CNWL (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust) has almost 8,000 staff providing integrated health care to a third of London’s population, Milton Keynes and surrounding areas. We involve service users, carers, the public, staff and partner organisations in the way we are run.
Our catchment area spans diverse communities, with over 100 first languages spoken. It contains areas of great affluence as well as much deprivation. We are committed to delivering services that meet the needs of the people we serve, actively encouraging involvement from local people to make a difference. We are proud of our diversity and continually advance equality for LGBT+, BME and people with disabilities, promoting good relations and understanding among staff.
We are recognised locally, nationally and internationally for providing high‑quality, innovative healthcare. We aim to employ only the best people; our experts are frequently called upon to contribute to national health strategy and policy, and many of our care models are used overseas.
Job overview
We want residents of Hillingdon to experience a fully integrated and coordinated mental health system that focuses on individuals’ strengths and supports their overall health and wellbeing.
This clinical, operational and strategic role has a strong emphasis on continuous improvement and transformation of service design across the Adult Mental Health system in Hillingdon.
The post holder will lead, coordinate and actively contribute to the delivery of high‑quality support and services for adults experiencing mental health difficulties within the borough, ensuring the right care at the right time to help people thrive, contribute to their communities and live healthy, fulfilling lives.
We seek an exceptional leader who will inspire and empower teams, fostering a culture of collaboration, inclusivity and professional growth to meet the diverse needs of Hillingdon residents.
Main duties of the job
Provide strategic and professional leadership for psychological services across the Hillingdon Community Mental Health Hubs (CMHHs).
Ensure delivery of high‑quality, evidence‑based psychological care aligned with NICE guidelines and Trust standards.
Lead service transformation, design and evaluation of psychological interventions to improve outcomes for adults with complex needs.
Oversee clinical governance, risk management and continuous quality improvement through audit, research and outcome measurement.
Provide professional supervision, leadership and development for psychologists and psychological therapists.
Support workforce planning, recruitment, appraisal and wellbeing initiatives to build a skilled, resilient psychology workforce.
Promote a whole‑system approach to care, ensuring coordinated support for individuals accessing multiple services.
Collaborate with other professional leads (e.g., Psychotherapy, Arts Therapies, Occupational Therapy) to deliver integrated, person‑centred care.
Build strong partnerships with multidisciplinary teams, primary care, voluntary sector and service users to enhance community mental health provision.
Contribute psychological expertise to senior management discussions and strategic decision‑making within the borough leadership team.
Champion research, innovation and translation of evidence into practice to improve service quality and outcomes.
Working for our organisation
Hillingdon is an outer London area with a mixed, diverse population, including some of the wealthiest and most deprived neighbourhoods. There is high mental health morbidity and local commissioners are committed to high spending in mental health services.
* Riverside Hospital – 4 inpatient wards, one adult PICU, 2 adult acute wards and one Older Adult ward.
* Community Mental Health Hubs, Health Psychology, Talking Therapies.
* Psychology and Psychotherapy Services, including embedded Clinical Psychologists in CMHHs and inpatient units, Arts Psychotherapy and other specialist family and individual psychotherapies.
* Early Intervention Service.
* Learning Disability.
* Home Treatment Team (HTT).
* Liaison Psychiatry.
* Memory Service.
The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination, the best way to protect you, your colleagues and patients in our healthcare settings.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Provide a highly specialist integrated psychology service to people using Hillingdon Adult Mental Health Services, utilising a range of interventions based on sound theoretical principles and research evidence.
Use, interpret and integrate complex data from a variety of sources – psychological tests, self‑report measures, rating scales, structured observations and semi‑structured interviews with clients and others involved in their care for the appropriate use and interpretation.
Act as the lead psychologist for the North Community Mental Health Hub, offering leadership and expert advice to the MDT and taking responsibility for psychological therapy referrals within the North Hub. Serve as a senior member of the North team.
Take the lead in effective service working, ensuring a psychologically informed framework that is culturally competent, anti‑discriminatory and challenges health & social inequalities.
Lead and develop the borough Adult Mental Health Complex Emotional Needs (CEN) Pathway.
