Principal Clinical Psychologist

Job overview

The Principal Clinical Psychologist will ensure the systematic provision of a high‑quality, specialist clinical psychology service to clients, families and carers across all sectors of care. This includes providing specialist psychological assessment and therapy, and offering expert advice and consultation on clients’ psychological care to non‑psychologist colleagues and other professionals.

The post holder will supervise and support the psychological assessment and therapeutic work undertaken by other psychologists and clinical team members. They will work autonomously within professional guidelines and hold responsibility for the systematic governance of psychological practice within the service.

The role also includes providing staff training and development, utilising research skills for audit, policy and service development, and contributing to the overall management of the service. The post holder will work as part of multidisciplinary teams with close links to a range of agencies.

Main duties of the job

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain registration with the Health Professions Council as a Clinical Psychologist.
• Participate in CPD and training to ensure the highest professional standards of practice.
• Promote best practice in psychology through reflective, evidence‑based clinical work.
• Maintain high standards of clinical record keeping, including electronic records and reporting.
• Uphold current knowledge of legislation, national guidance and local policies relevant to mental health and the client group.

Management Responsibilities

• Contribute to the development of a high‑quality, responsive and accessible service.
• Manage psychological resources including staff and materials.
• Oversee the governance of psychological practice within the service.
• Participate in recruitment processes for psychology staff.
• Provide day‑to‑day management for psychological therapy staff within the service.

Leadership

• Provide clinical placements for trainee psychologists and ensure appropriate training and competency development.
• Deliver CPD, supervision and professional training to qualified and newly qualified psychologists.
• Provide consultation, training and supervision to multidisciplinary colleagues providing psychologically‑based interventions.
• Contribute to pre‑ and post‑qualification psychology teaching

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Professional / Governance

• Maintain clinical psychology registration and adhere to professional and NHS codes of conduct.
• Ensure accurate, timely and professional clinical documentation.
• Comply with relevant Trust policies including confidentiality, risk management, infection control, safeguarding, health & safety, equality and diversity, sustainability and no‑smoking policy.

Clinical

• Provide advanced specialist assessments and interventions for older adults in the CMHT and Memory Service.
• Offer psychological perspectives and formulations to support multidisciplinary understanding and care planning.
• Manage a caseload with autonomous responsibility for assessment, treatment and discharge.
• Provide expert consultation on risk, safeguarding, diagnosis and formulation.

Leadership & Management

• Support strategic and operational service development.
• Be responsible for governance of psychological practice and resources.
• Lead recruitment activities for psychology roles.
• Manage psychology therapy staff within the service.
• Provide leadership across multidisciplinary teams and external partners.

Training, Teaching & Supervision

• Provide placements and supervision for trainee psychologists.
• Deliver training, consultation and supervision to multidisciplinary staff.
• Contribute to internal and external teaching programmes.

Research, Evaluation & Service Development

• Lead and participate in service audits, evaluations and quality improvement projects.
• Use research skills to support evidence‑based practice.
• Support and advise staff undertaking research activities.

General Responsibilities

• Participate in appraisal, CPD and mandatory training.
• Demonstrate Oxleas’ organisational values (“We’re Kind, We’re Fair, We Listen, We Care”).
• Provide high‑quality customer care and maintain professionalism.