Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Head of Paediatric Psychology

Southampton, England, United Kingdom

7/25/2025

Job Overview

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Please see below for the detailed job description of the role.

Main duties of the job

We are now looking for a Consultant Clinical Psychologist to lead the Child Health Psychology Service at our Trust. This is an exciting leadership opportunity, where you will lead a dedicated paediatric psychology team working across a range of sub-specialities; in addition to overseeing our team of psychologists who also deliver Divisional Staff Psychology services.

You will take responsibility for leading, supervising and line managing the psychology team at Southampton Children’s Hospital (SCH), which delivers highly specialist services embedded into a wide range of paediatric services.

You will bring your strategic and professional leadership, ensuring our services are aligned to national clinical governance frameworks and deliver high-quality specialist psychological interventions to children and young people, their families and carers. Keeping this at the heart of all that we do.

With your excellent communication skills, your focus will be on collaboration and compassionate leadership; you will work across UHS and beyond to ensure our services are meeting the demands of our patients and system stakeholders.

You will live and demonstrate behaviours that meet our Trust Values: Patients First, Always Improving, Working Together. You will inspire, develop and support every one of us to live these values - every patient, every colleague, every day. You will lead and support diversity of talent, ensuring everyone can thrive and belong at UHS.

Working for our organisation

University Hospital Southampton is one of England's largest acute teaching Trusts, offering a wide range of learning and development opportunities to support your career aspirations.

Located on the south coast with an international airport and direct rail links to London, Southampton offers an ideal setting to live and work, with the New Forest, South Downs and Jurassic Coast.

We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalizing your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.

At UHS we’re committed to providing a flexible working environment where possible. Whether you are balancing family, study, or your wellbeing with your career, we want to support you so you can help our patients.

At UHS, we proudly champion individuality, recognizing that outstanding care is only possible with a diverse, inclusive team. We’re committed to creating an anti-racist, anti-discriminatory environment where everyone feels valued, safe, and empowered to make a meaningful impact in our communities. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to join us in building a healthcare community where everyone can belong, thrive, and contribute.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

We are a dynamic and fast-paced environment, which is always evolving and always improving and encourages innovation. We are committed to your career development and offer a supportive, flexible and collaborative working environment.

Your Responsibilities

WHAT YOU WILL DO

You will ensure the governance and delivery of a high-quality psychology service. By working closely with stakeholders, consultants, and the divisional management team, you will propose, develop, and implement service development changes that will improve the service, manage demand, and optimise capacity.

You will provide strategic, compassionate and professional leadership to our Child Clinical Psychology service and the Divisional Staff Psychology service.

You will oversee our team of psychologists who deliver the Divisional Staff Psychology support service, developing the links with the Adult Lead to enhance the Trust-wide service.

Lead the provision of high-quality specialist psychological interventions to children and young people, their families and carers.

Ensure that Child Clinical Psychology and Staff Psychology is delivered within an appropriate clinical governance framework issued by the British Psychological Society and the Health and Care Professions Council.

You will undertake a clinical role, which will be decided based on both your expertise and the needs of the service.

What We Are Looking For

Postgraduate Doctoral level qualification in Clinical Psychology (or equivalent) as accredited by the British Psychological Society.

Eligible for chartership and full membership of the Division of Clinical Psychology, including HCPC registration as a practitioner psychologist.

Substantial further specialist training in at least one specified area of psychological practice and experience commensurate with eligibility for a consultant clinical psychologist appointment (as approved by an external BPS assessor).

Evidence of initiating and engaging in audit and research, including evaluating services.

Experience of leading service delivery and design; working collegiately within a multidisciplinary paediatric context.

You will be able to demonstrate and live our UHS values and share our vision and direction for the trust in a spirit of collaboration, inclusivity and compassion.

Additional Information

Closing date is: Sunday 31 August 2025

After a shortlist meeting w/c 1 September, candidates going forward will be invited to a Teams stakeholder session on Wednesday 25 September and a final panel interview held onsite on Friday 26 September.

National Assessors from the British Psychological Society will form part of the assessment and selection panel for this role.

For more information about the role and our Trust, please visit:

https://uhs-nhs.pagetiger.com/cgckdhv

For an informal conversation, please contact Mike Davidson, Deputy Divisional Director, [email protected] or Jane McCartney, Senior Appointment, on [email protected]

Person specification

Qualifications, Knowledge And Experience

Essential criteria

• Postgraduate Doctoral level qualification in Clinical Psychology (or equivalent as accredited by the British Psychological society)
• Eligible for chartership and full membership of the Division of Clinical Psychology
• HCPC registration as a practitioner psychologist
• Substantial further specialist training in at least one specified area of psychological practice and experience commensurate with eligibility for a consultant clinical psychologist appointment as approved by an external BPS assessor
• Experience of line managing a team of psychologists, including managing performance or disciplinary issues
• Experience of strategic planning at local or regional level
• Formal supervision training and extensive experience of providing specialist clinical supervision to include supervision of trainee clinical psychologists
• Extensive experience of working in a multidisciplinary paediatric context
• Evidence of initiating and engaging in audit and research, including evaluation of services
• Evidence of highly specialist expertise in the delivery of evidence based psychological interventions to children and families
• Experience of teaching and training of professional groups
• Experience of a leadership role with involvement in service delivery and design
• Evidence of respecting diversity and treating everyone with dignity and respect; acting in ways that acknowledge and recognise people’s expressed beliefs, preferences, and choices.
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Formal Leadership Training and CPD
• Experience of managing recruitment processes
• Experience of the application of psychology in different contexts (e.g. cultural)
• Experience of working with service users as co-producers
• Experience of working with regional and national groups to inform good practice
  
  

Values and behaviours

Essential criteria

• Patients First
• Always Improving
• Working Together