Principal Practitioner Psychologist - Transition

Job summary
We are pleased to be recruiting into Psychological Health Services for a post to provide a major contribution to the Children and Young People Gender Service South West (CYPGS SW) as part of the continued growth and development of this paediatric clinical specialty. We are looking for a Principal Practitioner Psychologist with leadership, management and clinical experience to lead the team to provide care to young people aged 17 and over and to support the transfer of care to adult services. As part of this role you would be providing therapeutic care to Children, young people and their families with complex needs.

This role will require working with colleagues from the National Provider Network for Children and Young People's Gender Service. Knowledge of developmental, psychological and social models will be required with an ability to use data to inform service development.

CPD and learning together is highly valued within the CYPGS specialty. It enjoys weekly in person clinical development meetings, provided by clinicians within the team and external speakers.

Main duties of the job

• To contribute to development, coordination, clinical care and leadership, to ensure the systematic provision of a psychology service to the Children and Young People's Gender Service and personally provide highly specialist clinical input (direct and indirect) with all age groups in this service, their management within NHS partnership providers.
• To contribute to work as appropriate with the National Provider Network
• To lead the CYPGS - South West pathway for young people aged 17 and above, developing appropriate time limited interventions.
• To lead the CYPGS - South West process and system for young people moving to adult services.
• To work alongside the Clinical Lead and the National Provider Network to provide effective intervention for young people 17 years and above.
• To provide day-to-day management and professional supervision of staff employed within Psychological Health Services
• To support the provision of a service consistent with the April 2026 Service Specification for CYP Gender Services and in line with the Cass Review Recommendations.

Further duties as per the attached Job Description & Person Spec.

About us
Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations, operating from three main sites at Southmead, Bristol city centre and Weston.

With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone's throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer.

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we're meeting our pledge.

Job responsibilities
Psychological Health Services
The award-winning Psychological Health Services is recognised for leadership and the development of Trust wide psychological services. As a university teaching trust, research and quality improvement forms part of BFTs mission to support excellence in delivery of patient care, alongside education and applied research of the highest quality.

We are engaged in high profile national professional networks at a senior level across BPS, NHS and charitable sector organisations. We have strong links to local and regional universities providing access to support research and clinical training with honorary appointment up to professorial level. Psychological Health Services has an expanding research portfolio. Psychological Health Services take pride in their commitment to providing high quality and accessible CPD and access to skilled clinical and peer supervision. Examples of current CPD opportunities include monthly Trust wide departmental CPD meetings, journal clubs and an ACT supervision group.

Although the current recruitment is for a specific post, we welcome enquiries from those who are interested in wider opportunities within our portfolio.

For a more detailed job description, main responsibilities, and person specification, please refer to the job description document attached to this vacancy.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Doctorate in Clinical Psychology/Counselling Psychology or equivalent
• Current registration as a Practitioner Psychologist with the HCPC

Desirable

• Training in the supervision of trainee clinical psychologists/other staff
• Management/leadership training

Knowledge
Essential

• Ability to generate systemic and individual psychological formulations and triage/deliver brief interventions using psychological theories and models
• Advanced communication skills, including providing and receiving highly complex and sensitive information in a culturally appropriate manner
• Ability to provide complex psychological information to staff in an accessible manner
• Ability to access, record and manage information and data using notes, databases and electronic records
• Ability to prioritise and manage clinical, managerial and professional workloads effectively and safely
• Well-developed IT skills, including entry and analysis of research data
• Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups
• Ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary teams and contribute to team functioning and team roles
• Knowledge of safeguarding, consent, confidentiality and NICE standards
• Knowledge of psychopathology and evidence-based treatments relevant to client group and specialist area
• Ability to travel to one outreach clinic per month
• Knowledge of and ability to work in the CYP Gender Service Specification model 2026 and consistent with the recommendations of the Cass Review

Experience
Essential

• Post-qualification experience as a specialist practitioner clinical psychologist providing direct clinical work, consultation, supervision and training
• Post-qualification experience undertaking consultation and service development
• Experience working with health and social care teams through supervision, reflective practice or team development work
• Formal teaching/presentation sessions to health and other professionals
• Experience of working with children and young people in either CAMHS or Paediatrics or both

Desirable

• Experience of psychological debriefing
• Experience of proposing and implementing service development projects within own service area
• Record of publications in peer-reviewed, academic or professional journals/books
• Experience of working with older teens and young adults

Skills
Essential

• Demonstrates advanced interpersonal and communication skills in highly emotive situations
• Able to work collaboratively with colleagues across disciplines and agencies
• Commitment to professional development, supervision and reflective practice

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).