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Principal Clinical Psychologist
The closing date is 14 July 2025
PRINCIPAL CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST Forensic Community Service (FCS), Guild Park, Preston Specialist Network Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust A4C BAND 8b Full-time (1.0 WTE) Permanent Post We would like to recruit a Clinical Psychologist with experience of all aspects of clinical/forensic settings. The post is permanent and will have its base in the Forensic Community Service (FCS) at Guild Park, just outside Preston. The post holder will work in the Mental Health Treatment Requirement (MHTR) team. The MHTR team is part of the Community Sentence Treatment Requirement (CSTR) programme, which is a partnership between the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), Department of Health and Social Care (DOSC), NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE/I), Public Health England (PHE) and His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). The CSTR programme is designed to assist new areas to develop pathways to enable and facilitate the use of Mental Health Treatment Requirements (MHTRs). It aims to increase the use of MHTRs with a view to reducing reoffending among vulnerable individuals (particularly those with mental health and substance misuse needs) through effective and coordinated health and social care treatment requirements and to offer an alternative to custodial sentences. As part of the CSTR programme, our team is tasked with the specific aim of delivering primary care MHTRs in Magistrates Courts.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be the Clinical Lead for the team. As the Clinical Lead, they will provide clinical oversight and supervision of a team of at least eight Mental Health Practitioners whose role is to provide psychological interventions for individuals referred through the court who have been identified as suitable to benefit from a therapeutic intervention as part of their community sentence. As this team is based on partnership working, an important part of the post holder's role will be to engage with and maintain relationships with relevant partner agencies. They will also need to oversee and evaluate the team's screening, assessment and formulation processes and model(s) of intervention (in accordance with the existing CSTR Programme Operating Framework). The Clinical Lead will also provide treatment for more complex cases. The role of Clinical Lead requires the ability to work with clients who present with the full range of clinical needs and risk behaviours, and the ability to engage with, and respond to, highly complex clinical, professional and ethical challenges, and demands on clinicians and services. There will be opportunities to use audit and evaluation, to inform and develop practice and service provision. As part of the wider Psychological Services Team, the post holder will be expected to develop expertise in all aspects of forensic/clinical practice across the different services within Guild Park.
About us
Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including secondary mental health care across this area. Specialist provision comprises inpatient child and adolescent mental health services, perinatal mental health and forensic services including low and medium secure care.The Trust also provides a range of physical health and well-being services in the community alongside a range of partners in the Lancashire, Cumbria and Sefton area.Lancashire & South Cumbria Foundation Trust encourages flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as; term time, part time, compressed hours, flexi-time and career breaks. We encourage applicants to state clearly on their application forms this re-quest and discuss these options at interview.For more information please visit our website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT
Job responsibilities
Please see attached the job description and person specification for more information about this role
Person Specification
Education
* Doctoral level training in clinical psychology or equivalent for those who trained prior to 1996, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the BPS.
* Pre-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.
Knowledge
* Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
* Knowledge of legislation, and its implications in relation to the client group and mental health.
* Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS by completion of CPD log demonstrating a minimum of 40 hours per year.
Experience
* Substantial experience of working as a qualified clinical psychologist.
* Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course 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 the threat of physical abuse.
* Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for client's psychological care and treatment both as a professionally qualified care co-ordinator and also within the context of multidisciplinary care plan.
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.
Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
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