Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist in City of London

We are seeking an enthusiastic, creative, and resilient Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist to join our busy and dynamic CAMHS team in Redbridge. This post will hold a key role in the service as part of the i-THRIVE informed model of delivery. We have a growing and supportive therapy team and are looking for a child and adolescent psychotherapist who is passionate about supporting young people's mental health and well-being to join us in the delivery of high quality and effective CAMHS interventions. Redbridge is a multi-ethnic and culturally diverse community reflected in our caseloads and applicants with experience of working with diversity are welcome.

We welcome applicants who are in their last year of training and offer a comprehensive support package to newly qualified clinicians including regular individual supervision, being part of the trust-wide child psychotherapy meetings as well as opportunities for further CPD. The contribution of child and adolescent psychotherapy as part of the MDT is valued both in the service and in the trust. The Trust actively supports staff wellbeing and monthly group reflective practice sessions take place in the CAMHS team.

Main duties of the job

• The post-holder will be directly involved and responsible for delivering both short-term and longer-term clinical interventions within their professional sphere of expertise in CAMHS. This may include individual psychotherapy, parent work, group work, and school observations of children.
• They will be responsible for assessment, treatment and systematic outcome measurement as well as supporting generic CAMHS work.
• They will ensure that a high quality, timely, accessible, and evidence-based service is available to all service users who need it throughout the CAMHS service.
• The post-holder will also offer advice and consultation on children's care to non-psychotherapist colleagues and the professional network involved in their support.
• The post holder will work autonomously within their professional guidelines and the overall framework of the service's policies and procedures.
• The post-holder will establish and maintain excellent working relationships with wider mental health and wellbeing services.

About us

Our Values 2025 - 2030: Working with our colleagues, patients and carers we have co-produced three new values that we aim to embed within our culture here at NELFT. They are: We are kind. We are respectful. We work together with our communities. These three values help us to strive to provide the best care by the best people.

Probationary Period

This post will be subject to a probationary period.

Starting with Us

NELFT places great importance on new starters being properly welcomed into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks, including mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process, new starters will also have the opportunity to meet the executive team, senior managers, and attend several drop-in sessions focusing on engagement, health and wellbeing, and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.

High Cost Area Supplement - Outer London

This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (with a minimum of £4,714 to a maximum of £5,941 p.a. pro rata for part time).

Job responsibilities

• To act as an autonomous professional fully registered with the appropriate professional or regulatory body (e.g. HCPC).
• To use appropriate clinical understanding in assessing, jointly with colleagues in the multidisciplinary team, children, adolescents, and their families to formulate their strengths and difficulties and to determine the most appropriate treatment plan.
• To work alongside other colleagues in CYPMHS and in the care pathway to provide an in-depth comprehensive assessment of the child's, young person's, and family's functioning where there is a constellation of high dysfunction and entrenched difficulties in the family.
• To provide therapeutic interventions with due regard to issues of cultural, racial and religious difference and sexual orientation.
• To provide clinical assessment of children and young people with severe, highly complex and persistent mental health problems providing therapeutic interventions, work with parents/carers/networks of referred children and young people.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Successful completion of a post-graduate training (e.g. clinical psychology, family therapy, child, and adolescent psychotherapy, Systemic therapy, CBT therapist).
• To be eligible for registration as a full member of the appropriate professional body (e.g. HCPC, AFT, ACP, BABCP).

Experience

• Extensive experience of working with challenging children/young people requiring skilled and complex interventions.
• Extensive experience of working with children and adolescents with co-morbidity difficulties and special needs.
• Extensive experience of working therapeutically with parents/carers/families of children and young people with complex mental health problems.
• Experience of using observation & assessment skills.
• Experience of carrying out generic assessment with other colleagues in the multi-disciplinary team.
• Experience of initiating, organising and planning inter-agency meetings aimed at setting in place a treatment package tailored to the individual needs of a child/young person.
• Experience of specialist assessment carried out autonomously in order to determine the most appropriate treatment plan from a range of options for the child/young person.
• Experience of providing professional teaching and training for other professionals working with the client group within the service and within related agencies.
• Experience of providing clinical interventions in different cultural contexts.

Knowledge

• An awareness of NHS Priorities and Issues.
• Good working knowledge of Outlook, Word, Excel, Power point, Access Electronic diary, email and office management systems.
• High level knowledge of the theory and practice of short term and long term in clinical interventions in CAMHS.
• Excellent knowledge of emotional, developmental, mental health problems and life span issues.
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to children and adolescents and safeguarding procedures and policies.
• Knowledge of NHS, Social Care and Education structures, national policies and frameworks, evidence based practice including NICE guidance.
• Knowledge of risk management and ability to monitor and assess risk and act accordingly to ensure safety.
• Knowledge of research methodology and outcome research design and ability to critically interpret research findings.
• Knowledge of electronic record systems, i.e. Rio.

Skills

• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively highly complex and sensitive matters to patients, which give rise to psychological distress.
• Highly developed ability to integrate complex clinical information into a coherent formulation.
• Ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information.
• Ability to tolerate anxiety without recourse to premature action whilst appreciating the role of the supervisor.
• Capacity to work alone, involving colleagues and manager as relevant.
• Ability to plan and organise own workload and time.
• Capacity to write clear records and observe policies, procedures and guidelines.
• Ability to use outcome monitoring across all clinical work.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

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.

NELFT North East London Foundation Trust £47,810 to £54,710 a year per annum (plus HCAS)