Job overview
We are looking for a Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist to join our busy CAMHS team to cover maternity leave for 12 months. The post will sit within our well established core CAMHS pathways.
Job Summary
• To provide a qualified specialist CAMHS clinical psychology service to clients of the service, providing specialist psychological assessment and therapy including Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapies and psycho-dynamically informed psychotherapies.
• To work autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the team’s policies and procedures.
• To utilise research skills for audit, policy and service development and research within the area served by the CAMHS Service
• To take the lead in the development of new areas of service delivery.
• To provide supervision to qualified and pre-qualified staff.
• To offer expert consultation to partner agencies and other professionals within the multi-disciplinary team.
Main duties of the job
• To provide specialist psychological assessments of clients referred to the team.
• To formulate and implements plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a client’s mental health problems.
• To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups within and across teams.
• To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account both therapeutic and theoretical models and highly complex factors
• To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based care plans.
• To provide specialist psychologically informed advice, guidance, supervision and consultation to other professionals.
• To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service
• To undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and to provide advice to other professionals and team members on risk assessment and risk management
• To act as care co-ordinator, where appropriate, taking responsibility for initiating care plans under enhanced CPA including clients, their carers’, referring agents and others involved in the network of care.
• To offer specialist therapy in a range of therapeutic modalities.
Working for our organisation
We are proud to provide high quality mental health and learning disability services, both inpatient and in the community across five boroughs of Greater Manchester - Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport and Tameside and Glossop.
Our vision is for a happier and more hopeful life for everyone in our communities and our staff work hard to deliver the very best care for the people who use our services. We’re really proud of our #PennineCarePeople and do everything we can to make sure we’re a great place to work.
All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership are encouraged to apply for this post. We would also encourage applications from individuals with a lived experience of mental illness, either individually or as a carer.
If you come and work for us we will offer a range of benefits and opportunities, including:
* Generous annual leave entitlement for Agenda for Change and Medical and Dental staff.
* Flexible working opportunities to support your work/life balance
* Access to Continued Professional Development
* Involvement in improvement and research activities
* Health and Wellbeing activities and access to an excellent staff wellbeing service
* Access to staff discounts across retail, leisure and travel
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
please see detailed job description and person specification. please note this role is for maternity cover for 12 months.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
* •Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
* •Registration with BPS
Desirable criteria
* •Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice.
* •Specialist training in therapeutic work with children, young people and families.
Experience
Essential criteria
* •Assessed experience of working as a qualified clinical psychologist (with demonstrable experience at a specialist level).
* •Experience of working with children and young people presenting with the full range of clinical severity across a wide range of care settings 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 working with families and carers.
* •Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients’ psychological care and treatment, both as a professionally qualified care coordinator and also within the context of a MDT care plan
* Experience of teaching, training and / or professional and clinical supervision.
Desirable criteria
* •Experience of representing psychology within the context of multi-disciplinary care.
* •Experience of assessing and treating clients across the full range of care settings.
* •Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts.
Knowledge
Essential criteria
* Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis as practiced within the field of clinical psychology.
* Knowledge of legislation in relation to children and young people and mental health.
* Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS.
* Formal training in supervision of other psychologists.
Desirable criteria
* Well-developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies for children and young people
* Knowledge of the theory and practice of highly specialised psychological therapies and assessment methodologies.
* Experience of working within a multicultural framework
Skills
Essential criteria
* Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, including psychometric testing, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration
* Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, highly technical, and clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
* Skills in providing consultation to other professional and nonprofessional groups.
* Ability to identify, provide and promote appropriate means of support to carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations
* 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
* Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic settings.
* Ability to work flexibly including some evenings and occasional weekends
work related circumstance
Essential criteria
* Use of a car or access to a means of mobility to travel across the Trust footprint in line with service needs
* Willing to carry out all duties and responsibilities of the post in accordance with the Trust’s Equal Opportunities and Equality and Diversity policies
* Appointments to regulated and controlled activities require an enhanced DBS disclosure.
📝 Application support - We recommend tailoring your application to each role you apply for, particularly your supporting information. This gives you the best chance of success. Your supporting information should clearly explain, with examples, how your skills and experience meet the essential and desirable criteria for the role.
We understand that some candidates may use AI tools to help prepare their application. This is not restricted, however, any AI support should only be used to enhance your own writing and must reflect your genuine skills and experience. You will be asked to talk about your application at interview. Applications that contain false or misleading information may be removed from the recruitment process.
We also offer virtual application support sessions each month, where you will learn some hints and tips to support you in completing your application form. To secure your place, and to find out more visit the on our website.
🌍 Sponsorship Information - We are an approved sponsoring organisation. Applications will be considered from applicants requiring sponsorship alongside all other applications. Please be aware, not all roles are eligible for sponsorship. You can review the list of eligible role and requirements on the
📬 After You Apply - Once your application is submitted, you’ll receive updates via email. Shortlisting is based on how well you meet the criteria outlined in the person specification. Only shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview, and invitations will be sent by email.
✅ If You're Offered the Role - If successful, the hiring manager will contact you directly with a verbal offer. They will then notify the Recruitment Team and submit the necessary paperwork. You’ll receive a formal conditional offer via email
🔍 Pre-Employment Checks - To confirm your suitability for the role, we will carry out pre-employment checks in line with. These include:
* Identity verification
* Right to work check
* Disclosure and barring service (DBS)/Criminal record check (dependent on role)
* Professional registration and/or qualification check
* Occupational health assessment
* Employment history and reference validation
All applicants external to Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust will be required to provide their to cover the most recent three years employment. This information will used to validate employment history and references.
If you require sponsorship, we will assess your eligibility based on current If the role is not eligible and you cannot demonstrate your right to work, your conditional offer may be withdrawn.
🚀 Once Checks Are Complete -
The Recruitment Team will coordinate with you and the hiring manager to confirm a start date. You’ll be booked onto a Trust Welcome Session and receive your Pennine Care NHS Terms and Conditions.
📣 Additional Information -
We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), and we strive to ensure our workforce reflects the communities we serve. We actively encourage applications from individuals of diverse backgrounds to help us grow, innovate, and improve.
If you wish to be considered under the Disability Confident Scheme, you will be guaranteed an interview if you meet the essential criteria for the role.
If you need reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please contact us on 0161 716 3181 as early as possible so we can support you.
Please note:
* We do not accept unsolicited contact from recruitment agencies. Hiring managers should not be contacted directly.
* We may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. If you have a disability or long‑term health condition and need extra time or adjustments to complete your application, please contact us as soon as possible. We will ensure you are not disadvantaged where a reasonable adjustment is appropriate.
If you have problems applying, contact
Address
Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust
225 Old Street
225 Old Street
OL6 7SR
Telephone
01617163181