We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Principal Psychologist to join our team of passionate and skilled psychological therapists, working collaboratively with Wokingham Community Mental Health Services (CMHS) to deliver the highest quality care for adults with significant mental health needs. This is an exciting opportunity to use and further develop your clinical expertise and leadership skills within a well-established service that is committed to providing evidence-based, trauma-informed interventions and achieving excellent outcomes for those we support.
As part of the Community Mental Health Psychological Therapies (CMHPT) Service, you will provide psychological therapies to adults living in Wokingham and contribute to the delivery of specialist psychological care across Berkshire through our centralised service. The role offers a varied clinical caseload, alongside opportunities to contribute to service development, innovation and the continued growth of psychological therapies within community mental health settings.
The post is based at Resource House, Wokingham, with an expectation that you will work from base at least 2 days per week. We support flexible and agile working, with opportunities to work from home where service needs allow. Occasional travel across Berkshire will be required for meetings, training and collaborative working.
Ensure the systematic provision of high-quality psychological services within the C MHS .
Offer expert clinical supervision, consultation, and advice to psychological professionals and trainees, as well as other members of the clinical team and beyond, to support psychologically- and trauma-informed care and provision.
P rovide expert clinical assessments, case and psychological formulation, and evidence-based intervention f or a designated number of service users presenting to the service.
Deliver training and teaching to support the learning needs of trainees and the continued professional development of psychological and multidisciplinary colleagues, the wider clinical team, other agencies, and non-professional carers.
Work autonomously within professional and local guidelines and policies and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of psychological practice within the service.
Utilise research and audit skills to inform service and policy development and act as a highly specialist resource to the wider professional team.
Propose and implement policy changes and service development initiatives within the service and across the Trust, working closely with colleagues as required to progress improvement . This will include a role in effective recruitment, professional appraisal and management, and the identification of training needs.
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated ‘outstanding’ by the CQC, we’re committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we’re committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.
Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:
Caring for and about you is our top priority
Committed to providing good quality, safe services
Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions
Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:
Flexible working options to support work-life balance
27 days’ annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
Generous NHS pension scheme
Excellent learning and career development opportunities
‘Cycle to Work’ and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
Free parking across Trust sites
FOR SECONDMENT ROLES ONLY - If the secondment role becomes permanent, the successful candidate may be offered the permanent position.
The “must haves” for this role:
A post graduate doctoral qualification in clinical or counselling psychology and r egist r ation with the Health and Care Profession s Council (HCPC) .
Clinical supervision training for doctorate psychology trainees (BPS Registered course) and other qualified clinicians.
Post qualification specialist training to accreditable level in at least two areas of psychological practice directly related to the clinical requirements of this post . Accreditations to reflect post qualification training (e.g., BABCP, UKCP, ACAT, SRCN).
Experience of working with adults with s evere mental illness (SMI) .
This is a fantastic opportunity to join a supportive, forward-thinking team that values innovation, professional growth and compassionate care, while helping to shape and develop psychological services for adults across Berkshire .
For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.
We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point - by - point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted .
We’re c ommitted to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditation s: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed .
We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don’t hesitate to contact Gareth Mitche ll ( Consultant Clinical Psychologist) by emailing
[email protected] who’ll be delighted to help.
Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.
We have identified that this is a role where we have underrepresentation of ethnically diverse colleagues. As part of our commitment to inclusion and Unity Against Racism we offer guaranteed interviews to candidates who meet the essential criteria and identify as: Asian or Asian British, Black or Black British, Mixed and ‘Other’ Ethnic Groups.
