Job summary
To provide expert professional leadership to the Psychological Professions, working closely with the Strategic Psychological Professions Lead to drive strategic priorities, strengthen professional standards, and ensure the delivery of safe, high-quality, and person-centred services.

Working closely with the Deputy Director of Psychological Professions/ CPPO you will ensure that the Psychological Professions contribute to the strategic and corporate objectives of the Trust and that the profession is developed to maximise its role in providing high quality, evidence based care to service users. You will be part of the care services' senior leadership team, working with colleagues contributing to operational and strategic decisions within the care service lines, and providing professional advice to the care service lines and management teams.

As a Psychological Professions Lead you will support the Psychological Professions' workforce to collaborate with service users as experts in their own care and foster a culture of service users, carers and families feeling listened to and being central to service developments and the values of the Trust.

You will help develop and embed the Psychological Professions Strategy across all clinical areas of the Trust, providing PP leadership and support to staff in taking forward developments.

Main duties of the job
The candidate will work autonomously supporting Psychological Professions across designated care services. They will deputise for the Deputy Director of Psychological Professions/ CPPO where indicated. They will support the design and implementation of trust wide strategies and improvement plans; providing representation of the trust on a regional and national level, whilst identifying gaps in representation for varying priorities across populations and specialities. They will horizon scan for Leeds Local risks and support the trust in mitigation of these. They will effectively support the organisations merger with responsive support to areas in need; providing expert guidance for profession specific issues and give guidance to colleagues. They will support assurance processes for registered and non-registered professions. Whilst maintaining their own clinical practice and actively support the leadership, governance and development of the psychological professions. The post holder will lead on and/or support trustwide initiatives such as supporting the trauma informed strategy and framework development.

About us
The Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LYPFT) is the main provider of Mental Health and Learning Disability services in Leeds. We also provide specialist inpatient services in York and some highly specialised services across the country. As a teaching trust with strong links to local universities, we are a centre of excellence for teaching, research and development.

There are many benefits of working for LYPFT including fantastic employee wellbeing support, 27 - 33 days annual leave, flexible working and remote working arrangements, the NHS Pension Scheme, coaching, support and opportunities for career development and training and education support alongside a range of exclusive discounts and payment schemes including for cars, extra leave days and more NHS Discount Offers.

We also have a bank department, offering variety of roles in nursing, allied health professions, healthcare support worker and administration clerical. Permanent employees are automatically added to bank.

Applicants should be aware that individuals requiring a visa to work in the UK, the Trust only provides sponsorship for registered healthcare practitioner roles (this does not include Healthcare Support Workers). This is an essential requirement, and the Trust is unable to offer you a role if you do not meet Trust requirements for sponsorship and Home Office requirements for a visa.

Details
Date posted: 16 October 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 8c
Salary: £79,504 to £91,609 a year Per Annum/Pro rata
Contract: Fixed term
Duration: 12 months
Working pattern: Part-time
Reference number: 173-55526-COR
Closing date: 25 October 2026

Job responsibilities
You will be supporting the Nursing, Quality and Professions directorate in undertaking Psychological Professions workforce planning and redesign, regular monitoring of the PP resource in terms of cost effectiveness along with the development and introduction of new roles.

You will provide strategic leadership for the Psychological Professions workforce, ensuring the effective delivery of safer staffing principles and the integration of Psychological Professions within organisational workforce planning systems. This includes oversight of e-Rostering, job planning, temporary staffing, deployment, and redeployment arrangements to optimise workforce capacity and capability. Working collaboratively with operational and professional leaders, you will lead initiatives to recruit, develop, and retain a highly skilled and sustainable workforce, while championing equality, diversity, and inclusion to build a workforce that reflects and serves the communities we support.

To play a lead clinical role in the delivery of quality assurance and continuous improvement. Working alongside other colleagues to raise awareness, raise standards and embed a culture which understands and values the notion of external regulation and scrutiny. This will include ensuring systems are in place across all services and disciplines to implement, evaluate and improve standards of practice and outcomes.

In addition, the post holder will deputise for the Deputy Director of Psychological Professions/ CPPO, maintain their own clinical practice and actively support the leadership, governance and development of the psychological professions, lead on and support trustwide initiatives such as the trauma informed strategy and framework development.

Person Specification
Qualifications (Essential):

• Consultant Psychologist or Psychotherapist - Registration with the Health Professions Council (HCPC) or equivalent.

Knowledge (Essential):

• To have a knowledge of current legislation, government policy and direction for health and social care in relation to psychological professions.
• Maintain an up to date knowledge of legislation and Policy development relevant to the sector ensuring it underpins practice.
• To demonstrate an understanding of the required governance of Psychological professions.
• To have knowledge of workforce planning and working strategically

Skills (Essential):

• To possess skills of change management and conflict resolution.
• To have the ability to pass on skills and knowledge to others within both formal and informal environments.
• To have the ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance.
• To possess information technology skills.

Values (Desirable):

• Tell us about a time when you spotted something small going wrong and did something to stop it becoming a bigger issue.
• Tell us about a time when you realised a colleague or someone you know needed a bit of support and you offered to help.
• Tell us about a time when you showed someone kindness or understanding.

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.

Employer details
Employer name: Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Address: St Mary's House, Leeds, LS7 3JX, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.leedsandyorkpft.nhs.uk/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Dr Sarah Abel, Director of Psychological, Sarah.abel1@nhs.net, 07980970090

All our information is available in accessible formats. Please contact the Recruitment team recruitment.lypft@nhs.net. If you require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Recruitment Team.