Senior Clinical Psychologist; LI

SENIOR PRINCIPAL CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST Band 8B – Fixed term December 2026 (Part‑time – pro‑rata salary)

EDINBURGH – NHS LOTHIAN, THE ORCHARD CLINIC, ROYAL EDINBURGH HOSPITAL

The successful applicant will work with the Professional Lead for Forensic Clinical Psychology / Head of Service for Complex Care to provide a high‑quality specialist clinical and forensic psychology service to mentally disordered offenders subject to mental health legislation.

The post involves:

• Working with forensic patients within the Orchard Clinic medium secure unit and during follow‑up to other services or the community.
• Providing high‑quality psychological assessment, treatment and evaluation.
• Delivering specialist support and consultation to clinical teams and other professionals.
• Providing teaching, supervision, consultancy and research expertise to Clinical Psychology trainees and other mental health professionals.
• Contributing to the systematic governance of psychological practice within the service.
• Utilising high‑level research skills for audit, policy and service development.
• Participating in service development projects and having delegated management functions within the psychology service.

There is flexibility to accommodate suitable candidates' needs and interests; development of specialist clinical and forensic expertise will be encouraged. Close links exist with the East of Scotland Clinical Psychology Training course and other forensic services in Scotland and England.

For further information or to arrange an informal visit, please email the central Psychology Admin Hub and reference this post. A secondment may be considered with appropriate managerial approval.

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among its workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for the workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.

As from 1/4/26, the Agenda for Change full‑time working week will be reducing from 37 to 36 hours per week. Part‑time hours will be reduced pro‑rata, but there will be a corresponding increase in the hourly rate so that pay will not be affected.

We will fully support disabled candidates and candidates with long‑term conditions or who are neuro‑divergent by making reasonable adjustments to our recruitment policy and practices.

We anticipate a high level of interest in this position and may close the vacancy early once a sufficient number of applications are received. Please ensure you complete and submit your application early.

To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country, granted by the UK Visa and Immigration Service. Further information on the NHS Scotland Boards' responsibilities can be found in the further information for this vacancy.

AI tools such as ChatGPT or Copilot can be useful for planning and preparing your application, but your answers must be your own.

Please note:

• Show us the real you: your application should reflect your skills, experience and motivations authentically.
• Use AI wisely: it’s fine to use AI for ideas or to check spelling and grammar, but don’t let it write your answers.
• Why this matters: applications that rely on AI‑generated content may be withdrawn. By applying, you confirm your responses are based on your own knowledge and achievements.

This post requires the post holder to have a PVG Scheme membership/record. If the applicant is not a current PVG member for the required regulatory group (i.e. child and/or adult), an application will need to be made to Disclosure Scotland and deemed satisfactory before they can begin in post. Due to legislative changes from 1 April 2025, this post may require a different level of criminal records check than is currently the case.

The appointment will be subject to joining the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme if assessed as a regulated role. For more details, please visit…

The use of the term “Senior” or “Junior” in this post refers only to the level of experience and responsibility required, not age. Applications from people of all ages are welcomed, subject to meeting the relevant criteria.