20713 - Principal Registered Psychologist - Psychology Services - Enable Learning (National)


Company:	Ministry of Justice
Salary:	£73,513 - £86,082
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Newport, NP10 8FZ
Working pattern:	On-site
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	3 Aug 2026
Closing date:	17 Aug 2026

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Summary

Enable Learning and Development Psychology Lead (Band 9 Principal Psychologist) - National Role - Full Time – Permanent

We are excited to announce this opportunity for a Band 9 Psychologist to lead in the development, learning, and testing of Psychology supported components of the Enable Transformation Programme. The successful candidate will play a critical role in working as part of a wider HMPPS Programme team. They will support the learning and development of this priority HMPPS change programme, working with central teams and sites to develop and inform evidence-based conditions for change. A specific focus of the role will be the Reflective Skills Framework, although contribution, support, and learning around wider Enable products, including the leadership offer, will be a key part of the role.

The individual’s work will be central in pulling together key learning and informing both design principles and operational decisions to support the implementation of key products and process developed within the programme. The work will be critical in enabling HMPPS to deliver its vision ‘Working together to protect the public and help people lead law-abiding and positive lives’ through an open learning culture; transforming through partnership; enabling people to be their best; and modernising our estate and technology. This role will work alongside the Enable 5-year plan to deliver priority activity of the programme.

This is a national role although there will be an expectation that the successful candidate will be able to travel to relevant sites and HQ as necessary. These will include those sites included in the London Regional Pilot, LTHSE and Early Adopter sites (Lancaster Farms, Channings Wood, Guys Marsh, Cardiff, Downview). There will also be a requirement to deliver training and presentations at other national venues.

Enable Programme Five-Year Plan (2025–2030)

The Enable Programme Five-Year Plan sets out how we (HMPPS) will strengthen learning, capability, and leadership across the prison workforce between 2025 and 2030. It is not a single learning offer. It is a long-term workforce transformation programme that brings together a joined-up development system, supporting staff from entry into role, through progression, and into leadership.

The plan reflects a simple truth: the performance of the prison system depends on our people. When staff feel confident, capable, and supported, they are better able to manage risk, build professional relationships, make sound decisions, and deliver consistent outcomes.

Our ambition is that by 2030, we want a workforce that is confident and capable, has strong leadership at every level, works professionally and consistently, and contributes to safer prisons and better outcomes.

Enable aims to deliver:

better support for new starters

clearer development pathways

stronger leadership and management capability

greater pride and professional identity

The Enable Learning and Development Psychology Lead will work to support the aims of the programme and in doing so work extremely closely with the London Regional Pilot Enable Band 9, and the Enable Lead for LTHSE. Work will be overseen and co-ordinated through the Psychology Services Enable Lead: Directorate Lead for Corporate Services, Governance, Safety and London (Giles McCathie). As such both roles will be line managed by the Band 10 Area Lead for London.

Roles explained:

The successful applicant will support this work centrally and continue to support Psychology staff across relevant sites. There will be some expectation to visit sites delivering Enable products, this will be dependent on existing site support and required learning opportunities. Good visible leadership will be required, and the successful candidate will be expected to be a visible champion for Enable at senior levels, including presentations at senior forums. The successful candidate will be expected to travel and attend meetings in person both at sites and London HQ.

Additional responsibilities of the role will include:

Will contribute as part of the Enable Management Team.

The role will contribute to the psychological design of leadership and management development offers across all levels of the prison workforce, supporting Enable’s ambition to build a sustainable leadership pipeline.

Support the cultural and behavioural conditions required for successful workforce transformation.

Support the development of psychologically informed evaluation approaches to assess the impact, adoption, and sustainability of Enable products.

This is an exciting opportunity to enhance skills and experience. Working alongside a major HMPPS programme is likely to stretch the applicant’s skills whilst working as a psychologist but also linking with a wide and varied range of stakeholder on this important service wide transformation. Updates and input at Senior level boards will be a necessary activity for both roles. The individual will be a critical link across departments and specialist areas and be expected to work using tested models of behaviour change and other evidence informed approaches.

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