Job summary
Are you an experienced Clinical Psychologist ready to lead transformational change in Children and Young People's Mental Health Services?

Dorset CAMHS is seeking an exceptional Principal Psychologist for our Integrated Front Door (IFD) Team to provide professional, clinical and strategic leadership within our Pan Dorset service. This is an exciting opportunity to influence how children, young people and families access mental health support, ensuring that every referral receives a high-quality, needs-led assessment aligned with the THRIVE model of care. This is a PAN Dorset post working out of Wareham and Bournemouth.

Working alongside the CAMHS Head of Service, Deputy Head of Service and senior operational colleagues, you will play a pivotal role in shaping service delivery, supporting our highly skilled multidisciplinary workforce and driving continuous improvement across Dorset.

This is a highly influential role combining clinical expertise, operational leadership, workforce development and service innovation.

Main duties of the job
This role aligns with Dorset's THRIVE approach, ensuring children and young people receive the right support at the right time, with a strong focus on collaboration, shared decision-making, prevention, early intervention and enabling young people to achieve their goals. You will play a key role in supporting engagement and helping young people access the networks and resources they need to thrive.

The post holder will have a passion for system wide working, be able to foster strong multi-agency partnerships, working collaboratively with health, social care, education, voluntary sector and community partners to improve outcomes and create a seamless experience for families. You will provide expert psychological leadership, consultation and supervision to multidisciplinary colleagues, supporting evidence-based practice and a psychologically informed culture across the system.

The role requires a strategic and operational leader who can drive service development, influence system-wide change and ensure equitable access to support for children and young people. The successful candidate will combine advanced clinical expertise with excellent relationship-building skills, a commitment to innovation and a passion for collaborative working to deliver high-quality, responsive and person-centred care.

Employment in this post requires an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, which the Trust will cover the cost of. Applicants who subscribe to the DBS update service are able to present a valid DBS certificate instead of requiring a new check.

About us
At Dorset HealthCare we're on a mission to empower people to make the most of their lives through our outstanding, joined-up healthcare services. We're a dynamic, forward-looking Trust, running 12 community hospitals, specialist inpatient facilities and a wide range of integrated community and mental health services for a population of almost 800,000 people.

We do things differently here - it's one of the reasons the CQC rated us 'outstanding' in 2019. It's also why 95% of patients across our services say they have a good or very good experience of our services and 89% of staff feel they can really make a difference. Whether you're looking to work with us in one of our bustling market towns, vibrant urban locations, thriving seaside spots, or among the rolling hills of Dorset, there are lots of ways you can make a difference in our communities.

Our 7,000-strong workforce is at the heart of what we do and our success is a testament to our brilliant people. We're all about building a workplace for the future, we believe in equal opportunities and we celebrate diversity. We're an inclusive workplace, where everyone is welcome, everyone can be authentic, and we are all encouraged to be the best version of ourselves.

Date posted: 14 July 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 8b
Salary: £66,582 to £77,368 a year
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 152-M180.26
Job locations: Westport House, Worgret Road, Wareham, BH20 4PP, United Kingdom

Person Specification
Experience
Essential

• Experience of working as a qualified Clinical Psychologist for a minimum of five years post-qualification, with significant experience across children, young people and/or family mental health.
• Experience of professional leadership of qualified and pre-qualified clinical psychologists.

Desirable

• Evidence of adopting a preventative and/or working in early help services for CYPF
• Evidence of working across partner agencies, specifically local authority and education partners

Additional requirements
Essential

• Must be capable of the clear articulation and interpretation of the role of the profession of clinical psychology based upon a good understanding of the framework of government and national professional policy.

Knowledge Skills and Training
Essential

• Skills in the use of complex and highly specialist methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration
• Awareness of the Thrive framework and specifically able to evidence/reference working in a Thrive informed manner.
• Post-graduate doctoral level training in Clinical Psychology (or its equivalent for those who trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the British Psychological Society, (conferring eligibility for graduate membership) including specific models of psychopathology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
• Post-doctoral accreditation in one or more additional specialised models of psychological therapy e.g CBT, CAT, DBT
• Skills in developing plans and structures to facilitate the flexible undertaking of complex activities across service and agencies.

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).