Principal Clinical Psychologist

Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen to work in a 8b role as a Clinical Psychologist within our Community Specialist Division of Children and Young People's Mental Health Services (CYPMHS), formerly known as CAMHS, in a multidisciplinary team.

The successful post holder role involves delivering a high-quality service provision that promotes and improves the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people and their families.

You will have core professional registration following completion of post-graduate doctorate in clinical Psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, or fully completed training as a Counselling Psychologist as well as registered with the HCPC.You will have significant post-registration experience of highly specialist child and adolescent serviceof both core work and specific/specialist work of assessment and treatment with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature.

The Community Specialist CYPMHS services are a dynamic caring, supportive and hard-working team which prides itself in working professionally in collaboratively with young people and stakeholders in service delivery. There are opportunities to take a lead in areas of service delivery and specialist areas of interest.

Main duties of the job
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and motivated Clinical Psychologist to join our Community Specialist Division within Children and Young People's Mental Health Services (CYPMHS),

The successful post holder will play a key role in delivering high-quality, evidence-based psychological services. The post holder will contribute a wide range mental health difficulties, including complex and high-risk presentations.

Applicants must hold professional registration accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), or have successfully completed accredited Counselling Psychology training, together with registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

The successful candidate will have significant post-registration experience working within specialist child and adolescent mental health services, with substantial experience in the assessment and treatment of children and young people presenting with complex psychological and mental health needs. Experience of multidisciplinary working, consultation, clinical supervision and service development will be highly desirable.

The team values professional development and continuous improvement, through structured supervision, professional support and competency development.

This is an excellent opportunity to further develop their clinical, leadership and service development skills within a supportive and well-established psychological therapies and multidisciplinary team.

About us
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust is one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from the Care Quality Commission

Our family of over 4,000 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:

Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.

Details
Date posted: 15 September 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 8b
Salary: £68,852 to £79,638 a year
per annum, pro rata (Inclusive of 5% HCAS)
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time,
Flexible working
Reference number: 367-CYP-101616
Job locations: Borehamwood Civic Office and/or Watford Peace Centre
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Borehamwood
WD6 1WA
United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
Main Duties and Responsibilities
The post holder will work autonomously as a member of the senior leadership team, providing a high standard of psychological care and service delivery to children, young people and their families.

The post holder will work collaboratively with other professionals within Community Specialist CYPMHS and the wider CYPMHS network.

The post holder will participate in the assessment, formulation and treatment of children, young people and their families in relation to a range of highly complex emotional, psychological and behavioural difficulties.

The post holder will support care coordination and pathway planning for children and young people with complex needs, including transitions between services and effective partnership working with Tier 4 services where required.

The post holder will be responsible for the provision of an appropriate range of highly specialist psychological services within Community Specialist CYPMHS.

The post holder will provide clinical and professional supervision to less experienced practitioner psychologists, psychological practitioners and trainees.

The post holder will provide specialist advice, consultation and support to other professionals, carers and families.

Clinical Responsibility
To provide highly developed specialist psychological assessments of children and young people receiving care within Community Specialist CYPMHS, based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex psychological data from a variety of sources, including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations, and semi-structured interviews with children, young people, family members and other professionals involved in their care.

To formulate and implement plans for the psychological treatment and/or management of children and young people with mental health difficulties, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework and employing evidence-based interventions of proven effectiveness.

To be responsible for implementing a range of evidence-based psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, working independently and jointly with other team members and disciplines as appropriate.

To adjust and refine psychological formulations, drawing upon a range of theoretical approaches and explanatory models while maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.

To make highly skilled evaluations and decisions regarding treatment options, taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors relating to historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group.

To exercise professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of children and young people whose difficulties are managed through psychologically informed care plans.

To provide expertise and specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals, contributing directly to formulation, diagnosis and treatment planning.

To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically informed framework of understanding and care for all children and young people accessing the service.

To ensure that all members of the multidisciplinary team have access to a psychologically informed framework for understanding and caring for children and young people through consultation, supervision, advice and the dissemination of current psychological research and theory.

To undertake risk assessments and risk management for individual children and young people and provide advice to other professionals regarding the psychological aspects of risk assessment and management.

To act as Care Coordinator for highly complex cases where appropriate, ensuring the provision of person-centred, evidence-based care packages that meet the needs of children, young people and their families.