Be expert in the administration of psychometric tests, including skilled manipulation of test materials, and supervise others in administration.
Provide expert psychological reports, including formulation, opinion and interventions, to inform referrers and, where appropriate, service users.
Respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing and challenging situations, supporting others involved.
Person specification
Qualifications
* Entry‑level qualification in Clinical or Counselling Psychology (professional Doctorate, or MSc plus PG Diploma level training) accepted by the HCPC for professional registration.
* Additional training beyond entry‑level qualification in more than one specialised area of psychological practice relevant to local services through formal post‑qualification training such as CBT, DBT, MBT, SFT, Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy or similar, or a combination of specialist short courses and an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice, assessed by a BPS National Assessor and experienced clinical supervisor to an equivalent Postgraduate Diploma level.
* Completed training course in clinical supervision.
* Registered with the HCPC as a Practitioner Psychologist, with evidence of continuing professional development as required.
* Post‑qualification or accreditation in a specialist area of psychological practice.
* Qualification in supervision.
* Qualification in research.
* Other relevant professional qualification.
Experience
* Established experience of leading/managing a psychological therapy service at Consultant level or equivalent.
* Experience in leading change and transformation programmes in mental health services.
* Experience of undertaking leadership roles.
* Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for the psychological care of clients with complex needs, acting as a senior clinician across a service.
* Experience leading client‑facing clinical services that are anti‑discriminatory, accessible and acceptable to diverse socio‑economic groups.
* Experience of professional and clinical management of qualified and pre‑qualified applied psychologists.
* Experience providing teaching and training to psychologists or other professional groups.
* Evidence of contribution to promoting equality and diversity across the service.
* Post‑qualification experience supporting work with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities.
* Experience carrying out post‑doctoral research, audit or service evaluation projects.
* Experience proposing and implementing QI and service development projects that impact beyond own service area.
* Experience representing the profession in local directorate/divisional fora.
* Experience as a lead for psychology in a directorate or division.
* Record of publications in peer‑reviewed, academic or professional journals/books.
Knowledge
* Knowledge of the theory and practice of management and leadership.
* Advanced theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for relevant treatments.
* Advanced knowledge of psychological assessment and clinical psychometrics.
* Advanced knowledge of legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to the client group, mental health issues and child protection.
* Knowledge of factors affecting health inequalities, acceptability and accessibility of mental health care.
* Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the HCPC.
* Evidence of continuing training in a specialised area of psychological practice through formal post‑doctoral training (diploma or equivalent), or a combination of specialist short courses, or an evidence portfolio of supervised practice, assessed by an experienced clinical supervisor to an equivalent postgraduate diploma level.
Skills and Abilities
* Deliver psychological therapy across cultural and other differences.
* Skill in negotiating with management on strategic policies.
* Ability to hold a leadership role within a multi‑disciplinary service.
* Skill in using complex methods of psychological assessment and intervention in a specialist area.
* Skill in providing teaching and training to other professional groups.
* Advanced practitioner skills in at least one model of psychological therapy.
* Highly developed verbal and written communication skills, including communicating complex, highly technical and sensitive information to clients, families and colleagues.
* Highly developed consultation skills to work with the multi‑professional team or other professional groups.
* Demonstrated ability in leadership and management skills.
* Ability to work as an autonomous practitioner with appropriate level of clinical and managerial supervision.
* Ability to lead in developing, identifying and employing mechanisms of clinical governance for the support and maintenance of clinical practice.
Due to the high response levels we receive for some vacancies, we may expire any of them prior to the advertised closing date and advise you to submit your application as soon as possible.
Applications from job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. Before submitting your application, please check that you are eligible under the UKVI points‑based system.
Our Agenda for Change employment contracts are subject to a contractual 13‑week probationary period.
If you are offered a job, information will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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.
Dr Christopher Whiteley
Trust Chief Psychologist
Email: christopher.whiteley@nhs.net
Kingsley Akuffo
Borough Director
Email: kingsley.akuffo@nhs.net
07925 371966
Sue Cockett
Lead Clinical Psychologist for Adult Mental Health
Email: suecockett@nhs.net
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