Consultant Clinical Psychologist

Job overview

To provide strategic, professional, and operational leadership for Clinical Psychology services across UHDB, ensuring the delivery of safe, effective, evidence-based, and high-quality psychological care. The post holder has overall responsibility for the governance, development, workforce planning, quality assurance, and continuous improvement of psychology services, ensuring alignment with Trust priorities, national policy, professional standards, and service user needs.

The role provides expert clinical leadership across a range of specialist services, maintaining responsibility for highly complex clinical work while ensuring robust systems are in place for professional supervision, clinical governance, workforce development, research, audit, and service evaluation. The post holder acts as the professional lead for Clinical Psychology, representing the profession at Trust, regional and national levels and contributing to strategic planning and service transformation across health and care systems.

Closing date of applications - 22 October 2026

Interview date - 13 November 2026

Main duties of the job

The Head of Clinical Psychology is the most senior psychology professional within UHDB and holds Trust-wide responsibility for the professional leadership, governance, strategic development, and operational oversight of Clinical Psychology services. The post holder is accountable for maintaining high standards of clinical practice, workforce development, quality assurance, research, audit, and service improvement across a diverse range of specialist services.

The role provides direct leadership and management of five specialist psychology services: Paediatric Psychology, the Autism Team, Youth Justice Psychology, the Complex Behaviour Service, and the Positive Behaviour Service. Collectively, these services support children, young people, families, and vulnerable populations presenting with highly complex psychological, behavioural, developmental, neurodevelopmental, and emotional needs across acute, community, education, social care, and criminal justice settings.

Responsibilities include workforce planning, recruitment, professional supervision, appraisal systems, professional governance, succession planning, and ensuring compliance with regulatory, professional, and organisational standards across all psychology services.

As Clinical Advisor for SEND, the post holder works across organisational and professional boundaries, influencing service development at Trust, Place, and Integrated Care System level.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see attached Job description and Person Specification. To apply please click APPLY FOR THIS JOB – this link will take you to the TRAC Recruitment Site. You will need to register if you do not already have an account.

UHDB is committed to fair and transparent recruitment. We welcome authentic applications that reflect your own skills, experience and motivations for the role. While we understand that candidates may use AI tools for grammar, formatting or accessibility purposes, applications that appear to be substantially AI‑generated may be subject to additional review. If this applies to your submission, we will let you know and may ask for clarification. Please ensure your application accurately represents your experience and is written in your own words.

Following the recent update on UK immigration policy for those on a Health and Care Visa or Skilled Worker Visa, please click on the link to check your eligibility before applying for this post as we may be unable to provide sponsorship Skilled worker: Health and Care Visa | NHS Employers

Important visa information: Due to UK Home Office immigration rule changes effective from 22 July 2025, applicants sponsored under Occupation Code 6131 (Nursing Auxiliaries and Assistants) may not be eligible to bring dependants under the Skilled Worker route if their Certificate of Sponsorship is issued on or after this date. Applicants are responsible for understanding how these rules apply to their individual circumstances. The Trust cannot provide immigration advice. Further information is available on the Skilled Worker visa: Your partner and children - GOV.UK

Your application (for shortlisting purposes) is assessed based on the Person Specification in the job advert (below).

Skilled worker: Health and Care Visa

Read about the Health and Care Visa for employing overseas nationals (excluding Irish citizens) under the points-based immigration system.

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.