Principal Clinical​/Counselling Psychologist; Perinatal

Go back Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 08 February 2026

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Clinical/Counselling Psychologist to join our service. If you have experience of working in perinatal and inpatient settings and are creative, motivated, and have strong leadership skills, we would love to hear from you.

The Brockington Parent and Baby Unit (PBU) is an eight bedded unit, based in Stafford, that accepts national referrals. The team deliver care to expectant and new mothers who are experiencing moderate to severe/complex mental health problems within the perinatal period. The Unit is a part of MPFT Perinatal Services which also includes South Staffordshire Perinatal and Maternal Mental Health Team and Shropshire Perinatal Community Mental Health Team.

The three perinatal teams have close working relationships, supported by service-wide senior operational and professional leadership roles.

The Brockington Parent and Baby Unit is about to undergo extensive remodelling to further support with delivery of a modern and high-quality service. This has also provided an opportunity to review the staffing and skill mix within the team, and we are keen to recruit a 0.6 wte Principal Clinical/Counselling Psychologist, as well as a Clinical/Counselling Psychologist and an Assistant Psychologist.

As the Principal Clinical/Counselling Psychologist, you will be responsible for leading the development and implementation of psychological provision within the PBU, promoting psychological thinking and supervising/supporting psychological assessments and interventions provided by other Psychological Professionals or clinical members of the team. An important part of your role will be to ensure all members of the clinical team have access to psychologically based frameworks for understanding and informing the care of service users, through the provision of advice and consultation and the dissemination of psychological research and theory.

In your own clinical work, you will provide highly specialist psychological assessments and interventions, working with women with a range of perinatal mental health difficulties, including OCD, psychosis, mood and anxiety disorders and trauma requiring inpatient admission. You will also bring experience of bonding and attachment to assess the parent‑infant relationship and any risks to the baby, making decisions based on the care needs of both mother and child.

As part of the leadership team, you will contribute to maintaining a psychologically‑safe team culture, support with ensuring team effectiveness and participate in/lead service developments. There will also be scope for delivering training and consultation to partner agencies.

Come and work with us at our award‑winning NHS Trust, leading the way for trying new and better ways of working to help improve life for our local communities.

We have around 9,000 staff who provide physical and mental healthcare, support for people with learning disabilities, and adult social care across Staffordshire, Stoke‑on‑Trent, Shropshire, and Telford & Wrekin. We also run regional and national services, including help for new parents (perinatal care), eating disorders, forensic services, sexual health, and support for people in prison with mental health, drug, or alcohol problems.

We offer great career development for both clinical and non‑clinical roles, with ongoing training and support to help you learn and grow.

We are 'United in our Uniqueness' and committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels welcome and can be themselves, no matter their background or identity. We want our staff to feel supported and valued, and we aim to build a team that reflects the communities we serve. Together, we can make sure every voice is heard, and every difference is respected.

Please note, we may be required to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications

Please be aware that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in completing application forms will be monitored to ensure fairness and…