Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

Senior Perinatal Clinical Psychologist

The closing date is 10 February 2026

Job summary

Would you like to make a real difference to the lives of women, their babies and families? Are you ready to enhance and develop your compassionate leadership skills in a specialist area of mental health? If so, then consider joining us! We have a fixed-term opportunity for a Senior Clinical Psychologist, to cover maternity leave in our Pennine Specialist Perinatal Community Mental Health Team (SPCMHT).You would be based in our Blackburn team. You will work clinically across the Pennine Lancs area, with some limited travel across the service footprint to attend service wide Psychology/therapies meetings, etc. The Pennine SPCMHT has a kind and compassionate Team Leader and supportive MDT.As a fixed-term post, the role would require immediate supervision of other members of the Pennine psychology/therapy team, clinical consultation and oversight of referrals and allocations. You would be well-supported by senior psychology colleagues in the role.This is a great opportunity for a candidate who has perinatal clinical experience and wants to further develop their supervisory and leadership skills in a contained and supported way.

Main duties of the job

The Specialist Perinatal Community Mental Health Team (SPCMHT) aims to provide excellent comprehensive Perinatal Mental Health care for the women/birthing people of Lancashire and South Cumbria.

The service focuses on improving outcomes for women/birthing people experiencing perinatal mental health difficulties, their infant and their families.

We provide multidisciplinary integrated team working and ensure effective prevention that responds to local need by:o Intervening earlier at preconception, during pregnancy and up to 2 years following deliveryo On-going training of professionals from multiple disciplineso Improving pathways and processes for mothers, their families and professionals

The service prioritises access and care for women/birthing people with moderate to severe mental health difficulties who are most in need of specialist, comprehensive, multi-agency coordinated care. SPCMHT works closely with general adult services, maternity services, maternal mental health services, primary care and social services.

About us

LSCFT values diversity and inclusion, recognising that talent from varied backgrounds creates a flexible, creative, and effective workforce. We actively challenge discrimination and welcome applications from all, regardless of age, disability (including those with experience of accessing or caring for someone who has accessed mental health or learning disability services), ethnicity, gender, religion, belief, or sexual orientation.

Our aim is to reflect the communities we serve, so we particularly encourage applications from under-represented groups. If you'd like to discuss your application, please ask.

We also welcome individuals with lived experience relevant to the role or service area, as your insight brings authenticity to our services.

LSCFT support flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as term time, part time, compressed hours and flexi-time.

Details

Date posted

27 January 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£55,690 to £62,682 a year pa pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

9 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

351-PEN1055-CL

Job locations

Pennine Lancs SPCMHT

Daisyfield Mill

Blackburn

BB1 3BL


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about this role.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about this role.

Person Specification

Education/ Qualifications

Essential

  • The Graduate Basis for Registration (further to completion of an honours degree in psychology accredited by the British Psychological Society, or, in the case of courses that are not accredited or where the first degree is not in psychology, by completion of the Society's Qualifying examination, or completion of a Society accredited Conversion Course).
  • Satisfactory completion of a British Psychological Society accredited Doctoral Level postgraduate professional training course in clinical psychology
  • Registered as a Practitioner Psychologist with HCPC

Knowledge

Essential

  • Well-developed theoretical and practical knowledge of the field of clinical psychology, consistent with doctoral level professional training and further post qualification study, training and supervised experience.
  • Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment consistent with doctoral level training, including specialist clinical interviewing, behavioural observation, complex psychometric testing and specialist neuropsychological testing.
  • Skills commensurate with doctoral level training in the formulation of problems from a psychological perspective and in the implementation of highly specialist psychological therapies, interventions and management techniques that are appropriate for use with complex presenting problems.
  • When communicating with patients, carers and colleagues, has the high level interpersonal skills necessary to obtain and convey highly complex, sensitive or contentious information in emotionally charged and extremely emotive settings
  • Skills in providing clinical supervision and consultation to members of other professional and non-professional groups.
  • Ability to provide teaching and training on relevant psychological topics, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of specialist psychological assessment and individual and group based intervention with clients across the full range of care settings, including primary and secondary/ specialist care and inpatient/residential, outpatient and community team settings.
  • Experience of working with perinatal and parent/infant cases in a clinically relevant setting
  • Relevant post qualification and training, enabling the post holder to provide supplementary supervision to clinical psychology trainees

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
  • Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to patients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
  • Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.

Work Related Circumstances

Essential

  • Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material.
  • Ability to interact effectively with staff from all disciplines.
  • Is a 'team player' and has demonstrated ability to work and deliver to team and organisational objectives
  • Ability to maintain a high degree of professionalism, and to reflect on and manage own emotions and those of others, when faced by highly distressing material, problems and circumstances
  • Capacity for tolerating frustration, change and high levels of demand with an ability to work effectively under pressure.
Person Specification

Education/ Qualifications

Essential

  • The Graduate Basis for Registration (further to completion of an honours degree in psychology accredited by the British Psychological Society, or, in the case of courses that are not accredited or where the first degree is not in psychology, by completion of the Society's Qualifying examination, or completion of a Society accredited Conversion Course).
  • Satisfactory completion of a British Psychological Society accredited Doctoral Level postgraduate professional training course in clinical psychology
  • Registered as a Practitioner Psychologist with HCPC

Knowledge

Essential

  • Well-developed theoretical and practical knowledge of the field of clinical psychology, consistent with doctoral level professional training and further post qualification study, training and supervised experience.
  • Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment consistent with doctoral level training, including specialist clinical interviewing, behavioural observation, complex psychometric testing and specialist neuropsychological testing.
  • Skills commensurate with doctoral level training in the formulation of problems from a psychological perspective and in the implementation of highly specialist psychological therapies, interventions and management techniques that are appropriate for use with complex presenting problems.
  • When communicating with patients, carers and colleagues, has the high level interpersonal skills necessary to obtain and convey highly complex, sensitive or contentious information in emotionally charged and extremely emotive settings
  • Skills in providing clinical supervision and consultation to members of other professional and non-professional groups.
  • Ability to provide teaching and training on relevant psychological topics, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of specialist psychological assessment and individual and group based intervention with clients across the full range of care settings, including primary and secondary/ specialist care and inpatient/residential, outpatient and community team settings.
  • Experience of working with perinatal and parent/infant cases in a clinically relevant setting
  • Relevant post qualification and training, enabling the post holder to provide supplementary supervision to clinical psychology trainees

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
  • Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to patients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
  • Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.

Work Related Circumstances

Essential

  • Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material.
  • Ability to interact effectively with staff from all disciplines.
  • Is a 'team player' and has demonstrated ability to work and deliver to team and organisational objectives
  • Ability to maintain a high degree of professionalism, and to reflect on and manage own emotions and those of others, when faced by highly distressing material, problems and circumstances
  • Capacity for tolerating frustration, change and high levels of demand with an ability to work effectively under pressure.

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Pennine Lancs SPCMHT

Daisyfield Mill

Blackburn

BB1 3BL


Employer's website

https://www.lscft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Pennine Lancs SPCMHT

Daisyfield Mill

Blackburn

BB1 3BL


Employer's website

https://www.lscft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Consultant Clinical Psychologist

Jo Gorry

jo.gorry@lscft.nhs.uk

07971671346

Details

Date posted

27 January 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£55,690 to £62,682 a year pa pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

9 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

351-PEN1055-CL

Job locations

Pennine Lancs SPCMHT

Daisyfield Mill

Blackburn

BB1 3BL


Supporting documents

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