About this role
Job summary
To provide strategic, professional, and operational leadership for Clinical Psychology services across UHDB, ensuring the delivery of safe, effective, evidence-based, and high-quality psychological care. The post holder has overall responsibility for the governance, development, workforce planning, quality assurance, and continuous improvement of psychology services, ensuring alignment with Trust priorities, national policy, professional standards, and service user needs.
The role provides expert clinical leadership across a range of specialist services, maintaining responsibility for highly complex clinical work while ensuring robust systems are in place for professional supervision, clinical governance, workforce development, research, audit, and service evaluation. The post holder acts as the professional lead for Clinical Psychology, representing the profession at Trust, regional and national levels and contributing to strategic planning and service transformation across health and care systems.
Closing date of applications - 22 October 2026
Interview date - 13 November 2026
Main duties of the job
The Head of Clinical Psychology is the most senior psychology professional within UHDB and holds Trust-wide responsibility for the professional leadership, governance, strategic development, and operational oversight of Clinical Psychology services. The post holder is accountable for maintaining high standards of clinical practice, workforce development, quality assurance, research, audit, and service improvement across a diverse range of specialist services.
The role provides direct leadership and management of five specialist psychology services: Paediatric Psychology, the Autism Team, Youth Justice Psychology, the Complex Behaviour Service, and the Positive Behaviour Service. Collectively, these services support children, young people, families, and vulnerable populations presenting with highly complex psychological, behavioural, developmental, neurodevelopmental, and emotional needs across acute, community, education, social care, and criminal justice settings.
Responsibilities include workforce planning, recruitment, professional supervision, appraisal systems, professional governance, succession planning, and ensuring compliance with regulatory, professional, and organisational standards across all psychology services.
As Clinical Advisor for SEND, the post holder works across organisational and professional boundaries, influencing service development at Trust, Place, and Integrated Care System level.
About us
As a trusted organisation at the heart of our communities, we recognise the important role we can play in supporting the public, patients, our own people and local partners in achieving the best of health for the local population and the communities in which they live by providing Exceptional Care Together
Our fundamental Values of Compassion, Openness and Excellence underpin how we intend to work as a Trust and the associated behaviours are becoming embedded in all aspects of how we work.
In return we will offer:
Development opportunities, both professional and leadership development On-going support from recruitment to when you join our team and beyond. Staff benefits including employee assistance programme, discounted gym membership, onsite fitness classes, car schemes Key Facts:
We see on average 4810 OP appointments a day. We are the 4th busiest Trauma & Orthopaedic outpatients department in England - an average of 2077 per week. An average of 1115 patients are seen in A&Es across our network every day - 3rd largest in the country. Our hospitals admit an average of 195 emergency patients daily. Last year we undertook almost 33,700 planned surgical operations in our 57 operating theatres. We are one of only 7 Trusts nationally with more than 50 operating theatres. We carry out more than 140 elective procedures each working day. UHDB is a research active University Hospital with a large and varied portfolio of clinical trials and research opportunities for all staff.
Job description Job responsibilities
Please see attached Job description and Person Specification. To apply please click APPLY FOR THIS JOB this link will take you to the TRAC Recruitment Site. You will need to register if you do not already have an account.
UHDB is committed to fair and transparent recruitment. We welcome authentic applications that reflect your own skills, experience and motivations for the role. While we understand that candidates may use AI tools for grammar, formatting or accessibility purposes, applications that appear to be substantially AIgenerated may be subject to additional review. If this applies to your submission, we will let you know and may ask for clarification. Please ensure your application accurately represents your experience and is written in your own words.
Following the recent update on UK immigration policy for those on a Health and Care Visa or Skilled Worker Visa, please click on the link to check your eligibility before applying for this post as we may be unable to provide sponsorshipSkilled worker: Health and Care Visa | NHS Employers
Important visa information: Due to UK Home Office immigration rule changes effective from 22 July 2025, applicants sponsored under Occupation Code 6131 (Nursing Auxiliaries and Assistants) may not be eligible to bring dependants under the Skilled Worker route if their Certificate of Sponsorship is issued on or after this date. Applicants are responsible for understanding how these rules apply to their individual circumstances. The Trust cannot provide immigration advice. Further information is available on the Skilled Worker visa: Your partner and children - GOV.UK
Your application (for shortlisting purposes) is assessed based on the Person Specification in the job advert (below).
Skilled worker: Health and Care Visa
Read about the Health and Care Visa for employing overseas nationals (excluding Irish citizens) under the points-based immigration system.
Person Specification
Education & Training Essential
Post graduate doctoral level training in clinical psychology as accredited by the HPCP, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology Live Registration and accreditation with HCPC
Desirable
Post doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice.
Experience & Knowledge Essential
Formal training in clinical and professional supervision of trainee clinical psychologists Knowledge of legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to the client group and mental health
Desirable
Significant experience of managing a department, staff, budget holding
Values & Behaviors Essential
The role requires a collaborative and partnership-focused approach, building effective relationships across health, education, social care and wider system partners to improve outcomes and deliver integrated care. The post holder will act with integrity, openness and professionalism, providing visible leadership and fostering a positive culture of trust, respect and continuous improvement.
Skills & Ability Essential
Proven ability to analyse and make judgements about complex and often incomplete information derived from a range of sources. The ability to exercise such judgements at a service level.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust
Address Royal Derby Hospital
Uttoxeter Road
Derby
DE22 3NE
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.uhdb.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)