Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

Principal Clinical Psychologist

The closing date is 06 January 2026

Job summary

We are looking for a highly experienced Clinical Psychologist to join our innovative Salford CAMHS team.

Salford Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services provide support to children and young people aged 5-18 years presenting with a wide range of complex emotional, behavioural, and neurodevelopmental difficulties. The post holder will have an integral role in supporting access into CAMHS and strengthening the delivery of high quality psychological care across our pathways. The role includes providing clinical leadership, supervision, consultation, and training to members of the wider MDT.

The post holder will work closely with the Senior Leadership Team and the Lead Consultant Psychologist for Salford. They will hold a clinical caseload and contribute significantly to the development and integration of evidence based intervention pathways in line with local transformation priorities.

We have strong connections with regional Clinical Psychology training providers through supervision of trainees, teaching, and research activities. Salford CAMHS values service innovation, co-production with service users and families, and continuous professional development.

This post is open to highly experienced Clinical Psychologists and other suitably qualified psychological practitioners. Substantial CAMHS experience and eligibility for HCPC registration (or equivalent professional accreditation where appropriate) is essential.

N.B. The post will be in Salford (Pendleton Gateway)

Main duties of the job

As a senior, highly specialist Clinical Psychologist / equivalent psychological practitioner with substantial senior clinical experience and post-qualification training, the post-holder will work alongside other senior staff to provide leadership and support the systematic delivery of a high-quality specialist clinical psychology/psychological service to children, young people and families in Salford, within a comprehensive and integrated CAMHS.

The post-holder will support the leadership team in representing clinical psychology/psychological services and CAMHS in Salford across multi-agency development forums, particularly those relating to community and primary care provision. They will also contribute to non-clinical leadership activities, including the development and implementation of local policy and service improvement initiatives for Salford CAMHS.

Effective working relationships are essential at all levels and with multiple stakeholders across Salford CAMHS (within both core and specialist pathways), Children's Services, Community Health, Education, and wider partner agencies.

About us

Join Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) and become part of a 30,000 plus strong team, delivering exceptional care to over 1 million people every year. As the largest provider of specialist services, and our Oxford Road Campus in Manchester, the largest health academic campus in Europe, we are forward-thinking, committed to clinical excellence and driven to deliver innovation, and continuous improvement.Whether you're beginning your career or taking the next step, MFT offers a stimulating and supportive environment where your contribution truly matters. Our Hive Electronic Patient Record system enables safer, smarter, and more efficient ways of working - empowering you to deliver the best possible outcomes for our patients.You'll be part of a collaborative, multi-disciplinary community, working alongside professionals from a wide range of clinical backgrounds. Together, we push boundaries, share knowledge, and deliver care that transforms lives.At MFT, you'll find a workplace where everyone is respected, supported, and encouraged to thrive. We offer clear clinical pathways for professional development, helping you grow your skills and achieve your ambitions.Your journey at MFT is more than a job - it's an opportunity to make a lasting impact. We'll support you as you shape the future of healthcare, one patient at a time.

Details

Date posted

23 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£64,455 to £74,896 a year per annum (pro rata)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

349-MCH-7581631-RL4

Job locations

Pendleton Gateway

1 Broadwalk

Salford

M6 5FX


Job description

Job responsibilities

To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience youll need, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the Supporting Documents heading. So that youre even more equipped to make an informed decision to apply to us, youll need to take time to read the Candidate Essentials Guidethat sits with the Job Description and Person Specification. This document provides you with details about the Trust, our benefits and outlines how we care for you as you care for others. Most importantly, it also contains critical information youll need to be aware of before you submit an application form.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your application

Here at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, were proud to be ALL HERE FOR YOUfor our patients, our communities, and each other.

As part of our commitment to fairness, transparency, and personal integrity, we ask all applicants to ensure that their job applications reflect their own experiences, skills, and motivations. While AI tools can support spelling, grammar, or formatting, we expect that the content of your applicationespecially personal statements and responses to role-specific questionsis written by you. This helps us get to know the real you and ensures that our recruitment process remains equitable and meaningful for everyone.

Thank you for helping us uphold the values that make our Trust a place where people belong, grow, and thrive. We look forward to receiving your application.

Diversity Matters

MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post.As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, please contact the manager named below.

Job description

Job responsibilities

To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience youll need, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the Supporting Documents heading. So that youre even more equipped to make an informed decision to apply to us, youll need to take time to read the Candidate Essentials Guidethat sits with the Job Description and Person Specification. This document provides you with details about the Trust, our benefits and outlines how we care for you as you care for others. Most importantly, it also contains critical information youll need to be aware of before you submit an application form.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your application

Here at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, were proud to be ALL HERE FOR YOUfor our patients, our communities, and each other.

