Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist in Milton Keynes

We care for you as much as you care for others. There’s a place for you at CNWL. We’re passionate about delivering first-class patient‑centred, safe and effective care, whether it is in a hospital setting, in a community clinic or in the patient’s own home. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Providing top quality care depends on our ability to employ the best people. We’re always looking to recruit outstanding people who will go the extra mile to support our patients, colleagues, teams and the Trust.

With every new employee we’re hoping to find our future leaders and we’ll support our staff by providing opportunities to develop your career. With a diverse culture and equally diverse range of opportunities across mental health, community services, addictions, eating disorders, learning disabilities and more – whatever stage of your career you're at, there's always a place for you at CNWL.

CNWL (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust) has almost 8,000 staff providing integrated healthcare to a third of London's population, Milton Keynes and areas beyond. We involve service users, carers, the public, staff and partner organisations in the way that we are run. Our catchment area spans diverse communities, with over 100 first languages spoken. It contains areas of great affluence as well as areas of much deprivation. We are committed to providing services that meet the needs of the people who use them, and we actively encourage involvement from local people who can help make a difference.

We’re proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME and people with disabilities to promote good relations and understanding between our staff. We are recognised locally, nationally and internationally for providing high quality, innovative healthcare. We aim to employ only the best people, and our experts are frequently called upon to contribute to national health strategy and policy, and many models of our care have been adapted for use in other countries.

We offer a generous relocation package (subject to eligibility assessment) and flexible working options, including bank assignments for most roles. For more information on these and other benefits of working for us, see our Benefits, Reward and Wellbeing page.

CNWL NHS Foundation Trust are committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We follow safe recruitment practices to protect children and vulnerable adults.

Job overview

Are you a passionate Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist looking to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children, young people and families? We are seeking an experienced and motivated Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist to join our friendly, innovative and supportive CAMHS team. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in delivering high-quality, evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions within a dynamic multidisciplinary service that is committed to improving outcomes for children and young people.

Main duties of the job

• Provide highly specialist psychotherapeutic assessment, formulation and treatment for children, young people and their families, working across a range of clinical settings and levels of need.
• Deliver specialist psychotherapeutic interventions to children, young people and families.
• Work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team to provide holistic, patient‑centred care.
• Offer consultation, advice and specialist expertise to colleagues and the wider professional network.
• Contribute to service development, quality improvement, audit and research activities.
• Support the development of psychotherapeutic practice within the service.
• Provide clinical and professional supervision to trainees, early career psychotherapists and other professionals.
• Influence and contribute to the development of policies and clinical pathways that enhance patient care.

The successful candidate will work autonomously within professional and service frameworks while benefiting from excellent peer support, professional leadership and opportunities for continued development.

Working for our organisation

At CNWL, patients are at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to delivering compassionate, safe and effective care across our mental health, community and specialist services. By joining our team, you will become part of an organisation that:

• Values innovation, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Invests in staff wellbeing, learning and career progression.
• Supports clinicians to develop specialist interests and leadership skills.
• Encourages involvement in service transformation, research and quality improvement.
• Offers a supportive and inclusive working environment where every voice matters.

Whether you’re looking to deepen your specialism, expand your leadership experience or help shape the future of CAMHS services, CNWL offers the support and opportunities to help you thrive.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Provide highly specialist psychoanalytically-informed psychotherapeutic assessments of children and young people referred to the team based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources.
• Formulate and implement plans for the formal treatment and/or management of the child/ young person’s problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range of care settings.
• Be responsible for implementing a range of psychotherapeutic interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, grounded in the principles and techniques of psychoanalytic psychotherapy.
• Evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group.
• To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of children and young people whose problems are managed by psychologically based standard care plans.
• Provide highly specialist expertise, advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to children and young people’s formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan.

Person specification

Education and Qualifications

• ACP‑recognised pre‑clinical training to Master’s level (or equivalent).
• Post‑graduate doctoral‑level training in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy at an ACP‑accredited training school.
• To hold a professional registration with the Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP).
• Evidence of compliance with ACP Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements.
• Pre‑qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.

Previous Experience

• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and formulation of complex mental health presentations including Trauma presentations.
• Experience of working psychologically with children and young people who have complex mental health problems, including trauma and personality disorder.
• Experience of teaching, training and supervision.
• Experience of skills in group work.
• Experience of work with care‑givers/families.
• Maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
• Experience of working in an NHS community mental health settings in secondary and tertiary care.
• Experience of the application of clinical psychology or psychotherapy in different cultural contexts.

Knowledge, Skills and Professional Competencies

• Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological assessment and intervention for with children and young people with mental health presentations.
• Knowledge of clinical caseload management within a team setting.
• Well‑developed skills in the ability to work and communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and to other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
• Knowledge of legislation and NICE guidance in relation to this client group.
• Skills in providing consultation and supervision to other professional and non‑professional groups and assistants.

Skills and Abilities

• Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi‑media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
• Valid drivers licence and the ability to drive to different bases.
• Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI can be used as a support tool, not a replacement for the applicant’s own work. Applications must remain personal, accurate, and reflective of the candidate’s real experience. AI-generated content must not misrepresent skills, qualifications, or experience. Over reliance on AI-generated content is discouraged and may diminish the applicant's chances of success. We monitor applications for any behaviour that could create an unfair advantage, and we check all references carefully. You are likely to be tested on your experience at interview, so be honest and make sure all the information in your application is correct. Please note that the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is prohibited during the interview process.

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.

Due to the high response levels we receive for some vacancies, we may expire any of them prior to the advertised closing date and advise you to submit your application as soon as possible. Applications from job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. Before submitting your application and to avoid disappointment please check that you are eligible under the UKVI points based system.

Our Agenda for Change employment contracts are subject to a contractual 13 week probationary period. If you are offered a job, information will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.