Job Description

Main area

Principal Clinical Psychologist - Locality Lead

Grade

Band 8b

Contract

Permanent

Hours

Full time Part time Flexible working Compressed hours
37.5 hours per week

Job ref

373-SMH2336-A

Site

Wirral/ Chester / Cheshire East by preference

Town

Wirral/ Chester / Cheshire East by preference

Salary

64,455 - 74,896 per annum pro rata

Salary period

Yearly

Closing

14/08/2025 23:59

Job overview

We are looking to recruit Principal Clinical Psychologist Leads to our Home Treatment Teams or Mental Health Liaison Services. These posts are part of the next phase in creating an established and sustainable Psychology workforce within the acute mental health pathway with Consultant Clinical Psychologists in the Acute Pathway based in inpatient services already established. The benefits of these posts include being able to develop a service, whilst also being connected to established psychology teams and the wider psychology network. Suitable candidates can express their preference for working within the Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Team (CRHTT) or the Mental Health Liaison Service (MHLS). For CRHTT the possible sites are West Cheshire (Countess of Chester site) or East/Central Cheshire (Congleton site). For MHLS the possible sites are Wirral (Springview hospital site), West Cheshire (Countess of Chester site) or East/Central Cheshire (Leighton hospital, Crewe, or Macclesfield general hospital). These posts are part of developing the Acute Pathway Psychology provision in the Trust and demonstrate CWP's commitment to improving the psychological and trauma informed care provided to patients, families, and staff in the acute pathway. As the Principal Clinical Psychologist Locality Lead you will be responsible for providing clinical and professional leadership within either the CRHTT, or the MHLS, based on your preference within one locality.

Main duties of the job

You will work with the Consultant Clinical Psychologist, locality leadership team and speciality clinical network to enhance and evaluate the psychological care offer within your specific team. Providing training, consultancy, supervision and support to multi professional staff, teams and managers will be essential. As will taking a strategic and pragmatic approach to service evaluation, audit and research as part of on-going quality improvement. You will provide highly specialist psychological assessment and intervention, as well as input to care planning and discharge planning. Both working as part of the multidisciplinary team and as an autonomous Clinical Psychologist. CWP is an innovative and transformational all-ages mental health service provider. There will be opportunities to join internal and external professional and clinical networks, undertake research, and provide training and support to the next generation of psychology and mental health practitioners. We have strong connections to the three DClinPsy regional training programmes (Liverpool, Lancaster and Manchester). You will join the CWP Senior Psychologists Group, a group that supports leadership, clinical and professional development of Psychologists. Clinical and professional supervision will be provided, and ongoing continuing professional development supported. We encourage applications from suitably qualified and experienced people with protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.

Working for our organisation

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership (CWP) provides health and care services for a population of over one million people, including mental health, learning disability, community physical health and all-age disability care, as well as the provision of three GP surgeries in Cheshire.



We employ around 4,500 staff across 73 sites and have services across Wirral and Cheshire, as well as Trafford, Warrington, Bolton, Halton and Liverpool. We also provide specialist services for the North West as a whole.



Our aim is to help improve the lives of everyone in our communities, adopting a compassionate, person-centred approach to everything we do. We are rated as Outstanding for Caring by the Care Quality Commission, with a Good rating overall.



As a Disability Confident Employer, Rainbow Badge Scheme member, Veteran Aware organisation and proud holder of the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award, CWP is committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible and developing a culture that values differences, and welcome applications from people who have direct experience of accessing our services.

We also offer up to three weeks' induction, with our Prepare to Care programme for all new starters. This aims to give you all the knowledge and guidance to help you hit the ground running with CWP.



Whether you are just starting out in your career or looking to use your existing skills and experience in a new role, you'll find something to suit you at CWP.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please download a copy of the job description (see 'documents to download' section below) for full details of the main responsibilities for this role.



At CWP, our recruitment selection processes are based on both competence (see person specification for details) and values.



CWP recruits people that can demonstrate the Trust's Values in their everyday life and we use a values-based approach in our interviews, which explores not only what you do but how and why you do it.



Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trust's Values and think about how these align with your own personal values. The supporting information section in your application should reflect your understanding of the Trust's Values and associated behaviours and you should provide examples from your work experience and/or personal life which demonstrate these values through your behaviours.



An applicant guide to help and support you through your recruitment journey can be accessed at the bottom of this page. Further help and support for completing your application can be accessed via our website. If you need any further guidance to help you complete your application, contact our recruitment team via email at: cwp.recruitment@nhs.net or by calling 01244 393100.



If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010, and you can show that you meet the 'essential' criteria described in the person specification for an available position, please answer 'YES' to the question: 'Do you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme?'



Please inform the team if you have any special support needs to be considered as part of the interview and selection processes.



The trust offers a Guaranteed Interview Scheme to any armed forces community applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post and encourages applications from armed forces reservists or cadet force adult volunteers.



Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of 16 per year applies.



New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.



Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.



Good luck with your application. We hope to welcome you to Team CWP very soon!

Person specification

#

Qualifications

Essential criteria

Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice HCPC registration

Desirable criteria

Formal qualification in supervision BPS chartered status and/or membership of ACPUK. #

Knowledge and Expertise

Essential criteria

Highly specialist skills in undertaking complex psychological and cognitive/neuropsychological assessment, intervention and evaluation frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration. Well-developed skills for communicating effectively, orally and in writing, highly technical, and clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS. Formally trained and expert in supervising Trainee Clinical Psychologists. Well-developed knowledge of the theory and practice of applied psychology and specialised psychological therapies in working with people with complex difficulties (e.g. severe MH problems; personality disorder, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc).

Desirable criteria

Leadership training and/or awareness of different leadership models and systems thinking #

Experience

Essential criteria

Substantial experience of working as a qualified clinical psychologist Experience of providing consultation, training, support and supervision/reflective practice to other professionals and non-professionals. Experience of working in multidisciplinary teams Service development experience

Desirable criteria

Involvement in local and/or national academic and/or professional body and other professional activities.
Applicant requirements


You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.



Further details / informal visits contact

Name

Samantha Woodley

Job title

Consultant Clinical Psychologist

Email address

samantha.woodley@nhs.net

Telephone number

01244 397459

Additional information

Lina Papista

lina.papista@nhs.net

If you consider yourself Neurodivergent and need help to complete your application form, please contact

cwp.recruitment@nhs.net

or telephone 01244 393100.