Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust

Specialist Clinical/ Counselling Psychologist

The closing date is 27 January 2026

Job summary

An opportunity has come available to join our compassionate, supportive and innovative team, the Perinatal Trauma and Loss Service (PETALS). This post will be providing maternity leave cover for a fixed term of 12 months.

PETALS are supporting the delivery of the NHS Long Term Plan and integrate maternity, reproductive health and psychological therapy. PETALS provides therapeutic and psychological support and care to women/birthing people and families who experience significant fear of childbirth (tokophobia) and/or perinatal loss and trauma, directly as a result of their perinatal/neonatal/maternity journey.

We are looking for someone to provide high quality, evidence based psychological care.

As a qualified Clinical or Counselling Psychologist (with HCPC registration), you will carry a clinical caseload, as well as offer expert consultation/case discussion, teaching, training and supervision. There will be opportunity to develop skills in leadership. The NHSE Perinatal Mental Health Psychological Therapies Implementation Guidance aims to support the expansion of psychological therapies, therefore the role offers opportunities for continued professional development.

You will be supported by the Principal Clinical Psychologist. There are key opportunities to lead on aspects of service development, which may include supporting trauma informed care and practice and reducing health inequalities, as well as ensuring key performance targets are achieved.

Main duties of the job

You will provide high quality and evidence based psychological care. As a qualified Clinical or Counselling psychologist (with HCPC registration), you will carry a clinical caseload, as well as offer expert consultation/case discussion, teaching, training and supervision. You will be able to develop skills in leadership. There are key opportunities to bring ideas and creativity to a new area of perinatal mental health, leading and supporting others on aspects of service development in a new and developing service. This may include (but aren't exhaustive): codesign and coproduction, supporting trauma informed care and practice and reducing health inequalities, as well as ensuring key performance targets are achieved. The service supports further training and development needed for the role.

About us

Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) Foundation Trust employs over 7000 members of staff, who deliver services from more than 122 locations.

We provide inpatient and community-based mental health care for people living in Bolton, the city of Manchester, Salford,Trafford and the borough of Wigan, and a wide range of specialist mental health and substance misuse services across Greater Manchester, the north west of England and beyond.

Greater Manchester is one of the world's most innovative, original and exciting places to live and work. From the beauty of the surrounding countryside to the heart of the vibrant inner city with great shopping, entertainment and dining options.

Wherever you go you will experience a great northern welcome with people famed for their warmth, humour and generosity.

Our people enjoy their work, have opportunities to learn and develop their skills and are encouraged to generate new ideas that improve care for our service users.

Details

Date posted

13 January 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£55,690 to £62,682 a year per annum pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

437-7704859

Job locations

Benchill Community Centre Annex

Benchill Road, Wythenshawe

Manchester

M22 8EJ


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see attached job description and person specification

Staff benefits

  • Pay Enhancements: 30% additional for Evenings (8pm onwards) and Saturdays and 60% additional for Sundays and Bank holidays.
  • 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays rising to 29 after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years
  • Excellent pension
  • Cycle to work scheme
  • Salary sacrifice car scheme
  • Wellbeing programme
  • Blue Light Card Discounts
  • fuelGenie Fuel Cards (for applicable roles)

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see attached job description and person specification

Staff benefits

  • Pay Enhancements: 30% additional for Evenings (8pm onwards) and Saturdays and 60% additional for Sundays and Bank holidays.
  • 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays rising to 29 after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years
  • Excellent pension
  • Cycle to work scheme
  • Salary sacrifice car scheme
  • Wellbeing programme
  • Blue Light Card Discounts
  • fuelGenie Fuel Cards (for applicable roles)

Person Specification

Education/ Qualifications

Essential

  • Professional qualification in Clinical or Counselling Psychology at Doctoral level (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS.
  • Further post-qualification, post-graduate training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice.
  • Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council as a 'Clinical or Counselling Psychologist'.

