The Tamarind Centre is seeking a fixed term maternity cover for an 8B Practitioner Psychologist to join its psychology department. This is a strong developmental opportunity, ideal for an experienced 8A looking to progress or an 8B psychologist curious about moving into forensic work.
The post sits within our personality focused recovery service, a specialist ward for men with complex histories of violence, trauma, and interpersonal conflict. We are looking for someone with experience delivering therapeutic work to individuals, groups, and across systems. While expertise in MBT, DBT, or forensic psychodynamic psychotherapy is welcomed, it is not essential. An interest in adapting therapies for men at high risk of violence is especially valued.
Tamarind is an 89 bed medium secure unit supporting men with enduring mental health needs and histories of violence. Our psychology team values openness, authenticity, and psychological safety. We prioritise cohesion over conformity and invite you to help us grow. Our work lives in the balance between care and containment, acknowledging trauma and structural inequality while avoiding binary thinking. Evidence based practice is essential, but we aim to adapt it compassionately and meaningfully.
Beyond therapy, we are committed to co-production and service user involvement. Recent work includes culturally informed mental health groups, co-designed trauma training, and projects with carers to hold the service accountable. As Principal Psychologist, you will help lead this work, shaping trauma informed care as a cultural shift across the unit and wider Division. Leadership here is seen not as a title but as a shared, evolving process. Support comes from colleagues across disciplines, including community partners.
Working in a forensic NHS setting comes with complexity. Cultural narratives around men, violence, and mental illness can distort the work. We create space, formally and informally, to reflect on power and help staff and service users recognise and celebrate small but meaningful progress.
If this sounds like a place where you would like to contribute and grow, please get in touch. We would love to hear from you.
Welcome to Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. Our 4000 clinical and support staff help us to improve mental health wellbeing 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 also offer medical, nursing and psychology training and are proud of our international reputation for both research and innovation.
Our population is culturally diverse, characterised in places by high levels of deprivation which create an increasing demand for our services and a necessity for us to make sure everyone can access the help they need. We are a team of compassionate, inclusive and committed people working together to provide excellent care to support our community. If you are looking for a place to belong, where you can make a real difference to people's lives, join our team where our warm welcome is waiting for you.
For further information about the main responsibilities please view the attached job description and person specification.
Please click on the link for a little insight into our services and our people