Recruit to Train Practitioner (LD/ASD)

Child and Young People’s Therapy Trainee Practitioner ASD/LD

NHS AfC: Band 6

Main area CAMHS Grade NHS AfC: Band 6 Contract 12 months (Fixed Term) Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 294-CAMHS-8344382-AZ

Site Springfield University Hospital Town London Salary £47,951 - £56,863 per annum inclusive of Inner London HCAs Salary period Yearly Closing 12/10/2026 23:59

South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We provide a full range of local mental health services to the Kingston, Merton, Richmond, Sutton and Wandsworth London boroughs, as well as specialist forensic mental health services, including specialised services such as national deaf adults and CAMHS inpatients and OCD.

We are committed to providing high quality integrated health and social care for local people with mental health problems in South West London and more specialist mental health services for people throughout the UK. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’ however we aim to be ‘outstanding’.

Our Values

We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values; being consistent, compassionate, collaborative, respectful and open is at the heart of everything we do. Our mission is "making life better together".

When you join us, you’ll be part of something special – an innovative and rapidly growing organisation that is helping to redefine the Mental Health, education and social care landscape in the UK.

As a Trust, we are happy to talk flexible working.

Job overview

The post holder will work directly with young people admitted to the inpatient ward who also have a diagnosis of ASD and/or LD. They will support the development of positive behaviour support plans, communication plans as well as providing other relevant work under supervision to meet the therapeutic needs of the young people with ASD/LD. The post holder will have an opportunity to work in a creative, adapted and evidence based way with support from a multi-disciplinary team.

This government-funded initiative promotes the growth and skill of the child mental health workforce to meet much needed demand. NHSE covers salary and training costs for a one-year full-time position, allowing services to employ trainees to support specialist pathways to bridge the gaps in CYP mental health support.

This is a unique opportunity to apply your learning from weekly teaching into practical clinical interventions working with clients in the service making a direct impact in the lives of children, young people and their families.

Main duties of the job

Training Information

This full-time training will begin in January 2027 with around 2-3 days a week for academic work (teaching and personal study), and 2.5 days based at the service seeing clients (children, young people, and carers) related to training assignments. Trainees will be both an employee of the service and an enrolled student with UCL/Anna Freud. Upon completion, qualified trainees will receive a UCL Postgraduate Diploma.

Application Process

This is a dual application process. In addition to applying for this position with us, you must also complete a UCL application for the Course Team to review. The Course Team will liaise with us on whether you meet the academic requirements for the course during the recruitment process. You will only be offered a UCL training place if you are successful in securing this post and you meet the university training requirements.

Working for our organisation

Unless expressly stated in the job advert this role is not subject to sponsorship, please be advised that all offers of employment are subject to evidence of right to work in the UK.

We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust.

We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. T he Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’ - we aspire to be ‘outstanding’.

This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services as we invest a further £120m to upgrade and modernise our estate by 2027.

We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.

We offer flexible working, career development and a varietybenefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.

Come and join our inclusive teams and help our patients on their recovery journey.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

This is an NHSE funded training post as part of the Child and Young People’s (CYP) Psychological Trainings which involves part time working as a Practitioner in Aquarius Adolescent Unit and part time studying with UCL/Anna Freud undertaking a programme of training in Psychological therapies ASD/LD.

This intensive training post will equip the post-holder to provide interventions for children, young people or families using the core principles of the CYP Psychological Training Programme and consistent with the evidence base in the area of ASD and LD. The post-holder will work in the service, for at least 2.5 days of the week using the newly developed skills whilst attending the training programme or undertaking self-study days for the remaining days, as required by the education provider.

The post holder will work directly with young people admitted to the inpatient ward who also have a diagnosis of ASD and/or LD. They will support the development of positive behaviour support plans, communication plans as well as providing other relevant work under supervision to meet their therapeutic needs.

The post holder will hold an appropriate training case load and complete the necessary assignments to meet the course requirements.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in job applications

If you have used AI to support the preparation of your application, please briefly indicate how it was used within your supporting statement or application form.

Please remember, your application is your opportunity to tell us about your skills, experience and motivation for the role. We encourage applicants to complete their application and supporting statement in their own words wherever possible. We recognise that AI tools can be helpful in supporting accessibility, and for improving spelling, grammar and structure.

Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content can become generic and fail to accurately reflect an applicant's individual experience. Applications that clearly demonstrate your own voice, reflections and experiences are often the most effective and help us better understand your suitability for the role.

Please be aware that information provided in your application and supporting statement may be explored further during the selection process. It is important that all applications accurately represent your own knowledge, skills and experience.

Person specification

Training & Qualifications

• Minimum second-class Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent standard in a relevant subject (e.g. psychology, social work etc); OR Applicants who do not fulfil the academic criteria but have relevant professional experience are still encouraged to apply and will be considered on a case‑by‑case basis.
• Previous training in a mental-health related profession (e.g. psychology, nursing, health visiting, social work, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, special needs teaching, psychiatry, psychotherapy, counselling);
• Proven record of previous high academic attainment (e.g., 1st class degree or MSc)

Experience

• 2 or more years of experience working within a children and young people’s mental health setting (e.g. mental health worker);
• 1 year or more of clinical competence and experience working with Autistic and/or LD individuals.
• Previous experience of working with safeguarding issues;
• Experience of working as part of the multi-disciplinary team with children and young people with Autism and/or LD and their families
• Experience of working in CAMHS T4 or inpatient setting
• Experience of implementing a positive behaviour support approach.
• Experience of adapting communication to suit clients with neurodiverse needs.

At South West London St Georges Mental Health Trust we are committed to providing services which embrace diversity and that promote equality of opportunity. We are a Disability Committed Employer, and welcome applications from all sections of the community and people of all protected characteristics. We are Members of Stonewall Diversity Champions and Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion.

As part of the Trust's commitment to Equalities and Diversity, the Trust supports the establishment of Staff Networks groups to promote diversity in the workplace:

• BME (Evolve) Staff Network
• DiverseAbility
• Mental Health Staff Forum
• Women's Staff Network
• LGBTQIA+

We are committed to supporting the Armed Forces Community and has signed the Armed Forces Covenant.

We provide reasonable adjustments to the interview process for any candidates with a disability.

Please note:

• That the closing date listed is a guide only and that the vacancy may close earlier should sufficient number of applicants have been received
• That once you have submitted your application you agree to your application being transferred to a 3 rd party e‑recruitment system
• That should you not have heard from us within three weeks from the closing date your application has not successful
• That priority consideration for applications may be given to at‑risk NHS employees
• That should you be successful and appointed, you authorise South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust to confirm your previous NHS service via an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process
• That your employment is offered subject to successful completion of a Probationary Period depending on your Band (except medical roles)
• That we are a smoke‑free Trust

South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process, including job applications, sponsorship arrangements, or employment offers. The contact details published on our official website are the Trust’s authorised contact channels and should be used for all recruitment communications, job applications, and verification of employment offers.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.

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