Principal Psychologist

Step into our vibrant, modern offices, where you'll be part of an exciting time of growth and expansion for our service.
You'll work with adults who have intellectual disabilities, neurodevelopmental conditions, trauma histories, and mental health challenges. Each day will bring new opportunities to apply your expertise, whether you're using CBT, guiding clients through mindfulness practices, or working with a variety of therapy models such as narrative, systemic therapies, PBS, third wave, CFT, and trauma-informed care.
This role is perfect for an experienced clinical psychologist who is passionate about supporting adults with intellectual disabilities, and who may be ready to further develop their leadership skills. You'll receive regular supervision from a consultant clinical psychologist, and there's plenty of scope to get involved in quality improvement projects, service evaluation, and research. You'll also be part of the Learning Disability Psychology Specialty across South West London and the South Thames Intellectual Disability Faculty, offering a supportive network to help you grow both personally and professionally.
With child-friendly hours and a team who will support your personal and professional growth, you'll have the freedom to innovate and make a real difference. And of course, it's an opportunity to significantly impact the lives of adults with intellectual disabilities, supporting them through their journeys.
Interview Date TBC
Main duties of the job
Clinical and Client Care

• Lead the delivery of high-quality, specialist psychological and behavioral services that transform the lives of adults with intellectual disabilities.
• Provide compassionate, psychological interventions that meet the unique needs of clients and their families.
• Take ownership of care coordination, ensuring seamless collaboration across network meetings and care plans.

Team and service leadership

• Inspire and steer team meetings.
• Champion accessibility and inclusivity, leading initiatives to build culturally competent and equitable services.
• Serve as a trusted advisor, equipping team members with expert insights into psychological care.
• Drive innovation by embedding evidence-based practices that enhance outcomes for clients and their families.

Policy and Service Development

• Implement cutting-edge policies and procedures, ensuring the service stays ahead of best practices.
• Identify opportunities for growth and spearhead transformative service development projects.
• Shape the future of service delivery by incorporating feedback and insights from those who rely on it most.

Teaching, Training, and Research

• Share your expertise by delivering dynamic training sessions that uplift the skills of professionals across disciplines.
• Lead impactful research and service evaluations, ensuring your findings inspire change and improvement.
• Publish and present your insights, contributing to the broader understanding of psychology and service excellence.

About us
Our modern offices are located in Bernard Weatherill House in Croydon, but you'll also travel across community sites within the borough to meet with patients. Our service is co-located with colleagues from adult social care, and we work closely with the Croydon Mental Health in Learning Disabilities Service, fostering strong partnerships to deliver integrated care.
From your very first day, we'll fully support your growth and development. Whether you're looking to refine your skills or explore new areas of interest, we're here to help you succeed. CPD is actively encouraged, with funding available for external courses and special interests, so you can pursue opportunities that matter most to you.
Our approach to one-to-ones focuses on you--your development, goals, and ambitions--not just the tasks at hand. Through hands-on experience, formal training, and even learning from the occasional misstep, you'll discover your strengths and continue to grow.
We're committed to helping you develop both personally and professionally, so you can bring your unique perspective and expertise to improve the lives of those we support.
Does this role sound like the perfect fit for you? We'd love to hear from you--apply now
Staff benefits
27 - 33 days holiday (dependent on service) + bank holiday
Over 4,000 discounts at high-street retailers on the Blue Light Card.
Convenient and affordable childcare options for employees with young children.
Cycle to work scheme.
And more
Job description
Job responsibilities
To develop, co-ordinate and ensure the systematic provision of high quality specialist psychological assessments and interventions to adults with intellectual disabilities referred to Croydon Community Learning Disabilities Team (CLDT).
To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.
To provide clinical supervision and consultation to Psychology and CLDT members as appropriate.
To ensure that systems are in place and working effectively for the clinical and professional supervision and support of other Psychology team members in Croydon CLDT.
To provide line management of other Psychology team members in liaison with the service lead and Consultant Clinical Psychologist in the CLDT.
To undertake service evaluation, audit, research and policy develop
To agree outcomes/results with clinical/professional lead and to decide how they are best achieved.
To work as an autonomous professional within BPS and HCPC guidelines and codes of conduct, and guided by principles and policies or procedures of the service, taking responsibility for interpreting policies within defined parameters.
see attachment
Person Specification
EDUCATION, QUALIFICATIONS AND/OR TRAINING
Essential

• Entry-level qualification in Applied Psychology (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level additional training) that has been accepted by the HCPC for purposes of professional registration. Clinical psychologist: Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalent.
• Additional training in a specialised area of psychological practice through formal post-qualification training (PG Diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses, or an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice-based learning in a specialist area of clinical practice, assessed by an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a Postgraduate Diploma.
• Registered with the HCPC as Practitioner Psychologist, and evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC.
• Completed training course in clinical supervision.

Desirable

• PBS / Systemic approaches

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Essential

• Highly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies for adults with intellectual disabilities and/or autism who engage in behaviours that severely challenge
• Advanced theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment such as PBS, trauma informed and/or systemic approaches. oAdvanced knowledge of psychological assessment and clinical psychometrics.
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to these client groups and mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities.
• knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care.
• oDoctoral level knowledge of psychological research methodology and complex statistical analysis.

EXPERIENCE
Essential

• Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in intellectual disabilities and / or autism services.
• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature in intellectual disabilities and / or autism.
• experience of supervising assistant and trainee psychologists having completed the relevant training.
• Experience of providing teaching and training to psychologists or other professional groups. P
• post-qualification experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities. oExperience of carrying out post-doctoral research, audit or service evaluation projects.
• Experience of proposing and implementing service development projects within own service area.

Desirable

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

SKILLS ABILITIES
Essential

• To deliver psychological therapy across cultural and other differences.
• To select and administer specialist psychological assessments, interpreting and integrating complex data that require analysis, interpretation and comparison, drawn from several sources, on which expert opinion may differ.
• To communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with clients, carers and colleagues overcoming barriers to communication including sensory, and emotional difficulties, cultural differences and hostility to or rejection of information.
• To plan projects and work schedules for groups of psychologists.
• To be expert in the skilled administration of psychometric tests, including skilled manipulation of test materials and to be able to supervise others in administration of psychometric tests.
• To plan and schedule assessment and interventions for individual clients and groups and carers, and to organise meetings such as care coordination and case reviews, and joint activities with staff of partner agencies.
• Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data.
• Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups.
• Ability to behave in accordance with our Trust values
• Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles.
• Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour. oAbility to cope emotionally with challenging behaviours displayed by individuals and to support carers in times of distress.
• Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate. oAbility to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic meetings oAbility to maintain concentration and to remain in restricted positions for long periods during observations, assessments and psychological interventions, and to deal with unexpected interruptions or changes during these.

Employer details
Employer name
Croydon Health Services NHS Trust
Address
Bernard Weatherill House 2nd Floor Zone B
8 Mint Walk
Croydon
CR0 1EA
Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.
199-NN-6763999-AHP