Principal Clinical Psychologist | South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust


Company:	South West London and St Georges Mental Health Trust
Salary:	£63,665 - £70,887 per annum inclusive of outer London HCAS
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Surbiton, KT6 7QU
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	13 Nov 2026
Closing date:	13 Dec 2026

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Summary

We are seeking an HCPC registeredBand 7/8a Clinical/CounsellingPsychologist to join our Older People’s Inpatient Services (initially 0.5 Tolworth + 0.5 Springfield, however the Springfield ward will move to Tolworth in Spring 2028). You will work collaboratively with the two inpatient teams to provide psychological assessment and formulation of inpatients with mental health difficulties and/or dementia, facilitating complex case discussions, supporting the implementation of effective psychosocial interventions by staff teams, as well as conducting 1:1 therapeutic work with older people with mental health difficulties and potentially neuropsychological assessment where appropriate.

Psychology is highly valued within our services, and you will be well supported within Older People’s Psychology, where CPD and career development are encouraged. We have specialist pathway psychologist leads in Therapies, Distressed Behaviour in Dementia, and Neuropsychological Assessment, and you will receive regular individual supervision and support from senior psychologists in the service as well as opportunities for regular peer supervision and CPD. Our psychologists practice a range of therapeutic models, and we have BABCP accredited CBT therapists and psychologists working towards the Specialist Register of Clinical Neuropsychologists.

The role involves working across two older adult inpatient wards located in Tolworth & Springfield Hospitals. As Principal Clinical Psychologist you will conduct psychological assessments, formulation, therapeutic interventions, staff work including supporting the implementation of effective psychosocial interventions, and neuropsychological assessment where appropriate, for inpatients with mental health problems and/or dementia including distressed behaviour in dementia. You will work as part of an MDT including providing consultation, complex case discussions, and supporting with staff training. As an 8a you will also offer placements for trainee clinical psychologists. You will be encouraged to contribute towards service improvement, either by supporting local Quality Improvement Initiatives or larger Trust wide projects.

The post is 8a funded, however we are happy to consider newly or recently qualified applicants who may not yet meet 8a criteria. Applicants appointed at band 7 will be supported through a preceptorship model including a professional and clinical development plan to acquire knowledge, skills and experience to meet 8a person specifications, to progress to band 8a subject to successful interview.

We offer agile and flexible working opportunities as part of our new ways of working, which we are happy to discuss at interview stage. Please state in the Personal Information section whether you are interested in the full-time role or one of the teams only.

We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust.

We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’ - we aspire to be ‘outstanding’.

We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.

We offer flexible working, career development and a variety of benefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.

Come and join our inclusive teams and help our patients on their recovery journey.

the job advert the role is not subject to sponsorship, please be advised that all offers of employment are subject to evidence of right to work in the UK.

1. To provide specialist psychological assessments of clients referred to their clinical team based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex psychological data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the client’s care.

2. To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a client’s mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the client’s problems, and employing methods of proven efficacy, across the full range of care settings.

3. To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, within and across teams employed individually and in synthesis, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining several provisional hypotheses.

4. To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options considering both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group.

5. To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based standard care plans.

6. To provide specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to clients’ formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan.

7. To ensure that all members of the treating team have access to a psychologically based framework for understanding and care of clients of the service, through the provision of advice and consultation and the dissemination of psychological research and theory.

8. To undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and to provide general advice to other professionals on psychological aspects of risk assessment and management.

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This advert closes on Sunday 29 Nov 2026

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