Band 8a/b Psychologist - Prison
Job Title Principal / Senior Practitioner Psychologist (Band 8a–8b)
Banding Band 8b (Band 8a considered with strong experience)
Location Lancashire – split across two male secure environments
Working Hours Part‑time – 2/3 days per week
Salary Highly competitive
Join Us as a Senior Psychologist Supporting Two Established Forensic Settings Pulse is seeking an experienced Principal or Senior Practitioner Psychologist to provide high‑quality clinical support across two adult male secure environments in the North West region. This role offers a rare opportunity to deliver specialist psychological input within well‑established mental health teams, supporting both staff and service users who present with complex mental health needs, trauma and challenging behaviour. Your primary base will be one main site, with periodic visits to a second location (typically once per fortnight). You will contribute to reflective practice groups, trauma‑informed approaches and provide clinical leadership within a supportive multidisciplinary team.
Responsibilities In this role, you will:
Provide specialist psychological assessments, formulations and interventions for adults with complex presentations
Support staff teams in understanding and managing challenging behaviour, trauma and risk
Deliver reflective practice groups and staff wellbeing sessions
Offer clinical leadership and contribute to evidence‑based service development
Supervise and guide junior psychology team members
Work closely with multidisciplinary colleagues to ensure psychologically informed care across both sites
Prioritise clinical excellence while balancing responsibilities across two secure settings
Benefits Working with this service, you will enjoy:
Significant autonomy and influence within a psychologically led service
Opportunities to deliver reflective practice and staff support
A supportive and experienced MDT environment
Flexible part‑time schedule (minimum 2 days per week)
Competitive pay aligned with Band 8a–8b experience
Development opportunities within a specialist forensic setting
Qualifications and Experience You should ideally have:
HCPC registration as a Practitioner Psychologist (Clinical, Counselling or Forensic)
Experience supporting adults with complex mental health or behavioural needs
Confidence working with trauma‑related presentations or challenging behaviour
Experience supervising junior colleagues or contributing to clinical leadership
Forensic or secure‑setting experience is desirable but not essential Applicants who meet most—but not all—criteria are still encouraged to apply. Band 8a candidates with strong experience will be considered.
How to Apply To apply, please submit your details through the Pulse website. A member of our specialist Mental Health Recruitment Team will contact you to discuss your experience and next steps.
Why Work With Pulse Pulse offers industry‑leading support for psychology practitioners, including access to exclusive roles, a dedicated consultant, streamlined compliance, weekly payroll and flexible working opportunities.
Reasonable Adjustments If you require adjustments or support during the application or interview process, please let us know. We are committed to ensuring accessibility and fairness.