Principal Practitioner Psychologist

Job overview Are you looking for an opportunity to join a forensic mental health service where trauma-informed, evidence-based and relationally focused care are key priorities? We wish to recruit an enthusiastic, experienced and skilled Principal Practitioner Psychologist (AFC Band 8B), to join a large and growing team of psychological practitioners at the GMMH Adult Forensic Service. We invite applications from suitably qualified Clinical / Forensic Psychologists. HCPC registration is essential. The post is a full-time position (WTE). You will have extensive previous experience of working in a secure mental health setting, and be ready to fulfil a key role in a leadership and managerial capacity, within both the psychology team and the wider multi-disciplinary service structure. You will support organisation and delivery of psychologically-informed care for a population of adults with complex needs, and histories of offending and/or significantly challenging behaviours. You will have high levels of ability to engage with systems – including families / support networks of service users, and colleagues from a range of disciplines and agencies. You will demonstrate excellent skills in communication and forging positive relationships, and contribute creatively to decision making and strategic planning within the service. Main duties of the job Fulfilling a leadership role within the Psychology Team at AFS Line management and supervisory responsibilities for other psychologists at Band 8A and below Representing psychology at specific AFS forums for service management and governance Holding a clinical caseload, including responsibility for provision within a MDT as the named psychologist across specific wards Providing supervision, training, and reflective practice for staff from a range of other disciplines within the service. Maintaining competencies and skills for professional registration, through CPD and other relevant activity. Working for our organisation Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) Foundation Trust employs over 7,000 members of staff, who deliver services from more than 122 locations. We provide inpatient and community-based mental health care for people living in Bolton, the city of Manchester, Salford, Trafford and the borough of Wigan, and a wide range of specialist mental health and substance misuse services across Greater Manchester, the north west of England and beyond. Greater Manchester is one of the world's most innovative, original and exciting places to live and work. From the beauty of the surrounding countryside to the heart of the vibrant inner city with great shopping, entertainment and dining options. Wherever you go you will experience a great northern welcome with people famed for their warmth, humour and generosity. Our people enjoy their work, have opportunities to learn and develop their skills and are encouraged to generate new ideas that improve care for our service users. Detailed job description and main responsibilities Please see attached job description and person specification. Staff benefits 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays rising to 29 after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years Excellent pension Cycle to work scheme Salary sacrifice car scheme Wellbeing programme fuelGenie Fuel Cards (for applicable roles) Person specification Qualifications Essential criteria Doctoral level qualification in Clinical and/or Forensic Psychology Experience Essential criteria Experience working as a Practitioner Psychologist within a forensic setting The Trust mandates all post holders who require a DBS for their role to subscribe to the DBS Update Service. You will be required to enrol for this service for a fee of £16 per year and maintain registration throughout your employment with GMMH. Applicants are encouraged to apply for posts at Greater Manchester Mental Health who have direct experience of mental health, learning disability or drug and alcohol services either as a service user or a carer. The Trust is also committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We are aspiring to ensure our workforce is representative of the diverse communities that we serve, and we are strongly committed to removing barriers to employment for candidates from under‑represented groups, for example BAME, Disabled and LGBT+ communities. If you would like to have an informal chat about the recruitment process for this role or would value some additional support, we’d love to hear from you. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when writing job applications A candidate may utilise the help of AI when writing job application. The assessment of an application is made on its entirety and most times AI-generated content does not fully grasp the context and requirements of the job one applies for thus producing inaccurate and misleading information, especially in the supporting statement section of an application that can lack real life examples of one’s achievements, success and challenges. We have added a disclaimer to our application process advising that the use of AI is monitored. GMMH reserves the right to follow up with a candidate at the interview on specific responses and those examples used in the supporting statement to explore it further. Sponsorship We are proud to be an approved sponsor for the Skilled Worker visa. Applications from individuals who require sponsorship will be considered alongside all other applications. Please be aware that not all roles are eligible for sponsorship. You can review the list of eligible roles and salary requirements on the UK Government’s website – click. If you are offered a role with us and you require sponsorship, we will check your eligibility in line with the information on the above website. Your offer of employment could be withdrawn if the role is not eligible for sponsorship, and you are not otherwise able to evidence your right to work in the UK. The Home Office introduces new changes from 22 / 07 / 2025 that impact the health and care sector, you may wish to familiarise with it. Do you have experience outside the NHS? We want to attract and retain people with diverse skills and experience, to deliver inclusive healthcare services to our communities. We will consider relevant experience outside the NHS to calculate your salary on appointment. #J-18808-Ljbffr