Desirable

  • Training in trauma focused interventions (e.g. CBT, EMDR)
  • Formal training in supervision of other psychologists.
  • Training in perinatal mental health

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of working as a qualified clinical psychologist, including relevant experience in service area.
  • Experience of working with client groups experiencing moderate-severe mental health problems across the life span. This includes maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the possible threat of physical abuse
  • Experience of working with trauma and providing trauma-focused psychological therapy.
  • Experience in the application of cognitive-behavioural approaches.
  • Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment.
  • Experience of working within a multidisciplinary team.
  • Experience of providing supervision and training.

Desirable

  • Experience of working in perinatal mental health services.
  • Experience of working in a secondary care service (Psychology/CMHT)

Knowledge

Essential

  • Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis as practiced within the field of clinical psychology.
  • Knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.
  • Evidence of CPD as recommended by BPS & HCPC.

Desirable

  • Knowledge of policy and legislation in relation to service specialism and of relevant mental health legislation.

Skills & 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, highly technical, and clinically sensitive information to clients, their families and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
  • Ability to organise time effectively.
  • Ability to use own initiative and to work under supervision where appropriate
  • Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team and to liaise effectively with other professionals.

Desirable

  • Skills in providing consultation to other professional groups.
  • Skills in supervising others
  • Skills in compassionate leadership

Other

Essential

  • Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
  • Ability to identify, and employ, as appropriate, clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
  • Ability to travel to a range of locations across the GM footprint in a timely and efficient manner.

Desirable

  • Experience of working within a multicultural framework.
Person Specification

Education/ Qualifications

Essential

  • Professional qualification in Clinical or Counselling Psychology at Doctoral level (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS.
  • Further post-qualification, post-graduate training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice.
  • Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council as a 'Clinical or Counselling Psychologist'.

Desirable

  • Training in trauma focused interventions (e.g. CBT, EMDR)
  • Formal training in supervision of other psychologists.
  • Training in perinatal mental health

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of working as a qualified clinical psychologist, including relevant experience in service area.
  • Experience of working with client groups experiencing moderate-severe mental health problems across the life span. This includes maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the possible threat of physical abuse
  • Experience of working with trauma and providing trauma-focused psychological therapy.
  • Experience in the application of cognitive-behavioural approaches.
  • Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment.
  • Experience of working within a multidisciplinary team.
  • Experience of providing supervision and training.

Desirable

  • Experience of working in perinatal mental health services.
  • Experience of working in a secondary care service (Psychology/CMHT)

Knowledge

Essential

  • Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis as practiced within the field of clinical psychology.
  • Knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.
  • Evidence of CPD as recommended by BPS & HCPC.

Desirable

  • Knowledge of policy and legislation in relation to service specialism and of relevant mental health legislation.

Skills & 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, highly technical, and clinically sensitive information to clients, their families and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
  • Ability to organise time effectively.
  • Ability to use own initiative and to work under supervision where appropriate
  • Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team and to liaise effectively with other professionals.

Desirable

  • Skills in providing consultation to other professional groups.
  • Skills in supervising others
  • Skills in compassionate leadership

Other

Essential

  • Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
  • Ability to identify, and employ, as appropriate, clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
  • Ability to travel to a range of locations across the GM footprint in a timely and efficient manner.

Desirable

  • Experience of working within a multicultural framework.

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

Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Benchill Community Centre Annex

Benchill Road, Wythenshawe

Manchester

M22 8EJ


Employer's website

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


Employer details

Employer name

Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Benchill Community Centre Annex

Benchill Road, Wythenshawe

Manchester

M22 8EJ


Employer's website

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


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Team Manager

Nicola Desmond

nicola.desmond@gmmh.nhs.uk

01612710188

Details

Date posted

13 January 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£55,690 to £62,682 a year per annum pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

437-7704859

Job locations

Benchill Community Centre Annex

Benchill Road, Wythenshawe

Manchester

M22 8EJ


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

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