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Job summary

Main area
Clinical Lead
Grade
Band 7
Contract
Fixed term: 12 months (To commence from January 2027)
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
373-SMH2811
Employer
Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS FoundationTrust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Bowmere Hospital
Town
Chester
Salary
£49,387 - £56,515 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
19/11/2026 23:59

Employer heading

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS FoundationTrust logo

Clinical Lead

Band 7

Job overview

An opportunity has arisen for a secondment for 12 months as a clinical lead for West Complex Needs Service. The proposed start date is January 2027 to cover Maternity Leave. The Complex Needs Service plays a key role in delivering mental health care for adults with personality-based difficulties and complex trauma.  The post-holder will be part of a leadership team that helps co-ordinate and implement direct and indirect psychological care to our client group, whilst also helping to support the wider system that works with our clients.

 CNS West offer a range of psychological therapies including Structured Clinical Management, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and Mentalisation Based Therapy. We would welcome applications from candidates with previous experience in evidence based psychological models for the treatment of complex emotional needs and experience of working with high levels of relational trauma. We have an experienced DBT consult and SCM Supervision and the successful applicant would form part of these spaces depending on their training in a model.

 CWP is an equal opportunities employer and that all qualified candidates are welcome to apply. 

Main duties of the job

Support the leadership team in supervision of band 6 practitioners and support worker, offer direct clinical work, support the training offer for personality disorder, chair referrals meetings, support staff with patients who are presenting in crisis, undertake assessments for patients who have been referred to CNS, link in with our wider teams to think about referrals to CNS.

We are keen to recruit someone with experience, specialist knowledge and skills of working with personality based difficulties and complex trauma. We also value leadership skills and the ability to develop innovative practice and play a role in service development.

Working for our organisation

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership (CWP) provides health and care services for a population of over one million people, including mental health, learning disability, community physical health and all-age disability care, as well as the provision of three GP surgeries in Cheshire.

We employ around 4,500 staff across 73 sites and have services across Wirral and Cheshire, as well as Trafford, Warrington, Bolton, Halton, Liverpool and Stockport. 

Our aim is to help improve the lives of everyone in our communities, adopting a compassionate, person-centred approach to everything we do. We are rated as Outstanding for Caring by the Care Quality Commission, with a Good rating overall.

As a Disability Confident Employer, Rainbow Badge Scheme member, Veteran Aware organisation and proud holder of the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award, CWP is committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible and developing a culture that values differences, and welcome applications from people who have direct experience of accessing our services.
All new starters will commence in post on one fixed start date each month, in line with our Prepare to Care (P2C) induction programme date. P2C offers up to 3 weeks training to support you to meet the induction / initial training requirements of the role.

Whether you are just starting out in your career or looking to use your existing skills and experience in a new role, you’ll find something to suit you at CWP.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please download a copy of the job description (see ‘documents to download’ section below) for full details of the main responsibilities for this role.

At CWP, our recruitment selection processes are based on both competence (see person specification for details) and values. 

CWP recruits people that can demonstrate the Trust’s Values in their everyday life and we use a values-based approach in our interviews, which explores not only what you do but how and why you do it. 

Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trust’s Values and think about how these align with your own personal values. The supporting information section in your application should reflect your understanding of the Trust’s Values and associated behaviours and you should provide examples from your work experience and/or personal life which demonstrate these values through your behaviours. 

An applicant guide to help and support you through your recruitment journey can be accessed at the bottom of this page. Further help and support for completing your application can be accessed via our website. If you need any further guidance to help you complete your application, contact our recruitment team via email at: [email protected] or by calling 01244 393100. 

If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010, and you can show that you meet the ‘essential’ criteria described in the person specification for an available position, please answer ‘YES’ to the question: ‘Do you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme?’ 

Please inform the team if you have any special support needs to be considered as part of the interview and selection processes.

The trust offers a Guaranteed Interview Scheme to any armed forces community applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post and encourages applications from armed forces reservists or cadet force adult volunteers. 
Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £15 per year applies. 

New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.

Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.

Good luck with your application. We hope to welcome you to Team CWP very soon!

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • A relevant Social Work, Nursing or Allied Health Professional (e.g. Occupational Therapy) degree level qualification or equivalent experience
  • Current registration with a nationally recognised professional body relevant to the professional qualification held e.g. GSCC for Social workers, HPC for Occupational Therapists etc
  • Minimum 5 years post registration experience
Desirable criteria
  • Masters level qualification or equivalent short courses and/or experience
  • Teaching qualification or significant experience

Knowledge & Expertise

Essential criteria
  • Excellent communication skills: working with staff, working with patients and carers, working with general practice, presentations, written reports, understanding and ability to interpret, research and facilitate staff to implement evidence-based practice
  • Proven ability to challenge current practices and freedom to make change in light of evidence-based recommendations
  • Knowledge, understanding and the ability to interpret and implement local and national policy direction relevant to practice
  • Proven experience of clinical audit, skill and knowledge required to facilitate staff to undertake clinical audit
  • Knowledge and experience of moving staff through the change management process
  • Empowering staff to manage and support change
  • Demonstrable effective clinical leadership with knowledge, understanding and application of leadership theories
  • Relevant clinical expertise to support and facilitate clinical development and innovation
  • Evidence of sound information technology skills

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Experience in the development of professional roles
  • Successfully managed projects that demonstrate ability to communicate and implement change
  • Demonstrable and proven understanding and experience of the clinical and corporate governance agenda
  • Knowledge and experience of facilitation of reflective practice for staff and personal reflective practice
  • Demonstrable ability and experience in motivating and empowering others to change roles and in leading practice development

Trust values

Essential criteria
  • Demonstrate alignment with Trust Values (6 C’s: Commitment, Communication, Care, Courage, Compassion, Competency)

Employer certification / accreditation badges

NHS Pastoral Care Quality AwardWe are a Living Wage EmployerVeteran AwareApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyJob share policyAge positiveCare quality commission - GoodDisability confident employerNHS Rainbow Badge - BronzeDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - Gold

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Melanie Jones
Job title
Team Manager
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01244 39 3300
Additional information

If you consider yourself Neurodivergent and need help to complete your application form, please contact [email protected] or telephone 01244 393100