Overview
Band 8b Principal Practitioner Psychologist – Ardenleigh. An exciting opportunity to recruit an 8b Principal Practitioner Psychologist to provide leadership and specialist clinical input across Ardenleigh, contributing to care for young people and women, and leading site-wide developments and services.
The Ardenleigh site hosts two services: the Secure CAMHS (SCAMHS) service and the Women’s Secure Blended Service (WSBS). The post offers a substantial leadership role, working alongside the Consultant Clinical Psychologist to lead the SCAMHS psychology team and represent psychology on the senior leadership team. You will also hold the team lead role for the site-wide Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) Team, overseeing DBT delivery and fidelity, and contribute to site-wide initiatives including Culture of Care, Trauma-Informed practice, and other innovation projects. The role includes clinical work, consultation, supervision, reflective practice, and staff training.
Responsibilities
* Join a large and diverse psychological therapies team within the division, including clinical and forensic psychologists, arts therapists, specialist psychological practitioners, and assistant psychologists.
* Provide leadership to the SCAMHS psychology team and participate in the site’s senior leadership activities.
* Lead the site-wide DBT Team, ensuring fidelity to the DBT model and effective delivery across Ardenleigh.
* Contribute to site-wide initiatives such as Culture of Care and Trauma-Informed practice; support innovation projects.
* Engage in clinical work as well as multidisciplinary consultation, supervision, reflective practice, and staff training.
* Manage and supervise a range of psychological professionals; demonstrate leadership and service development experience.
Qualifications
Essential
* Satisfactory completion of a British Psychological Society accredited Doctoral Level postgraduate professional training course in clinical psychology (Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalent).
* Eligibility for entry onto the Register of Chartered Psychologists.
* Additional DBT training, minimum 5-day intensive.
Desirable
* Post-doctoral training in highly specialist areas of psychological practice/therapy.
Experience
Essential
* Assessed experience as a qualified clinical/forensic psychologist for a minimum of 4 years post qualification, including at least 2 years at Senior (highly specialist) level.
* Experience with a wide range of client groups across the lifespan and with complex clinical presentations and risk.
Desirable
* Experience applying clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
* Experience working with hard-to-treat groups and in community settings; safeguarding and risk management across multiple agencies.
Skills
Essential
* Strong theoretical and practical knowledge aligned with doctoral-level training; ability to provide psychological consultation to multidisciplinary teams.
* Understanding of service issues related to a multicultural urban area and awareness of information governance practices.
Desirable
* In-depth knowledge of information governance and information sharing across agencies.
Personal
Essential
* Ability to interact effectively with staff across disciplines; resilience and ability to work under pressure.
Desirable
* Willing and eligible to apply for higher-level security clearance.
Details
Employer: Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
Location: Ardenleigh, Birmingham, B24 9SA
Pay: Band 8b – £64,455 to £74,896 per year, pro rata (Agenda for Change)
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Part-time, Flexible working
Date posted: 02 October 2025
Job locations: Ardenleigh, Birmingham
About Us
Welcome to Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. Our 4,000 clinical and support staff help us improve mental health and meet the needs of the 70,000 people we serve each year. We provide a range of mental healthcare services across Birmingham and Solihull, as well as specialised services nationally. We offer medical, nursing, and psychology training and are proud of our international reputation for research and innovation. Our population is culturally diverse, and we are committed to providing equal access to care and a supportive work environment.
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