Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the leadership triumvirate for Assessment and Treatment Services across West Yorkshire and Barnsley, delivering specialist inpatient care for people with a learning disability. Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust and South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust work in partnership to provide services from the Horizon Centre in Wakefield and the Najurally Unit at Lynfield Mount Hospital, Bradford. Leeds and York Partnership Foundation Trust also supports the governance and assurance of this collaborative model.Our ambition is to develop a West Yorkshire Centre of Excellence, delivering trauma-informed, evidence-based care that improves wellbeing and promotes social inclusion, ensuring people can access high-quality specialist care as close to home as possible.
We are seeking an enthusiastic and compassionate Consultant Clinical Psychologist with expertise in complex learning disability and behaviours that challenge. As the non-medical clinical lead, the post holder will work alongside the Programme Lead and Medical Lead, contributing to service development at both local and strategic levels. The role includes governance responsibilities for psychological practitioners and leadership within the wider multidisciplinary team.
This post is offered as a developmental role from Band 8c to 8d, with mentorship support, at 0.8 WTE.
Closing Date: 4th May 2026
Shortlisting Date: 5th May 2026
Interview Date TBC
Main duties of the job
The post holder will provide specialist evidence-based psychological therapies & make autonomous clinical decisions regarding practice. They will deliver clinical leadership through supervision, consultation & specialist advice on psychological therapies & psychological aspects of care.
The role includes leading service & policy development, providing specialist teaching, & advising on psychological therapies across the West Yorkshire Assessment & Treatment Unit (WY ATU) service. The post holder will take lead responsibility for the development, implementation & monitoring of NICE-compliant psychological interventions.
They will ensure clinical effectiveness through audit, service evaluation, research & quality improvement, & provide specialist advice to the Programme Lead on service development. The post holder will act as an Approved Clinician or work towards Approved Clinician status.
As part of the WY ATU leadership triumvirate, the post holder will contribute to strategic decision-making, support clinical engagement, maintain governance & oversight, & report to the WY ATU Strategic Partnership Group.
As Non-Medical Clinical Lead, the post holder will lead the non-medical workforce in shaping the strategic direction of ATU & community Learning Disability services across West Yorkshire. Working with triumvirate colleagues, they will embed quality, safety & continuous improvement across the clinical pathway.
About us
Everything we do is underpinned by our core values: -
We Care- We act with respect and empathy, and always value difference
We Listen- We understand people's views and respond to their individual needs
We Deliver- We develop and provide excellent services and support our partners
We will consider a variety of flexible working arrangements to enable staff to balance their work and home lives and support staff by offering a fantastic range of benefits including :
Increase mileage rates for > 4500
A wide range of health and wellbeing support packages
A range of internal and external development and learning opportunities
Plus many more.
We are also proud to pledge our support to the Armed Forces and hold a Bronze Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.
BDCFT is dedicated to environmental and social sustainability by delivering on the commitments within our Green Plan. All staff are actively encouraged and supported to participate in training and to identify and implement sustainable quality improvement across all service areas and activities.
Please note that the Trust reserves the right to close the vacancy before the closing date if a sufficient number of applications are received. It is in the candidate's best interest to apply as soon as possible
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please read the attached Job description and person specification for further details about this role.
Right to Work in the UK
Prior to your appointment you will be asked to provide confirmation of your right to work and reside in the UK. During your continued employment with the Trust, you have a personal responsibility to notify your manager as soon as possible should there be any changes to your right to work status.Regrettably, if the role is not eligible for sponsorship under the Trusts eligibility criteria, the Trust are unable to extend your employment beyond the expiration of your current visa. The Trust is not responsible or liable for ensuring that your employment continues after this period.
As a condition of continuous employment, it essential you maintain the legal right to work in the United Kingdom throughout the duration of your employment with Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust (BDCFT).
