Principal Clinical Psychologist

NHS; Bristol; On-site; GBP 62,000 - 73,000; Full time

Job description

Job Summary

Please apply for this role if you are looking for a leadership position in a challenging paediatric service and have a genuine enthusiasm for developing evidence of outcome and effectiveness.

We are a new interdisciplinary team working to implement the Cass Review (2024) for Children and Young People. This role will be a leader in Psychological Health Services and the Children and Young People's Gender Service (South West). The specialism required for this role is in leading the service in the development and delivery of interventions, in liaison with the Clinical Lead, Clinical Director, and service Consultants. There is additional responsibility for overseeing patient and public involvement (PPI).

Main Duties of the Job

To contribute to development, coordination, clinical care, and leadership, to ensure the systematic provision of a psychology service to the NHS Children and Young People's Gender Service (South West) and provide highly specialist clinical leadership and input (direct and indirect) with regard to the provision of clinical interventions in this service. To lead and oversee the patient, parent, and ex-patient (public) involvement work of the service. To provide training, clinical supervision, and consultation as appropriate, functioning as a lead specialist in the CYP Gender Service and PHS. To undertake joint working, consultation, training, and service development activities, with the other clinicians working within the service and in partnership with health and social care organizations across the South West region, and nationally as required. To undertake, coordinate, and supervise psychological research, service evaluation, and audit activity both uni-professionally and in collaboration with other professional groups within the programme, covered by this post. To provide leadership, management, and professional supervision of staff employed within Psychological Health Services in more than one clinical area.

About Us

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is one of the largest acute Trusts in the country, bringing together a combined workforce of over 13,000 staff and over 100 different clinical services across 10 different sites, serving a core population of more than 500,000 people across South West England. UHBW has been rated by the CQC as 'Good' overall and our staff are proud to deliver excellent care to the people of Bristol, Weston, and beyond. As a forward-thinking multi-award winning Trust and a digital exemplar committed to improving patient care, our world-leading research and innovations are having a positive local and global impact. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone's throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer. UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we're meeting our pledge.

Date Posted: 17 April 2025

Pay Scheme: Agenda for Change

Band: Band 8b

Salary: £62,215 to £72,293 a year pro rata

Contract: Permanent

Working Pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working

Reference Number: 387-WC3829-KM

Job Locations

Bristol Royal Hospital for Children
Upper Maudlin Street
Bristol
BS2 8BJ

Person Specification

Qualifications Essential

• Doctorate in clinical psychology/counselling psychology or equivalent
• Current registration as a practitioner psychologist with the Health Care Professions Council
• Training in the supervision of qualified and trainee clinical psychologists / other staff

Desirable

• Management/leadership training

Knowledge and Experience Essential

• Post qualification experience of working as a specialist practitioner clinical psychologist providing direct clinical work, psychological consultation, case management supervision and training to a range of multi-professional and multi-agency teams in the specialist area of Psychological Interventions
• Post qualification experience of working as a specialist practitioner clinical psychologist undertaking consultation and service development
• Experience working with health and social care teams in the context of providing supervision, reflective practice or team development work
• Experience of proposing and implementing transformational projects in a health care context
• Formal teaching / presentation sessions to health and other professionals
• Demonstrable knowledge of legislation and guidance pertaining to safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults, consent, confidentiality and standards of psychological care
• Theoretical knowledge of psychological presentations and the evidence base for the relevant treatment relevant to CYP with gender distress

Desirable

• Record of publications in either peer-reviewed, academic or professional journals/books

Skills and Abilities Essential

• Ability to generate systemic and individual psychological formulations and triage/deliver brief interventions based on applying psychological theories and models to the complex information generated by the patient and systems as appropriate
• Advanced communication skills with the ability to provide and receive highly complex and sensitive information to and from patients and their families in a developmentally and culturally appropriate manner in highly emotive situations. This will include the ability to provide complex psychological information to staff in an accessible manner.
• Ability to access, record and manage information and data pertaining to the work undertaken in notes, databases, and electronic records as required
• Ability to prioritise and manage available time for clinical, managerial and professional activities effectively and safely
• Able to travel as required
• Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data
• Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups
• Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles.

Aptitudes Essential

• Advanced communication skills. The ability to provide and receive highly complex and sensitive information to and from staff and organisations in a culturally appropriate manner in highly emotive situations
• This will include the ability to provide complex psychological information to staff in an accessible manner.
• Ability to endure personal and professional challenge including media scrutiny

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration.

Employer Details

Employer Name: University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW)

Address:
Bristol Royal Hospital for Children
Upper Maudlin Street
Bristol
BS2 8BJ

Employer's Website: https://www.uhbw.nhs.uk/