This is an exceptional opportunity for an experienced and enthusiastic Principal Psychologist to join a highly regarded and developing Perinatal Mental Health Service within CNWL Offender Care Services. Working across women's prisons, you will play a key role in shaping and delivering psychologically informed care to women during the perinatal period, while also contributing to specialist services for women with complex trauma, personality difficulties and significant mental health needs.
We are seeking a compassionate, innovative and motivated psychologist who is passionate about improving outcomes for some of the most vulnerable women in society. The role offers a unique opportunity to combine direct clinical work, leadership, consultation and service development within a supportive multidisciplinary environment.
As Principal Psychologist, you will provide clinical leadership and specialist psychological expertise across the service. You will undertake complex psychological assessments, formulations and interventions, working directly with women as well as consulting to the wider systems around them. A strong emphasis is placed on trauma-informed care, attachment-informed practice and relational approaches that promote recovery, resilience and wellbeing.
The role offers considerable scope to influence service development, enhance psychological thinking across multidisciplinary teams and contribute to innovative approaches to supporting women experiencing multiple disadvantage.
Key responsibilities include:
Providing specialist psychological assessment, formulation and intervention for women with complex presentations.
Delivering psychologically informed care to women who are pregnant or experiencing separation from their infant while in custody.
Supporting trauma-informed practice across prison and healthcare systems.
Providing consultation and guidance to multidisciplinary colleagues and prison staff.
Leading and contributing to service development, evaluation and quality improvement initiatives.
Supervising qualified psychologists, doctoral trainees, assistant and graduate psychologists, and other members of the multidisciplinary team.
Developing and delivering training on topics including trauma, attachment, personality disorder and psychologically informed care.
Contributing to the development of psychologically responsive environments across women's prisons.
CNWL is committed to the development of its psychology workforce. Successful applicants will have access to a wide range of professional development opportunities, including specialist training, continuing professional development, leadership development and clinical supervision.
Psychologists within Offender Care Services benefit from being part of a large and diverse professional network and regularly come together for professional meetings, peer support, supervision and shared learning. Opportunities to develop expertise across different specialist pathways within offender health are actively encouraged.
CNWL Offender Care Services provides healthcare across a broad range of secure and community settings. We employ psychologists and psychological therapists from clinical, counselling and forensic backgrounds and deliver services across prisons, immigration removal centres and secure hospitals.
Our services support children and adults, men and women, across varying levels of security. Psychologists also lead four specialist Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) services and the Sexual Behaviour Service within the youth estate.
Joining CNWL offers the opportunity to be part of a progressive and innovative organisation committed to high-quality care, professional excellence and staff development. Successful candidates will benefit from excellent career progression opportunities within a large and thriving psychology profession.
About the Service
The Perinatal Mental Health Service operates across four women's prisons: HMP Bronzefield , HMP Downvie w , and HMP Send. This post will be primarily based at HMP Bronzefield , although travel between sites will be required .
The service provides specialist psychological and mental health support to women who are pregnant in custody, preparing for motherhood while in prison, or experiencing the profound impact of separation from their infant as a consequence of imprisonment. Alongside this work, psychologists contribute to the care of women presenting with complex trauma, attachment difficulties, personality disorders and co-occurring mental health needs.
You will join a highly skilled multidisciplinary team comprising Consultant Psychiatrists, Clinical Psychologists, Occupational Therapists and Nursing staff, working collaboratively to provide trauma-informed, formulation-driven care.
