Job overview
We are excited to invite applications for the role of Senior Clinical/Counselling Psychologist or Senior Psychological Therapist to join our dynamic and innovative team at Salford Living Well. As a community mental health service delivered in partnership with GMMH, Mind in Salford, Six Degrees, Wellbeing Matters, and START, we emphasise collaboration with service users and local communities.
We are seeking an experienced psychologist or therapist with previous experience of working with moderate to severe mental health challenges within a multidisciplinary team environment.
The successful candidate will collaborate with a diverse range of psychological practitioners, including a principal clinical psychologist, psychodynamic therapists, a trainee CAT therapist, CERN practitioner and mental health wellbeing practitioners (MHWPs). Our broader team includes professionals from various backgrounds such as recovery workers, peer support workers (experts by experience), occupational therapists, social workers, nurses, pharmacists, doctors, and psychiatrists. Together, we aim to provide holistic support with a strong focus on both psychological and social wellbeing.
At Salford Living Well, co-production and trauma-informed practices are at the core of everything we do.
Main duties of the job
Main duties
This role offers a dynamic and rewarding experience, encompassing a variety of responsibilities including clinical work, staff support and supervision, training, and service development. The post holder will play a crucial role in ensuring Salford Living Well fosters a psychologically healthy environment for both service users and staff.
Clinical duties will involve conducting psychological assessments, developing formulations, and delivering psychological interventions. Additionally, the post holder will supervise members of the psychology team, provide support to the broader team, and play an active role in shaping our psychological services.
The emphasis on continuous innovation makes Living Well an attractive and exciting service to be a part of, rich with opportunity to contribute to service development.
Working for our organisation
Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) Foundation Trust employs over 6,400 members of staff, who deliver services from more than 160 locations.
We provide inpatient and community-based mental health care for people living in Bolton, the city of Manchester, Salford, Trafford and the borough of Wigan, and a wide range of specialist mental health and substance misuse services across Greater Manchester, the north west of England and beyond.
Greater Manchester is one of the world's most innovative, original and exciting places to live and work. From the beauty of the surrounding countryside to the heart of the vibrant inner city with great shopping, entertainment and dining options.
Wherever you go you will experience a great northern welcome with people famed for their warmth, humour and generosity.
Our people enjoy their work, have opportunities to learn and develop their skills and are encouraged to generate new ideas that improve care for our service users.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see attached job description and person specification
Employee benefits
1. 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays rising to 29 after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years
2. Excellent pension
3. Cycle to work scheme
4. Salary sacrifice car scheme
5. Wellbeing programme
6. fuelGenie Fuel Cards (for applicable roles)
Person specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential criteria
7. Doctoral level (or equivalent) qualification in Clinical Psychology Or Equivalent core professional qualification in another health profession and demonstrable evidence of continuing professional development and post qualification training in psychological therapy, with a minimum of a PG dip in Cognitive Therapy from a certified course. Eligible to register with the HCPC, or in the case of psychological therapist’s, current accreditation with the BABCP, and appropriate professional body.
8. Completion of supervisors training or eligible and plan to complete once in post completion of relevant modules of Accredited Doctoral Clinical Psychology Course: Introduction to Supervision Courses (approx. 30 hours) and/or successful supported supervision of 1 or more trainees/students
9. Current registration with the HCPC, or in the case of psychological therapists, current accreditation with the BABCP/appropriate professional body.
Desirable criteria
10. Additional postgraduate advanced training in one or more relevant therapy approaches Cognitive Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Solution Focussed Therapy, Cognitive Analytical Therapy.
11. Qualification in leadership or management.
Experience
Essential criteria
12. Demonstrative experience of working as a qualified applied psychologist / psychological therapist with adults with severe and potentially enduring mental health problems and specifically people with distressing psychosis and people with complex relational and emotional needs ( people who are frequently given a diagnosis of personality disorder/s).
13. Demonstrative post-qualification experience of working with people with complex health problems, including problems associated with complex emotional and relational needs, psychosis, severe depression, anxiety, co-morbid substance misuse, and complex trauma.
14. Demonstrative experience of applying psychological theory to clinical practice in relation to NICE supported therapeutic modalities CBT, CAT, EMDR
15. Demonstrable experience of working within and contributing to multi-disciplinary settings/teams and or Integrated Multi agency Teams
16. Demonstrable experience of working within and contributing to multi-disciplinary settings/teams.
17. Demonstrable experience of working with people experiencing a suicidal crisis.
18. Demonstrable experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for client’s psychological care.
19. Experience of contributing to the supervision of psychology trainee(s) and/or more junior psychology staff and other core health professionals
20. Demonstrable experience of providing teaching/training, and consultancy to other health professionals.
Desirable criteria
21. Experience of working within secondary care mental health services.
22. Experience of working within a multi-cultural and diverse framework
23. Demonstrable experience of the application of psychological therapy in diverse cultural and ethnic contexts, especially with the use of interpreters.
