Principal Clinical Psychologist

Transformationunitgm; Manchester; On-site; GBP 64,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in Manchester is seeking a Principal Clinical Psychologist to join the CAMHS team. This role involves providing clinical leadership, developing intervention pathways, and working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to support children and young people. Ideal candidates will have significant experience in psychological services within CAMHS and meet HCPC registration eligibility. The organization offers a supportive environment prioritizing professional development and well-being.

Benefits

Professional development opportunities

Supportive working environment

Multi-disciplinary teamwork

Qualifications

• Significant experience in CAMHS and psychological service delivery.
• Eligibility for HCPC registration required.
• Experience in assessment and therapeutic work with various age ranges.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical leadership for the delivery of the service.
• Develop and support intervention pathways in CAMHS.
• Work closely with the leadership team and manage a caseload.

Skills

Clinical supervision

Child psychological assessment

Therapeutic intervention

Multi-disciplinary teamwork

Communication with children

Education

Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology

Eligibility for BPS Chartered status

Job description

Employer Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site South Manchester CAMHS, The Carol Kendrick Centre Town Manchester Salary £64,455 - £74,896 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 27/01/2026 23:59

Principal Clinical Psychologist

NHS AfC: Band 8b

Job overview

We are looking for a highly experienced Clinical Psychologist to join our innovative CAMHS team.

Manchester Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services work with Children and Young People from 5 to 18 years with a wide range of complex emotional and behavioural difficulties. You will have an integral role in developing and supporting the pathway into CAMHS. The post holder will provide clinical leadership for the delivery of our SPOA team. The postholder will offer supervision, consultation and training to members of the team.

The postholder will work closely with the District Lead Consultant Psychologist and the Senior Leadership Team. The postholder will carry a caseload and play a substantial role in developing and integrating intervention pathways.

We have strong links with Manchester Clinical Training course through supervision of trainees and teaching and an active research agenda. We encourage service innovation and value user participation. We are committed to CPD , the personal and professional development of team members and positive well-being, ensuring clinicians are able to achieve the right work-life balance.

This vacancy is with South Manchester CAMHS at The Carol Kendrick Centre.

This post is open to highly experienced Clinical Psychologists and other eligible practitioners with the appropriate qualifications/experience. Significant experience of working in the delivery of psychological services in CAMHS and eligibility for HCPC Registration is essential.

Main duties of the job

As a senior highly specialist Clinical Psychologist/Equivalent Psychological Practitioner with substantial senior clinical experience and post-qualification training, the post-holder will work alongside other senior staff to provide leadership to support the systematic delivery of a high-quality specialist clinical psychology/psychological service to children, young people and families in South Manchester, in the context of a comprehensive and integrated CAMHS.

To support the leadership team in representing clinical psychology/psychological services and CAMHS in South Manchester in multiagency development groups relating to community and primary care services. To support the leadership team in non-clinical activity by proposing and implementing policy changes for South Manchester CAMHS.

Effective working relationships are essential at all levels and with multiple stakeholders, in South Manchester CAMHS (with core colleagues and those in specialist/targeted CAMHS), Children’s Services, Community Health, Education and other partner agencies.

Working for our organisation

Join Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) and become part of a 30,000 plus strong team, delivering exceptional care to over 1 million people every year. As the largest provider of specialist services, and our Oxford Road Campus in Manchester, the largest health academic campus in Europe, we are forward-thinking, committed to clinical excellence and driven to deliver innovation, and continuous improvement.
Whether you’re beginning your career or taking the next step, MFT offers a stimulating and supportive environment where your contribution truly matters. Our Hive Electronic Patient Record system enables safer, smarter, and more efficient ways of working - empowering you to deliver the best possible outcomes for our patients.
You’ll be part of a collaborative, multi-disciplinary community, working alongside professionals from a wide range of clinical backgrounds. Together, we push boundaries, share knowledge, and deliver care that transforms lives.
At MFT, you’ll find a workplace where everyone is respected, supported, and encouraged to thrive. We offer clear clinical pathways for professional development, helping you grow your skills and achieve your ambitions.
Your journey at MFT is more than a job - it’s an opportunity to make a lasting impact. We’ll support you as you shape the future of healthcare, one patient at a time.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience you’ll need, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the ‘Supporting Documents’ heading. So that you’re even more equipped to make an informed decision to apply to us, you’ll need to take time to read the ‘Candidate Essentials Guide’ that sits with the Job Description and Person Specification. This document provides you with details about the Trust, our benefits and outlines how ‘we care for you as you care for others’. Most importantly, it also contains critical information you’ll need to be aware of before you submit an application form.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your application

Here at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, we’re proud to be ALL HERE FOR YOU—for our patients, our communities, and each other.

As part of our commitment to fairness, transparency, and personal integrity, we ask all applicants to ensure that their job applications reflect their own experiences, skills, and motivations. While AI tools can support spelling, grammar, or formatting, we expect that the content of your application—especially personal statements and responses to role‑specific questions—is written by you. This helps us get to know the real you and ensures that our recruitment process remains equitable and meaningful for everyone.

Thank you for helping us uphold the values that make our Trust a place where people belong, grow, and thrive. We look forward to receiving your application.

Diversity Matters

MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, please contact the manager named below.

Person specification

Registration/Accreditation

• You must be registered/accredited with HCPC

Qualifications

• Diploma, masters, doctoral degree or equivalent accepted as qualifying the person to work as a clinical psychologist.
• Eligibility for BPS Chartered status
• Post doctoral training course in an area of specialist practice

Experience

• Significant Experience of working as a specialist child clinical psychologist in CAMHS.
• Experience in assessment and therapeutic work with children and families across the age range with a full range of presenting problems and across settings including community, outpatient and clinic settings.
• Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients’ psychological care and treatment independently and within a multidisciplinary and multiagency context.
• Experience of teaching, training and/or professional and clinical supervision.
• Working knowledge of professional systems involved in work with young people, both in specialist hospital and community settings.
• Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
• Experience of representing psychology within the context of multidisciplinary care.

Knowledge, Skills and Ability

• Knowledge of legislation and national guidance in relation to the needs of children and young people.
• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management in work with children and families
• Ability to integrate psychological theories and outcome data with clinical practice and service provision
• Ability to work with people from different backgrounds, cultures and of different ages
• Ability to cope with stressful interpersonal situations including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems.
• Demonstrate sensitivity in all contact with disadvantaged groups.
• Good skills in communicating with children, parents and colleagues
• Enhanced skills in assessment and intervention of young people with neurodevelopmental disorders

Education and Supervision

• Experience in designing, planning and undertaking clinical research and service evaluation.
• Experience in teaching and training staff from other professional groups in psychological skills and concepts.
• Experience of teaching, training and supervision of assistant psychologists and trainee clinical psychologists
• Formal training in supervision of other psychologists
• Positive approach to own continuing professional development

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Name Sue Colegrave Job title Consultant Clinical Psychologist District Lead Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 0161 529 6062 Additional information Nicola Millard, Service Manager South Manchester CAMHS 0161 529 6062