(Part-Time) Principal Psychologist | Learning Disability Team
Are you a highly skilled Principal Psychologist ready to make a significant impact? Or an experienced Senior Psychologist looking to step into a Principal role?
We welcome applications from psychologists across a range of clinical specialities – including mental health, neurodevelopmental services, forensic, and health psychology – who are motivated to develop their expertise in working with adults with learning disabilities.
We are seeking a clinician to join our dynamic Community Learning Disability Team. In this part‑time role (22.5 hours per week), you will deliver a blend of direct therapeutic work and indirect consultation, supporting individuals and their networks across North and West Oxfordshire.
This role is ideal for those seeking a portfolio career or looking to combine NHS work with other professional interests.
We are open to appointing at Band 8a with a structured preceptorship to Band 8b for the right candidate. You will be supported through a clear development pathway including enhanced supervision, leadership development and defined progression milestones.
If you are new to learning disabilities, we offer structured support to help you build specialist knowledge and confidence in this area.
Our team is research active, offering opportunities to contribute to clinical trials and service innovation that influence practice locally and nationally.
Main duties of the job
* Clinical Expertise: Deliver specialist psychological assessment, formulation, and intervention for adults with learning disabilities, using a range of evidence‑based models tailored to individual needs.
* Consultation & Risk Management: Lead risk formulation and management planning through consultation with the multidisciplinary team and external services, providing specialist guidance to support safe, coordinated, and effective care.
* Psycho‑Education & Training: Deliver training and support colleagues to work in a formulation‑driven, evidence‑based way, strengthening professional practice, managing risk, and improving long‑term outcomes for service users.
* Embedding Psychological Thinking: Promote and embed psychological thinking across the multidisciplinary team, helping to develop a reflective, compassionate, and evidence‑informed culture of care.
* Leadership & Career Development: Take on meaningful leadership responsibilities with support to develop leadership capability, offering clear opportunities to progress into more senior clinical or operational roles within Oxford Health.
* Research & Innovation: Contribute to a research‑active department by supporting the design and delivery of clinical research and trials focused on interventions for people with learning disabilities.
Benefits
* Excellent opportunities for career progression
* Individual and Trust wide learning and development
* 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous service
* NHS Discount
* Lease car scheme
* Employee Assistance Programme
* Mental Health First Aiders
* Staff accommodation (waiting lists may apply)
* Staff networking and support groups
Person Specification
qulifications
* Extensive experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of people with learning disabilities across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, day services
* Substantial experience of conducting clinical and management supervision.
* Substantial experience of working with a wide variety of patient groups presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and threat of physical abuse.
* Experience of teaching and training.
* Experience of practice in highly integrated MDT settings
* Experience of the application of psychological therapies practice in different cultural contexts
Knowledge
* Highly developed theoretical and practical knowledge of the field of clinical psychology, consistent with doctoral level professional training and further post qualification study, training, and supervised experience during a substantive period as a qualified psychologist.
* Experience of working with people with learning disabilities in developing, designing and delivering services and/or of reflecting on their own lived experience of mental health difficulties.
Experience
* Assessed experience of specialist and highly specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings.
* Experience of risk assessment, risk communication and risk management.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
£57,528 to £77,368 a year (pro rata)
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