Principal Counselling/Clinical Psychologist/ (Arts) Psychotherapist

Principal Counselling/Clinical Psychologist/ (Arts) Psychotherapist

Location: Torquay, TQ2 7AA
Salary: £53755.00 to £60504.00
Date posted: 3rd July 2025
Closing date: 1st August 2025

The post is open to registered Counselling or Clinical Psychologists or Psychotherapist including Arts Psychotherapist. As an 8a it is a leadership role to work with clients in Community Adult Mental health services with specialist field of practice, as well as providingclinical leadership and supervision for less experienced staff, trainees and volunteers employed by or attached to the psychology service.

Main duties of the job

Once in post you will come to carry a specialist caseload of clients, employing specialist and integrative psychological interventions on agreed therapeutics aims for a complexity of difficulties that include developmental trauma's and neuro-divergency with relational, regulation, and perceptual disturbances.

You would provide advice and consultancy to other professionals and, where appropriate, to other significant people in the wider networks. You would join a professional grouping of Psychologists and Psychological Therapists (P&PT) who support the operation of two Community Mental Health Services across Torbay, and serve specialised psychological interventions across South Devon.

The Community Mental Health Framework and Personalised Care Framework and the move to build integrative services provides and environment with rich and varied opportunities to develop supervision and reflective practices, as well as co-production initiatives within the wider community networks.

The role requires good liaison and team working as well as working autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systemic governance of psychological practice within professional and Trust guidelines as lead specialist.

It is a lively and at times challenging environment aided by good team working and support structures.

About us

We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.

We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess & demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. These include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification which will provide further information on this role.

Person Specification Qualifications

• Qualified Clinical or Counselling Psychologist (D.Clin.Psychol, MA Arts Psychotherapy or equivalent) and eligible for Chartered Clinical or Counselling Psychologist Status in the British Psychological Society. Registered with HCPC.
• Further training or experience in clinical specialism.
• Further training in related area.
• Further training in at least one (other) psychological therapy, e.g. family or systemic therapy.

Knowledge and Skills

• Broad knowledge of specialist services and of the services in the NHS where psychology is commonly applied.
• Extensive knowledge of the skills, practice and knowledge base of Clinical/Counselling Psychology.
• Knowledge of the policy context of specialist psychological services within the organisation and of clinical leadership arrangements in this setting.
• Excellent verbal, nonverbal and written communication skills.
• Strong leadership qualities, resilience and ability to handle ambiguity and uncertainty.
• Skills in managing conflict, negotiation and achieving consensus in complex situations in the pursuit of agreed strategic aims.
• Ability to integrate complex data; make highly skilled evaluations and decisions; and take a long term perspective.
• Proven organisational, planning and time management skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and cope with deadlines.
• Good communication skills when presenting / facilitating to varying groups of people.
• Highly skilled in specialist interventions with the client group.
• Advanced psychological assessment and formulation skills including risk assessment.

Experience

• Experience of work in adult mental health services or agencies and work with people with severe and complex mental health difficulties.
• Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
• Experience in undertaking leadership roles within clinical psychology services in the NHS and in contributing to the development, implementation and evaluation of strategies and clinical policies in multi disciplinary, multi agency contexts.
• Experience, and/or training in diversity awareness and social inequality.
• Proficiency in in both individual and group therapy approaches is desirable.

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.

Torbay Hospital Haytor Unit Lowes Bridge Torquay TQ2 7AA