Job overview
This is an exciting opportunity to join an established Parent Infant Mental Health Service in HMR. As a highly specialist clinical psychologist/psychotherapist you will be integral to the development of the service, helping to shape the future of our service alongside an experienced and passionate team. You will be working with us to develop our inclusive practice, reaching out to diverse groups and vulnerable infants and their families, as well as shaping our work with our colleagues in perinatal mental health.
We warmly welcome applications from clinical psychologists and child psychotherapists who are dedicated to and passionate about PIMH, enjoy building relationships with others, and share our values of compassion and kindness. Please join us in working towards our ambition of becoming a gold standard PIMH service in Greater Manchester.
Main duties of the job
You will be based at Croft Shifa Health Centre working alongside other CAMH services as we work towards the NHS long term plan ambitions of a comprehensive service from birth to 19. You will receive line management supervision from the clinical lead. You will have the chance to further develop your skills in PIMH assessment, formulation and specialist intervention through a variety of training opportunities. You will provide an individualised formulation driven service to families in HMR from conception to age 2 as well as supporting the workforce through training, consultation and supervision regarding early years mental health from conception to reception.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- Delivery of Under 2’s clinical psychology/psychotherapy service provision within the parameters of child and adolescent mental health, in a multiagency context.
- To provide specialist psychological assessment for Under 2’s who may be experiencing severe, highly complex and persistent mental health difficulties and to make decisions about treatment options taking into account relevant evidence based research, theory, practice and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes.
- To formulate and implement plans for therapeutic intervention and management from the point of referral.
- To develop specialist provision for the parents of infants and young children using models of practice employed within other Under 2’s services.
- To provide specialist expertise in psychological principles and techniques through advice and consultation to other members of the PIMH service and colleagues within the network. Post-holder will be expected to hold and work their own caseload within the context of the PIMH service.
- To actively participate in PIMH weekly presentation, referral, CPD and business meetings.
- To attend and contribute as an independent clinician to multidisciplinary and multi-agency meetings as appropriate. To ensure appropriate liaison with professionals from external agencies.
- To participate in the audit and evaluation of clinical work and the service as a whole.
- To contribute to the development of best evidence based practice within the service.
- To exercise autonomous professional responsibility based on the Code of Professional and Ethics of the HCPC.
- To be involved in PIMH service development as required.
- To work closely with other members of the multidisciplinary team and communicate effectively regarding parents, infants and young children.
- To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of patients and manage a caseload in line with the Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics of the HCPC.
- To assist in the management of the PIMH caseload, as required.
- To produce reports on families, in a timely manner, that convey the key findings of assessment, formulation and treatment outcome in a way which does justice to the complexity of the problems described; which takes account of confidentiality; and in a way which is understandable to the recipients of the reports.
- To participate in regular line management supervision.
Person specification
Education
Essential
- Doctorate level training in clinical psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical, psychometrics, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the BPS or BPS Statement of Equivalence AND Eligibility for Chartered Clinical Psychology Status & HCPC registered.
Desirable
- Parent-Infant Psychotherapy Training
Knowledge
Essential
- Evidence of awareness of parental mental health in relation to infant/child mental health matters. Evidence of clinical supervision.
- Knowledge of legislation and national guidance in relation to the needs of infants and young children.
- Doctoral level (or equivalent) knowledge of child and adolescent clinical psychology, including highly developed knowledge of psychological theories and models of development, psychopathology, family and institutional dynamics.
- Working knowledge of professional systems involved in work with infant and young children, particularly in relation to the statutory framework around child protection
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with patient groups presenting high levels of complexity, including infants, young children and families.
- Experience in psychotherapy/psychological assessment and therapeutic work with infants and young children and their families/ parents/carers with a full range of presenting problems.
- Experience of consulting with other professionals in Health, Education, Social Services and Local Authority.
- Experience of representing child clinical psychology within the context of multidisciplinary and multi-agency treatment and care.
Desirable
- Experience of working in CAMHS and/or with infants and young children, prior to training as a Clinical psychologist
- Experience of Audit
- Experience of research
- Experience and knowledge of the developmental issues of under 2’s
- Experience of work or contact with adult mental health services.
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Skills in the use of psychoanalytical methods of assessment, intervention and management in work with infants, and young children and families.
- Skills in co-working, liaison and consultation with others, especially with regard to highly complex families.
- Evidence of a capacity to work collaboratively and flexibly in a multi-disciplinary team context.
- High level of skill in assessing risk in the context of parent infant mental health and with young children.
- Ability to work with people from different backgrounds, cultures and ethnicity from one’s own.
- Demonstrate sensitivity in all contact with disadvantaged groups.
- High level of ability to communicate effectively (both written and verbal) complex, technical and clinically sensitive information to children, parents and carers and a wide range of professionals
- Ability to cope with stressful interpersonal situations, including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse and communicate in situations in which there may be barriers to the acceptance of communications.
- Good organisational skills.
- Evidence of continuing professional development as required by HCPC
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Clinical Psychologist/Child Psychotherapist with Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust in Ashton Under Lyne, North West, England. It is listed as a Band 8 Psychologist role. The advertised salary is £57,528 - £64,750 Per annum, pro rata. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 08 Jul 2026.
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