Any change in your right-to-work status, including but not limited to visa expiration, revocation, or denial of renewal, may impact your eligibility for employment with the Trust. It is your responsibility to promptly inform your Line Manager of any changes in your right-to-work status immediately and to provide necessary documentation for verification purposes. Failure to obtain or renew your visa in a timely manner is a breach of employment conditions and will result in termination of your employment. We appreciate your attention to this matter and your commitment to fulfilling this requirement promptly.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please read the attached Job description and person specification for further details about this role.
Right to Work in the UK
Prior to your appointment you will be asked to provide confirmation of your right to work and reside in the UK. During your continued employment with the Trust, you have a personal responsibility to notify your manager as soon as possible should there be any changes to your right to work status.Regrettably, if the role is not eligible for sponsorship under the Trusts eligibility criteria, the Trust are unable to extend your employment beyond the expiration of your current visa. The Trust is not responsible or liable for ensuring that your employment continues after this period.
As a condition of continuous employment, it essential you maintain the legal right to work in the United Kingdom throughout the duration of your employment with Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust (BDCFT).
Any change in your right-to-work status, including but not limited to visa expiration, revocation, or denial of renewal, may impact your eligibility for employment with the Trust. It is your responsibility to promptly inform your Line Manager of any changes in your right-to-work status immediately and to provide necessary documentation for verification purposes. Failure to obtain or renew your visa in a timely manner is a breach of employment conditions and will result in termination of your employment. We appreciate your attention to this matter and your commitment to fulfilling this requirement promptly.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Doctorate level training in clinical or applied psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical, psychometrics, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the BPS, or a BPS Statement of Equivalence. AND Eligibility for Chartered Clinical Psychologist status. AND Undertaken post-qualification further training in a specialised area of psychological practice e.g. neuropsychology, CBT, CAT, DBT, solution focused therapy, analytical therapy, systemic / family work etc.
- Leadership training
Desirable
- Trained and registered as an Approved Clinician
Experience
Essential
- Significant post qualification experience and training (at least 5 years)
- Experience applying specialist psychological therapy to patients and systems who have complex difficulties.
- Experience as a consultant psychologist/psychological therapist (for 8d role)
- Extensive experience of providing successful clinical leadership within multi service, multidisciplinary mental health provider context
Knowledge
Essential
- Significant clinical knowledge relevant to service area, inc. evidence based psychological therapies and approaches relevant to people with an LD and behaviours that challenge
- Demonstrable knowledge of the theory and practice of leadership and management in mental health services
- Able to contain explore and formulate an understanding of high levels of distress both directly with patients and indirectly via supervision or case reviews with other staff.
Skills
Essential
- Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers, and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Well developed skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Well developed skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, psychological formulation, intervention, and management.
- Ability to contain and work with organisational stress and to contribute to staff wellbeing.
- Ability to hold senior managers and professionals to account
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Doctorate level training in clinical or applied psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical, psychometrics, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the BPS, or a BPS Statement of Equivalence. AND Eligibility for Chartered Clinical Psychologist status. AND Undertaken post-qualification further training in a specialised area of psychological practice e.g. neuropsychology, CBT, CAT, DBT, solution focused therapy, analytical therapy, systemic / family work etc.
- Leadership training
Desirable
- Trained and registered as an Approved Clinician
Experience
Essential
- Significant post qualification experience and training (at least 5 years)
- Experience applying specialist psychological therapy to patients and systems who have complex difficulties.
- Experience as a consultant psychologist/psychological therapist (for 8d role)
- Extensive experience of providing successful clinical leadership within multi service, multidisciplinary mental health provider context
Knowledge
Essential
- Significant clinical knowledge relevant to service area, inc. evidence based psychological therapies and approaches relevant to people with an LD and behaviours that challenge
- Demonstrable knowledge of the theory and practice of leadership and management in mental health services
- Able to contain explore and formulate an understanding of high levels of distress both directly with patients and indirectly via supervision or case reviews with other staff.
Skills
Essential
- Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers, and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Well developed skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Well developed skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, psychological formulation, intervention, and management.
- Ability to contain and work with organisational stress and to contribute to staff wellbeing.
- Ability to hold senior managers and professionals to account
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).