24. Research experience within an area relevant to work within an adult mental health service.
25. Demonstrate further specialist clinical experience and training
26. Experience of being in a leadership role.
Knowledge
Essential criteria
27. Understanding of a trauma informed approach to distress and the value and purpose of therapeutic relationships as a tool for intervention
28. Up to date knowledge of the needs of adults with complex and potentially enduring mental health problems, such as complex relational needs; complex trauma, psychosis.
29. Current best practice with regards to Risk Assessment & Management
30. Familiarity with computing technology, including keyboard skills, and use of word-processing, e-mail, and internet software
Desirable criteria
31. Understanding of the national and regional legislation, guidance and policy directives in relation to the development and delivery of psychological therapies within community services.
32. Evidence of post-qualification CPD: completion of courses in CAT, EMDR, CBT, psychodynamic or equivalent therapies for complex cases
33. Experience of the application of psychological theories within different cultural contexts
Skills and Abilities
Essential criteria
34. Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration
35. Well developed, effective communication skills, both orally and in writing, enabling complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to be shared with clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues within the NHS and other agencies.
36. Ability to cope in, and deal with highly distressing emotional circumstances
37. Ability to reflect and use clinical supervision appropriately
38. High level ability to provide and promote appropriate support to staff
39. Ability to plan and prioritise own workload with a willingness to be flexible in managing own time to respond to service needs
40. Ability to work with service users, carers and families to engage with their needs and provide them with appropriate psychological support and intervention.
41. Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups
42. Ability to work at a high level of professional autonomy and responsibility, in a collaborative multi-disciplinary environment and also as a lone worker in circumstances here there may be exposure to verbal and sometimes physical aggression
Desirable criteria
43. Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials, suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings
44. Ability to demonstrate an area of special interest/skill in therapeutic intervention
45. Experience of service development projects, both planning and implementation
Other Requirements
Essential criteria
46. Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings
47. Ability to identify, and employ as appropriate, clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour
48. Ability to travel to a range of locations in a timely and efficient manner.
Desirable criteria
49. There is a frequent requirement to travel mainly within the Salford area and an occasional requirement to travel across the wider footprint of the Trust to attend meetings and events relevant to the role. Therefore car driver required (except where a supported driver arrangement can be provided under the Disability Discrimination Act)
50. Ability to work towards goals agreed at Individual Appraisal
51. Ability to work to professional guidelines
52. Able to work in UK
The Trust mandates all post holders who require a DBS for their role to subscribe to the DBS Update Service. You will be required to enrol for this service for a fee of £16 per year and maintain registration throughout your employment with GMMH.
Applicants are encouraged to apply for posts at Greater Manchester Mental Health who have direct experience of mental health, learning disability or drug and alcohol services either as a service user or a carer.
The Trust is also committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
We are aspiring to ensure our workforce is representative of the diverse communities that we serve, and we are strongly committed to removing barriers to employment for candidates from under-represented groups, for example BAME, Disabled and LGBT+ communities. If you would like to have an informal chat about the recruitment process for this role or would value some additional support, we’d love to hear from you.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when writing job applications
A candidate may utilise the help of AI when writing job application. The assessment of an application is made on its entirety and most times AI-generated content does not fully grasp the context and requirements of the job one applies for thus producing inaccurate and misleading information, especially in the supporting statement section of an application that can lack real life examples of one’s achievements, success and challenges.
We have added a disclaimer to our application process advising that the use of AI is monitored. GMMH reserves the right to follow up with a candidate at the interview on specific responses and those examples used in the supporting statement to explore it further.
Sponsorship
We are proud to be an approved sponsor for the Skilled Worker visa. Applications from individuals who require sponsorship will be considered alongside all other applications. Please be aware that not all roles are eligible for sponsorship. You can review the list of eligible roles and salary requirements on the UK Government’s website – click .
If you are offered a role with us and you require sponsorship, we will check your eligibility in line with the information on the above website. Your offer of employment could be withdrawn if the role is not eligible for sponsorship, and you are not otherwise able to evidence your right to work in the UK.
The Home Office introduces new changes from 22/07/2025 that impact the health and care sector, you may wish to familiarise with it.
Do you have experience outside the NHS?
We want to attract and retain people with diverse skills and experience, to deliver inclusive healthcare services to our communities.
We will consider relevant experience outside the NHS to calculate your salary on appointment.