  difficulties presented by the child or young  person.
- Able to work flexibly and co-operatively as  part of a team.
- Ability to contain and work with organisational  stress and hold the stress of others.
- Able to use own initiative and make decisions  independently.
- Committed to continual quality and service improvement.
- Self-aware and committed to professional  and personal development. Able to accept  and respond positively to feedback from  supervision
- Willingness to undertake further leadership  development both formal and informal.
- Enthusiasm for a broad range of  psychological phenomena, theories and  application and in developing  psychologically-informed services for CYP  with mental health needs
- Ability to travel independently in accordance  with service need.
Desirable
        
          
          - Ability to demonstrate leadership and  management skills.
 
  
    
      
        Person Specification
      
    
    
      
      
        
          
            Qualifications
          
        
        
        Essential
        
          
          - Registration with appropriate regulatory  body/organisation: HCPC or appropriate  section of UKCP.
- Evidence of continuing relevant professional  development sufficient to ensure continued  professional registration. To include ongoing  CPD in relation to CAMHS specialty clinical  delivery.
- Trained in clinical supervision and the  supervision of psychological professionals in  training such as Doctorate-level Trainee  Psychologists or MSc-level Family Therapy  Trainees.
- Post-graduate doctoral level training in  clinical or counselling psychology (or  equivalent prior to 1996) as accredited by the  BPS, including models of psychopathology,  clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology,  two or more distinct psychological therapies  and lifespan developmental psychology. A For Practitioner Psychologists: full membership of a professional body (e.g.  registration with the British Psychological  Society as a Chartered Psychologist) A or Post-graduate qualification in relevant core  CAMHS mental health/social welfare  professional training recognised by AFT  followed by post-qualification CAMHS  experience and then completion of a Masters  level qualification in Family and Systemic  Psychotherapy as accredited by AFT.
Desirable
          
            
            - Post registration qualification/registration in  one or more additional specialised areas of  psychological practice (e.g. neuropsychology,  trauma, attachment) as required for specific  clinical post.
- Leadership development training and/or  qualification
- For Practitioner Psychologists: full membership of a professional body (e.g.  registration with the British Psychological  Society as a Chartered Psychologist)
          
            Experience
          
        
        
        Essential
        
          
          - Working as a registered Practitioner  Psychologist or Family Therapist both within  the designated service area and also with the  full range of clinical severity across the full  range of care settings (in-patient and  outpatient settings, community, primary care  inpatient and residential settings).
- Experience of working in specialist CYP  mental health provision which includes multi-disciplinary working.
- Exercising full clinical responsibility for  clients' psychological care as a care co-ordinator
- Experience of providing clinical consultation  services to other professional staff.
- Experience of working in the NHS and/or  publicly funded health or care settings
- Experience of working collaboratively with  CYP and their families/carers and  professional network
- Liaison and joint working with statutory,  voluntary and private sector agencies
- Teaching, training, and clinical supervision of  pre-qualified and trainee psychologists or  Family Therapists including field supervision  of research theses.
- Quality and Assurance Governance issues.
- Research, Audit, Quality Improvement and/or  Development activities
Desirable
          
            
            - Experience of working with CYP with  attachment and trauma needs is highly  desirable
- Experience of clinical leadership in a multi-disciplinary team.
- Project management of quality and service  improvement initiatives.
- Working at a strategic level.
          
            Skills, Knowledge and Abilities
          
        
        
        Essential
        
          
          - Demonstrate skills in the use of complex  methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management and their  application in a CYP mental health setting.
- Evidence-based practice relevant to the role
- Application of psychological understanding,  formulation and intervention across  therapeutic modalities and within clinical,  multi-disciplinary and service level working
- Identify, provide and promote appropriate  interventions / means of support for carers  and staff exposed to highly distressing  situations and challenging behaviours.
- Communicate highly complex, highly  sensitive and highly contentious information  effectively, to a wide range of people
- Adapt evidence based interventions  creatively for clients with communication  difficulties / learning disabilities and have the  ability to tailor interventions where CYP have  not responded to normally recommended  interventions
- Demonstrate skills in providing liaison,  consultation and clinical supervision to other  professionals and non-professional groups in  health and non-health settings.
- Articulate sensitively and collaboratively the  value added by the range of psychological  services within the context of multidisciplinary  mental health and learning disability  healthcare provision, whilst also valuing the  range of roles and skills represented in the  MDT.
- Undertake complex multiagency working and  liaise with multiple systems
- Risk assessment and risk management
- Utilise psychometric tests competently
- Utilise appropriate clinical governance  mechanisms.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the  client group and mental health and its  implications for clinical practice.
- Audit and research methodology
- Social Inclusion agenda
- Application of psychological understanding,  formulation and intervention across  therapeutic modalities and within clinical,  multi-disciplinary and service level working.
- Provide effective teaching, training and  clinical supervision for the multidisciplinary  team.
- Demonstrate proficiency in the use of  Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook  and similar applications. Online Clinical  Consulting platforms (e.g. One Consultation)
- Use multimedia materials for presentations in  professional, academic and public settings.
Desirable
          
            
            - Skilled in effective clinical leadership.
- Highly developed skills to meet the mental  health and attachment needs of Looked After  Children, either through direct work or  through the support of professional and care  networks.
          
            Personal Attributes
          
        
        
        Essential
        
          
          - Ability to develop productive therapeutic  relationships with a range of clients.
- Able to work in accordance with the Trust  Values and Behaviours.
- Able to engage with vulnerable children,  young people and families and work  effectively in highly distressing and  challenging circumstances
- Able to maintain a high degree of  professionalism within highly emotive and  distressing problems, verbal abuse and the  threat of physical assault.
- Able to provide containment, insight and  direct input to complex and challenging cases  where there is a high degree of parental  distress and/or hostility in addition to the  difficulties presented by the child or young  person.
- Able to work flexibly and co-operatively as  part of a team.
- Ability to contain and work with organisational  stress and hold the stress of others.
- Able to use own initiative and make decisions  independently.
- Committed to continual quality and service improvement.
- Self-aware and committed to professional  and personal development. Able to accept  and respond positively to feedback from  supervision
- Willingness to undertake further leadership  development both formal and informal.
- Enthusiasm for a broad range of  psychological phenomena, theories and  application and in developing  psychologically-informed services for CYP  with mental health needs
- Ability to travel independently in accordance  with service need.
Desirable
          
            
            - Ability to demonstrate leadership and  management skills.
 
   
      
  
    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).