Principal Clinical/Counselling Psychologist or Psychological Therapist

Job summary

We are excited to offer an excellent opportunity to join our inpatient services within the Eastern Locality, comprised of two acute wards and a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).

This is a particularly exciting time to join the service as we are beginning to see meaningful outcomes from our ongoing inpatient quality improvement initiatives. We are looking for a motivated and compassionate clinician who is passionate about being a member of the ward's multi-disciplinary team in order to deliver high-quality, trauma-informed care within inpatient settings.

This role has a strong emphasis on providing clinical leadership within multidisciplinary teams, contributing to the development and delivery of a therapeutic ward environment. You will play a key role in:

• Enhancing access to psychologically informed interventions for service users
• Delivering comprehensive psychological assessments, formulations, and brief interventions
• Supporting the embedding of trauma-informed principles across the service
• Contributing to the ongoing development of the therapeutic offer within inpatient care

You will also provide supervision and support to Assistant Psychologists and Clinical Associate Psychologists (CAPs), and have opportunities to contribute to training, service development, and innovation.

For the right candidate, we would consider a developmental post to support career development

Main duties of the job

• Assessment and formulation of service users currently admitted to inpatient services
• Delivering brief 1:1 interventions and groups
• Supporting psychologically informed interventions through multi-disciplinary working
• Having oversight of ward therapeutic offer and coordination of psychological contribution to this offer
• Senior member of the ward's multi-disciplinary team
• Facilitating reflective practice
• Contribution to post-event support services for the directorate

About us

About Devon Partnership Trust

We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.

We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess & demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. These include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.

Details

• Date posted: 02 June 2026
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 8a
• Salary: £57,528 to £64,750 a year
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Full-time, Flexible working
• Reference number: C9369-26-0414
• Job locations: Wonford House, Dryden Road, Exeter, Devon, EX2 5AF, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

The principal purpose of the job is to improve the psychological health & wellbeing of people within the post holders specialist field of practice. To support the overall ward teams and their leadership to deliver high quality services in line with national professional guidance, NICE recommendations and other national policy documents, as part of an overall acute care pathway.

This will be achieved in this post through undertaking the following areas of responsibility:

1. Contributing a psychological perspective to the leadership, organisation and operation of Adult in-patient services

2. To ensure the systematic provision of a high quality psychological service in specialist field of practice in in-patient wards, as a key component of integrated mental health and wellbeing services across Devon Partnership NHS Trust. This will include the provision of supervision to the MDT ward teams, psychological formulation of patients, and direct and indirect psychology and psychological therapy clinical input to the Adult In-patient Services.

3. Providing clinical leadership and supervision for less experienced staff, trainees and volunteers employed by or attached to the psychology service.

4. Carrying a specialist caseload of clients, and providing advice and consultancy to patients and professionals.

5. To work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of psychological practice within professional and Trust guidelines as lead specialist.

6. The post holder with receive regular professional and clinical supervision in accordance to Trust policy and to Professional Practice Guidelines set out by the British Psychological Society or appropriate designated Professional Body.

7. Observe, and abide by all relevant Professional Codes of Conduct and Practice including the British Psychological Society. The post holder will be fully registered with the Health Professions Council as a condition of employment