As part of our commitment to fairness, transparency, and personal integrity, we ask all applicants to ensure that their job applications reflect their own experiences, skills, and motivations. While AI tools can support spelling, grammar, or formatting, we expect that the content of your applicationespecially personal statements and responses to role-specific questionsis written by you. This helps us get to know the real you and ensures that our recruitment process remains equitable and meaningful for everyone.

Thank you for helping us uphold the values that make our Trust a place where people belong, grow, and thrive. We look forward to receiving your application.

Diversity Matters

MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post.As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, please contact the manager named below.

Person Specification

Registration/Accreditation

Essential

  • Registered/accredited with the British Psychological Society.

Qualifications

Essential

  • Diploma, masters, doctoral degree or equivalent accepted as qualifying the person to work as a clinical psychologist.
  • Eligibility for BPS Chartered status

Desirable

  • Post doctoral training course in an area of specialist practice

Experience

Essential

  • Significant Experience of working as a specialist child clinical psychologist in CAMHS.
  • Experience in assessment and therapeutic work with children and families across the age range with a full range of presenting problems and across settings including community, outpatient and clinic settings.
  • Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment independently and within a multidisciplinary and multiagency context.
  • Experience of teaching, training and/or professional and clinical supervision.

Desirable

  • Working knowledge of professional systems involved in work with young people, both in specialist hospital and community settings.
  • Experience in working in developing services.
  • Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
  • Experience of representing psychology within the context of multidisciplinary care.

Knowledge, Skills and Ability

Essential

  • Knowledge of legislation and national guidance in relation to the needs of children and young people.
  • Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management in work with children and families
  • Ability to integrate psychological theories and outcome data with clinical practice and service provision
  • Ability to work with people from different backgrounds, cultures and of different ages
  • Ability to cope with stressful interpersonal situations including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems.

Desirable

  • Enhanced skills in assessment and intervention of young people with neurodevelopmental disorders

Education and Supervision

Essential

  • Experience in designing, planning and undertaking clinical research and service evaluation.
  • Experience in teaching and training staff from other professional groups in psychological skills and concepts.
  • Experience of teaching, training and supervision of assistant psychologists and trainee clinical psychologists
  • Formal training in supervision of other psychologists

Personal attributes/work related circumstance

Essential

  • A commitment to undertake further relevant training and self-directed study.
  • A commitment to the inclusion of young people's, parent/carer views in service delivery, development and design
  • Ability to travel across the MFT footprint
Person Specification

Registration/Accreditation

Essential

  • Registered/accredited with the British Psychological Society.

Qualifications

Essential

  • Diploma, masters, doctoral degree or equivalent accepted as qualifying the person to work as a clinical psychologist.
  • Eligibility for BPS Chartered status

Desirable

  • Post doctoral training course in an area of specialist practice

Experience

Essential

  • Significant Experience of working as a specialist child clinical psychologist in CAMHS.
  • Experience in assessment and therapeutic work with children and families across the age range with a full range of presenting problems and across settings including community, outpatient and clinic settings.
  • Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment independently and within a multidisciplinary and multiagency context.
  • Experience of teaching, training and/or professional and clinical supervision.

Desirable

  • Working knowledge of professional systems involved in work with young people, both in specialist hospital and community settings.
  • Experience in working in developing services.
  • Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
  • Experience of representing psychology within the context of multidisciplinary care.

Knowledge, Skills and Ability

Essential

  • Knowledge of legislation and national guidance in relation to the needs of children and young people.
  • Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management in work with children and families
  • Ability to integrate psychological theories and outcome data with clinical practice and service provision
  • Ability to work with people from different backgrounds, cultures and of different ages
  • Ability to cope with stressful interpersonal situations including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems.

Desirable

  • Enhanced skills in assessment and intervention of young people with neurodevelopmental disorders

Education and Supervision

Essential

  • Experience in designing, planning and undertaking clinical research and service evaluation.
  • Experience in teaching and training staff from other professional groups in psychological skills and concepts.
  • Experience of teaching, training and supervision of assistant psychologists and trainee clinical psychologists
  • Formal training in supervision of other psychologists

Personal attributes/work related circumstance

Essential

  • A commitment to undertake further relevant training and self-directed study.
  • A commitment to the inclusion of young people's, parent/carer views in service delivery, development and design
  • Ability to travel across the MFT footprint

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

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Pendleton Gateway

1 Broadwalk

Salford

M6 5FX


Employer's website

https://mft.nhs.uk/careers/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Pendleton Gateway

1 Broadwalk

Salford

M6 5FX


Employer's website

https://mft.nhs.uk/careers/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Consultant Clinical Psychologist District Lead

Michelle Perkin

michelle.perkin@mft.nhs.uk

01615185400

Details

Date posted

23 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£64,455 to £74,896 a year per annum (pro rata)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

349-MCH-7581631-RL4

Job locations

Pendleton Gateway

1 Broadwalk

Salford

M6 5FX


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)