Principal Practitioner Psychologist - Adult Acute Inpatient

Employer: Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust
Location: Rochdale, United Kingdom (Birch Hill Hospital)
Reference: 311-R363-25-I
Contact: Dr Sarah McHale, Consultant Clinical Psychologist | sarahmchale@nhs.net
Closing Date: July 6, 2026

Grade: NHS AfC Band 8b
Contract: Permanent, Full-time/Part-time/Flexible (1.0 WTE, alternative arrangements considered)
Salary: £66,582 – £77,368 per annum, pro rata

Exciting permanent Principal Practitioner Psychologist post (Clinical, Counselling, Forensic) working in Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale adult acute inpatient service. Two 18-bedded adult acute wards (Hollingworth and Moorside) at Birch Hill Hospital.

Main Duties:
• Provide clinical leadership and direction in the continual development of a high quality specialist psychology service within adult acute inpatient service, embedding trauma informed care
• Support transformation of acute inpatient care in line with national direction
• Hold a clinical caseload undertaking evidence-based psychological assessment, formulation, and intervention (individual and/or group)
• Work with mental health difficulties at the point of crisis including psychosis, depression and/or Complex Emotional and Relational Needs (CERN)
• Provide specialist psychological support, consultation and guidance to other professionals
• Ensure team has access to psychologically-based framework through advice, consultation and dissemination of psychological research and theory
• Undertake risk assessment and risk management
• Support inpatient colleagues through supervision, reflective practice and post-incident reflective spaces
• Contribute to audit, policy/service development and research

Essential Criteria:
• Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical/counselling/forensic psychology (or equivalent) as accredited by BPS
• Current HCPC registration as Clinical, Forensic or Counselling Psychologist
• Post-qualification experience of specialist assessment, formulation and treatment of adult clients
• Experience working with complex mental health problems including psychosis, CERN, severe depression, anxiety and trauma
• Experience working with people experiencing suicidal crisis
• Experience of clinical leadership
• Experience providing clinical supervision and teaching/training

Pennine Care was ranked best mental health and learning disability trust in the North in the latest NHS Staff Survey.