Child & Adolescent Psychotherapist in Wakefield

We are looking for a qualified Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist with a committed interest in bringing psychoanalytic thinking to improve outcomes of young people in our multi-disciplinary CAMHS team. This is a fixed term opportunity for one year to cover maternity leave.

You will have post graduate training at masters / doctoral level in clinical child psychotherapy at a training school accredited by the ACP and maintenance of ACP registration. You should also have some experience post qualifying within a CAMHS setting. Experience of working independently in the community would be particularly advantageous.

Main duties of the job:

• You will join a small team of child and adolescent psychotherapists within our service; however, you will be required to work autonomously within professional guidelines being responsible for providing specialist assessments and interventions within the CAMHS team.
• You will provide consultations, state of mind assessments and short and longer term psychotherapy.
• As a member of the team, you will contribute to the wider aims of the service through joint working, training and supervision to other professionals.
• The team is welcoming and dynamic and you will be made very welcome.
• As this post will work across the Wakefield District, you will be required to demonstrate a flexible approach to travel as you may see young people in different community settings as well as the CAMHS bases in the area.

In return, we will provide regular clinical and management supervision and you will be appraised on a yearly basis with a view to developing knowledge and skills where appropriate.

About Us:

We are a specialist NHS Foundation Trust that provides community, mental health and learning disability services for the people of Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. We also provide low and medium secure services and are the lead for the West Yorkshire secure provider collaborative.

Our mission is to help people reach their potential and live well in their communities, we do this by providing high-quality care in the right place at the right time. We employ staff in both clinical and non-clinical services who work hard to make a difference to the lives of service users, families and carers.

We encourage and welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups, we value diversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities.

Being a foundation Trust means we’re accountable to our members, who can have a say in how we’re run. Around 14,300 local people (including staff) are members of our Trust.

Join us and you will be one of over 4,500 staff committed to supporting and improving the mental, physical and social needs of the thousands of people we meet and help each year.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expect all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment.

Details:

• Date posted: 18 February 2026
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 7
• Salary: £47,810 to £54,710 a year Pro Rata.
• Contract: Fixed term
• Duration: 12 months
• Working pattern: Part-time, Flexible working
• Reference number: C9378-W1431
• Job locations: Airedale Health Centre, The Square, Castleford, West Yorkshire, WF10 3JJ

Job responsibilities:

• The post holder will provide specialist psychotherapy skills within a multidisciplinary team.
• The post holder will provide a high quality clinical service to the users of the service.
• They will provide highly specialist assessment and intervention while working collaboratively with non-psychology and psychotherapy professionals from other agencies and carers.
• They will be clinically responsible to a senior clinical psychologist or psychotherapist.
• Clinical oversight of all work will be held by the clinical lead in the service.
• The job plan will be delivered in the services the post is based.
• The post holder will work autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the team while observing Trust and National policies and procedures.
• The post holder will utilise research skills in audit, service development and research relevant to the post.

Person Specification:

• Essential: Caring, Team Player, Commitment to supervision and support.
• Desirable: Flexible, Committed to client group.

• Essential: Registered qualification in core mental health/social welfare profession, Qualifying level course in Clinical Child Psychotherapy or equivalent at Masters/doctorate level at a training school accredited by the ACP, Registration/ Accreditation with the relevant professional/accrediting body for the model of psychotherapy relevant to this post.

• Essential: Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post. A satisfactory sickness record over the previous 2 years (subject to the need to act with fairness and equality of opportunity, particularly where the sickness is related to a disability and/or pregnancy).

• Essential: Completion of significant supervised clinical practice, Ability to carry out assessment, formulation and intervention.
• Desirable: Experience in working with service users in the clinical area of the post, Different theoretical approaches, Work with other disciplines, Work with people who have disabilities.

• Essential: Communication skills, A Current driving licence and access to a car during the working day is essential (reasonable adjustments will be considered for any applicants who are unable to drive due to a disability), IT Literate.
• Desirable: Research skills, Knowledge of adult & child protection legislation, Awareness of legislation relevant to the clinical area of practice.

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.

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.