8b Principal Clinical Psychologist

Main area Mental Health Grade Band 8b Contract Permanent Hours

• Full time
• Flexible working

37.5 hours per week (The postholder will need to have the ability to work flexibly, as IRS is a 24/7 service, where peak demand is expected to be outside of normal working hours.) Job
-CEN
8211142

Site County Hall Town Norwich Salary £66,582 - £77,368 gross per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 31/08/2026 23:59

Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust provides child and adult mental health services, learning disability, wellbeing, older people's and eating disorder services across Norfolk and Suffolk.

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and want to reflect the diversity of our local communities within our teams. We welcome applications from all talented individuals with the relevant qualifications, skills, knowledge and experience.

Are you ready to lead transformation at the front door of mental health care?

As the principal clinical psychologist within our 24/7 Initial Response Service, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring people receive the right support at the earliest point of contact. Working across IRS, Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment (CRHT) services and NHS 111 Mental Health Services, you will provide expert clinical leadership in psychologically informed triage, formulation, risk assessment and crisis decision-making.

The post offers the opportunity to influence practice at both clinical and system levels. You will support and develop multidisciplinary teams through consultation, supervision, training and reflective practice, while championing trauma-informed, autism-informed and psychologically informed care. You will also lead service improvement and transformation initiatives, helping to develop innovative, evidence-based pathways that improve access, safety and outcomes for people experiencing mental health crises.

We are looking for an experienced clinical psychologist with strong leadership skills, a passion for improving urgent care services and the ability to work collaboratively across organisational boundaries to drive meaningful change. This is an excellent opportunity to make a tangible impact on the quality, effectiveness and responsiveness of mental health crisis care.

· Provide psychological leadership within IRS, CRHT and NHS 111 mental health services.

· Lead psychologically informed triage, formulation, risk assessment and risk management for complex, urgent and crisis presentations.

· Deliver expert clinical consultation regarding managing crisis presentations.

· Provide structured consultation and supervision to IRS staff.

· Support NHS 111 clinicians with formulation, risk assessment and psychologically informed decision-making.

· Develop and align psychological practice across IRS, CRHT and NHS 111 to evidence-based and best-practice standards.

· Provide training, reflective practice sessions and post-incident reflections to multidisciplinary teams.

· Support the delivery of trauma-informed, autism-informed and psychologically informed care.

· Contribute to patient safety processes, after-action reviews and the production of reports.

· Develop integrated pathways with system partners including NHS 111, primary care, crisis services and acute care pathways.

· Lead and support urgent care service transformation, pathway development and continuous quality improvement initiatives.

· Promote a standardized approach to safety planning, clinical decision-making and risk formulation across services.

· Work collaboratively across organizational and system boundaries to improve access, reduce duplication and enhance service user and carer experience.

s an employer, I and Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust are particularly committed to enabling our staff to do the very best they can through support and training, as well as opportunities for progression. We are confident, therefore, that the right candidate will have a real chance to make a…