Principal Clinical Psychologist
24 hours ago
London
Role Principal Clinical Psychologist – Digital DBT-A Self-Harm Service Band / grade Equivalent to NHS AfC Band 8b Salary Competitive, benchmarked to NHS AfC Band 8b Contract Fixed Term - with potential to renew Hours 4 days a week (flexible working considered) Location Remote / hybrid, with occasional London-based working as required Reports to Chief Clinical Officer Informal enquiries Dr Olivia Collier, Chief Clinical Officer olivia@lets-speek.com Closing date 31st July (please note this role may close earlier if enough applications are received) About Speek Speek is a digital mental health platform on a mission to widen access to evidence-based care for young people who self-harm and their families. Our interventions are grounded in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy for Adolescents (DBT-A) and delivered through a blended model that combines skilled clinicians with carefully governed digital and AI-enabled tools.The aim is to deliver early-intervention DBT programs for adolescents, through an adapted format designed for lower-risk young people who are on long waits or are unable to access specialist services. We work in close partnership with the NHS and position our offer within the THRIVE framework at the Getting Help and Getting More Help tiers. Our clinical work is embedded in research. We are a small, ambitious and multidisciplinary team spanning clinical psychology, DBT practice, research, product and engineering. Clinical safety, equality, diversity and inclusion, and meaningful involvement of young people and families sit at the heart of what we do. Job overview This is an exciting opportunity to provide senior clinical and professional leadership for a digitally delivered, DBT-A service for young people who struggle with high levels of emotion dysregulation, self-harm and other self-destructive behaviours, and for their families and carers. The postholder will take a lead clinician role, providing clinical leadership, line management and clinical supervision to Band 7 and 8a psychologists and DBT practitioners, and will hold responsibility for the systematic clinical governance of psychological practice across the platform. This post would suit an experienced, motivated and committed CAMHS professional with DBT training, DBT delivery experience and a strong interest in digital innovation, research and NHS partnership, who is seeking a senior leadership opportunity. Main duties of the job We seek an experienced clinical psychologist with DBT training to provide high-quality clinical and professional leadership in working with young people and families across a blended digital care model. Applicants will have: • Training and experience delivering DBT with adolescents (DBT-A)., • Experience of working with children and young people presenting with complex, high-risk emotional dysregulation and self-harm., • Experience and good knowledge of working in multidisciplinary settings and of interagency and partnership working., • Sound knowledge of safeguarding and child protection policy and procedure., • Experience of clinical and professional supervision, service development and leadership., • An interest in, or experience of, digital health, clinical safety and the use of AI-enabled tools in clinical care (desirable)., • Experience of service evaluation or research (desirable). Working for our organisation Joining Speek means joining an organisation that is helping to redefine how evidence-based mental health care reaches young people and families. Our values – being clinically rigorous, compassionate, collaborative, safe and open – are at the heart of everything we do, and our mission is to make life better for young people who self-harm and those who care for them. You will be supported to develop your career and to flourish as a valued member of the clinical team, with opportunities for continuing professional development. We are inclusive and diverse, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and protected characteristics. Detailed job description and main responsibilities • Work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of psychological practice within the service area, working with the Speek CCO lead to coordinate psychological assessment, treatment and therapy resources across the teams, • Ensure the systematic provision of a high-quality, specialist DBT-A-informed psychological therapies service to young people who self-harm and their families and carers, across Speek’s digitally delivered pathways., • Be responsible for the clinical governance structures that support multidisciplinary colleagues delivering psychological care – including professional and clinical supervision, appraisal, CPD and training needs, and clinical recording standards., • Provide coordinated service leadership in designated areas in conjunction with Clinical Leads and Team Managers, advising on service developments., • Be a source of advice and guidance in relation to risk management and safeguarding., • Directly provide, and oversee, highly specialist psychological assessment, formulation, risk assessment, safety planning and intervention, modelling and upholding high standards of clinical practice within a blended digital model., • Supervise and support the psychological assessment and therapy provided by Band 7 and 8a psychologists, DBT practitioners and other clinical colleagues who deliver psychologically based care, by agreement with the Chief Clinical Officer., • Work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic clinical governance of psychological practice across the platform, coordinating clinical assessment, treatment and therapy resources across the service., • Contribute clinical expertise to clinical-safety and regulatory processes, • Provide coordinated clinical leadership in conjunction with the Chief Clinical Officer and NHS commissioners, advising on service development and supporting implementation and partnership working (e.g. within the THRIVE framework at the Getting Help and Getting More Help tiers)., • Support the management of clinical performance and quality improvement across the clinical team., • Promote the involvement of young people, families and carers in shaping the service and its clinical content., • Promote equality of access to care and awareness of how social difference can influence treatment outcomes and service-user experience. Person specificationTraining & qualifications Essential • Qualified Clinical/Counselling Psychologist, or Qualified Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, or Qualified Systemic Family Psychotherapist, and with evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC., • Completed training course in clinical supervision., • Intensive DBT training (e.g. British Isles DBT Training or equivalent). Desirable • Post-qualification training in one or more additional evidence-based modalities relevant to young people who self-harm (e.g. MBT, CBT, CFT, ACT, systemic / family approaches)., • Accreditation with the Society for Dialectical Behaviour Therapy. Experience Essential • Substantial post-qualification experience of working at a highly specialist level with children and young people presenting with emotion dysregulation, self-harm and other self-destructive behaviours, and with their families and carers., • Experience of specialist psychological assessment, clinical risk assessment, safety planning and DBT / DBT-A-informed intervention., • Experience of clinical and professional supervision, teaching and training of psychologists or other professional groups., • Experience of service development and clinical leadership within a multidisciplinary setting., • Experience of safeguarding and child protection practice. Desirable • Experience of working in or with digital health, AI-enabled clinical tools, or software as a medical device., • Experience of audit, service evaluation or research, including NIHR-funded or randomised controlled trial contexts., • Experience of NHS commissioner engagement and service implementation (e.g. CAMHS / THRIVE)., • Experience of working with trauma and / or disordered eating presentations., • Experience of managing the clinical performance of staff. Knowledge Essential • Highly developed knowledge of DBT-A and of the evidence base for interventions for self-harm in young people., • Knowledge of legislation and policy relating to child and adult safeguarding, mental health and equalities., • Knowledge of clinical risk assessment and management with high-risk young people., • Doctoral-level knowledge of psychological research methodology and outcome measurement. Desirable • Knowledge of the THRIVE framework and contemporary CAMHS service models. Skills & abilities Essential • Ability to deliver and supervise highly specialist psychological therapy and assessment across cultural and other differences., • Ability to communicate complex and sensitive clinical information skilfully and sensitively with young people, families and colleagues, overcoming barriers to communication., • Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team spanning clinical, product, engineering and research functions., • Ability to translate clinical expertise into the design, safety and governance of digital and AI-enabled tools., • Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate., • Ability to manage emotionally demanding clinical work, including working with young people who self-harm and who present with suicidality. Applicant requirements Applicants must have appropriate current UK professional registration (HCPC). This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). All offers of employment are subject to evidence of the right to work in the UK.