Lead Clinical Psychologist

Lead Clinical Psychologist

The closing date is 18 January 2026

Thank you for your interest in joining us at Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. We pride ourselves in striving to be an employer of choice.

At the NHS, we are reminded every day of how important life is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that's job share, part time or another flexible pattern. In addition, although the role advertised may have a 'home' office base indicated, we remain committed to supporting flexibility around workplace locations. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.

The successful applicant will be an NHS employee and may therefore have contact with vulnerable service users. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been necessary to take significant steps to protect the health and safety of our staff, service users and those attending our sites. Unless exempt, we encourage and support staff to be vaccinated as this remains the best line of defence against COVID-19.

Main duties of the job

We are seeking an experienced and dynamic Lead Practitioner Psychologist to play a key leadership role in developing and delivering integrated health services for adults experiencing mental health difficulties. The post holder will provide a high level of specialist psychological expertise within community mental health settings, supporting complex and challenging cases and ensuring the delivery of effective, evidence based care.

As the lead psychologist, you will be responsible for overseeing the allocation of referrals, ensuring interventions are provided by appropriately skilled staff, and maintaining high clinical standards across the service. You will offer specialist assessments, interventions, and evaluations, while also contributing to the development and implementation of psychological care packages for individuals with significant mental health needs or challenging behaviours.

About us

We're an NHS community and mental health provider Trust based in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. We deliver community and hospital-based care to improve people's physical and mental health. We also provide specialist support to people with dementia or a learning disability.

We are a people organisation and people matter to us. As part of the team, you'll help support the health and wellbeing of the people who live and visit this beautiful part of the UK.

Over 4,000 people make up the Trust. This includes doctors, nurses, therapists, plus admin and support staff.

We work in people's homes, in community clinics and bases. Some staff work from one of our 13 community hospitals. Our aspiration is to have great people, provide great care, be a great place to work and a great partner.

Approximately 568,000 people live here. A third of people who live in Cornwall are supported by acute hospital services in Devon. As a result, we also work closely with our partners in Devon. In the summer, and during other holidays lots of people choose to visit the area. This increases the numbers of people who use our services.

Job responsibilities

To view a detailed job description and person specification including the main responsibilities of this role please see supporting documents.

Person Specification Education & Qualifications

• Professional Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (as approved by HCPC/BPS)
• Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology (as approved by HCPC/BPS)
• Doctorate in Forensic Psychology / BPS doctoral-level Qualification in Forensic Psychology (Stage 2) (as approved by HCPC/BPS)
• Qualified Clinical or Counselling Psychologist (Postgraduate doctoral level training in Clinical/Counselling Psychology or its equivalent for those trained before 1996 or outside the UK), as approved by the HCPC; including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
• Current registration with Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Practitioner Psychologist
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of highly specialised psychological therapies and assessment modalities in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. co-morbid/complex presentations).
• Additional further training in the use of specific psychometric and/or neuropsychological assessment tools.
• Formal training in the supervision of other psychologists including Doctoral Trainees.

Experience

• Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity across a range of care settings
• Substantial experience of working as a qualified clinical psychologist with children and young people with Learning Disability/Autism/Neurodivergence.
• Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment, both as a professionally qualified care coordinator and also within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan.
• Experience of teaching, training and/or professional and clinical supervision.
• Substantial experience of working as a qualified clinical psychologist with people with complex and challenging mental health presentations.
• Experience of working with adults presenting with high risk and emotionally dysregulated presentations.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust