Job overview
Principal Clinical or Counselling Psychologist/Psychological Practitioner – Acute Mental Health
Lakeside Mental Health Unit, Borough of Hounslow
1.0wte 37.5 hours
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Principal Psychologist/Psychological Practitioner to join the inpatient psychology team based at Lakeside Mental Health Unit.The role will be based in our MHCAS opened in December 2025 and on a male acute ward.
We are seeking a psychologist/psychological practitioner experienced in working with service users with acute mental health needs and in working with multi-disciplinary teams to develop a psychological, trauma informed approach to their practice. The role provides an opportunity to focus on team training, support, and supervision of the delivery of psychological skills by the MDT.
On the male acute ward, the postholder will provide a psychological lens to the formulation of service users’ needs and risk concerns, delivery of evidence based psychological interventions. Reflective practice, team formulation, consultation, and post incident support are an integral part of the service provided
Main duties of the job
The post holder will work closely with senior colleagues to ensure the delivery of a safe, effective, and evidence-based service. Along with responsibility for providing clinical supervision and line management to qualified psychologists and trainee clinical psychologists/students on placement
Working for our organisation
West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse healthcare providers in the UK, delivering a range of mental health and physical healthcare and community services. The Trust runs Broadmoor Hospital, one of three high secure hospitals in the country, with an international reputation.
Our high secure services care for patients from South of England and we provide low and medium secure services across eight London boroughs. The Trust also provides mental and physical healthcare in three London boroughs (Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham). We employ over 5,000 staff, of whom 59% are BME. Our turnover for 2024-25 is over £500m.
The Trust is rated as ‘Good’ overall by the Care Quality Commission. Forensic services are rated as ‘Outstanding’.
The Trust is an established partner and contributor in the development of the evolving North West London Integrated Care System and the Integrated Care Board. The Trust leads the NW London Children and Adolescent Mental Health provider collaborative
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached
The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. Doctoral level training in clinical or counselling psychology or its equivalent, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the BPS and/or an accredited psychological practitioner with at extensive experience working as a band 8a.
2. Professional registration with the Health and Care Professions Council and/or equivalent registering body.
3. Training in clinical supervision for doctoral, and equivalent, trainees
Desirable criteria
4. Evidence of post-doctoral training in psychological therapies relevant to severe and enduring mental health difficulties including for example DBT/ CBT-P/ Systemic Practice.
5. Training in the supervision of psychological therapies.
Experience
Essential criteria
6. Post qualification experience of working in mental health settings delivering specialist psychological assessment, formulation and interventions across a range of settings including community, primary care, inpatient, crisis services.
7. Experience of working with a wide range of client groups across the whole life course presenting with a range of psychological problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity.
8. Experience of providing clinical supervision to assistant/trainee or qualified psychologists, and/or other professionals.
9. Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts including working with interpreters.
10. Experience of delivering teaching and training.
11. Experience of facilitating reflective practice.
12. Experience of service development/change leadership.
Desirable criteria
13. Experience of working in acute mental health services (inpatient wards, HTT, crisis intervention services, psychiatric liaison).
14. Experience of having facilitated/co-facilitated psychological therapy groups
15. Post qualification experience and/or training in working with adults affected by psychological trauma.
16. Experience of line managing members of staff.
Knowledge & Skills
Essential criteria
17. Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, formulation, intervention and management requiring sustained and intense concentration.
18. Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to service users, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
19. Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
20. Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS.
21. Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific psychological problems (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnosis, autism spectrum disorder).
22. Knowledge and awareness of the trauma informed approach.
23. Able to provide and receive highly complex, highly sensitive or highly contentious information, where there are significant barriers to acceptance which need to be overcome using the highest level of interpersonal and communication skills such as would be required when communicating in a hostile, antagonistic or highly emotive atmosphere
24. Able to make judgements involving highly complex facts or situations, which require the evaluation of a range of options (e.g. the assessment of specialist clinical conditions and the
25. determination of treatment options), Where expert opinions may differ.
26. Able to plan, prioritise and organise own service user caseload, treatment programmes (individual or group) involving other staff, and other aspects of the work such as research activity.
27. Comprehensive IT skills
28. Skills in administering psychological tests and standardised assessments.
Desirable criteria
29. Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, e.g. complex psychometric testing and specialist neuropsychological testing
30. Knowledge of Culture of Care
31. Knowledge of quality improvement methodology.
32. Knowledge of the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act.
Other Requirements
Essential criteria
33. Able to sit for extended periods of time while demonstrating active listening skills.
34. Ability to maintain a high degree of professionalism in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour including verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
35. Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations including working with people affected by trauma, with people who engage in self-harming or aggressive behaviour.
36. Ability to work independently and under pressure. Adaptable and able to work flexibly to respond to the service needs/priorities.