To coordinate the work of professionals involved in a young person's care and take responsibility for initiating, planning and reviewing care in partnership with the young person, their family/carers, referrers and other members of the professional network.

To communicate assessment outcomes, formulations and treatment plans in a skilled and sensitive manner to young people, families, carers and professionals and monitor progress throughout intervention.

To provide expertise, advice and support to facilitate the effective and appropriate provision of psychological care by all members of the multidisciplinary team.

To maintain accurate and timely clinical records in accordance with Trust policy, professional standards and legal requirements.

Leadership and Staff Management Responsibility
To provide professional, clinical and safeguarding supervision to practitioner psychologists, assistant psychologists, trainee clinical psychologists and psychological practitioners within Community Specialist CYPMHS.

To support the recruitment, induction, appraisal, development and performance management of psychology staff and psychological practitioners in collaboration with the Consultant Clinical Lead for Psychological Therapies and other senior leaders.

To provide line management and clinical leadership within Community Specialist CYPMHS, supporting workforce development, staff wellbeing, service improvement, professional standards and clinical governance.

To support staff wellbeing by directing employees to services available to assist with managing their health and wellbeing.

To be open, approachable and proactive in discussing and agreeing appropriate processes to monitor and support employees' mental and physical health and wellbeing.

To contribute to workforce planning and the development of the psychology workforce within Community Specialist CYPMHS.

Service Development, Quality Improvement and Governance
To contribute to the strategic development and delivery of psychological services within Community Specialist CYPMHS.

To participate in service evaluation, audit, quality improvement initiatives and research activities.

To contribute to clinical governance processes and ensure adherence to Trust policies, professional standards and evidence-based practice.

To utilise clinical outcome measures, audit findings and research evidence to inform service development and clinical practice.

To contribute to the development of clinical pathways, policies and procedures within CYPMHS.

To represent Psychological Therapies within multidisciplinary, operational and service development meetings as required.

To participate in the implementation of service improvement projects that enhance the quality, effectiveness and accessibility of services.

Training, Teaching and Consultation
To provide specialist teaching, consultation and training to CYPMHS staff, partner agencies, carers and families.

To contribute to the teaching and supervision of assistant psychologists, trainee psychologists and other professionals.

To promote psychologically informed practice across CYPMHS and partner organisations.

To maintain continuing professional development in accordance with HCPC and professional body requirements.

Person Specification
Knowledge/Training/Experience
Essential

• Relevant training and professional registration as per person spec
• Post -doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice including CBT
• Post registration experience of specialist psychological assessmentand treatment with clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature

Desirable

• Specialist training in an appropriate area and knowledge of CAPA and CYP-IAPT
• Experience in neuropsychological assessment training in supervision of clinical/counselling psychologists

Experience and Knowledge
Essential

• Assessed experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of children/adolescents with a wide range of presentations of varying severity. This would usually include post qualification experience, or other evidenced experience.
• Experience of working with moderate to severe mental health problems with a wide range of client groups across the whole life course with presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity includingmaintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
• Demonstrate further specialist clinical experience and training within Child and Adolescent Mental Health, through a minimum of 50 hours clinical supervision of working as a clinical / counseling psychologist over a minimum of 18 months, or an agreed alternative
• Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision
• Abilities to provide consultation to other professional and non-professional groups
• Good general knowledge of the literature and research concerning mental health interventions with children, particularly the clinical effectiveness of such interventions
• Knowledge of Child Protection Procedures
• Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for client's psychological care and treatment both as a professionally qualified care coordinator and also within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan
• Good presentation and teaching skills and ability to use multi -media materials for formal presentations tolarge groups
• Experience of working within a multi-cultural framework

Desirable

• Experience of service quality monitoring e.g. clinical audit, evaluative research, etc
• Experience of having published in either peer reviewed academic or professional journals and/or books

Communication Skills
Essential

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to communicate 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
• Ability to work therapeutically with young people and their families
• Ability to work as a fully participating member of a multi-disciplinary team and the ability to respect and value other members contributions
• Positive problem solving approach

Physical Skills
Essential

• Car driver (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010 which prevents you from driving)
• IT skills; include use of Microsoft Office and Outlook

Leadership
Essential

• Has experience of leading a team
• Can demonstrate leadership qualities in line with trust values

Desirable

• Has participated in CPD related to management and leadership

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).

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).
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).