Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist

Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist

Closing date: 31 March 2026

As an autonomous practitioner you will play a key part in the delivery of high quality service provision that promotes and improves the mental health and well being of children and young people, their families and carers. Managing a complex caseload within the multi disciplinary team setting, the post holder will provide a range of high quality care appropriate to the child or young person's needs which will include full mental health assessment, risk assessment and management, family and social assessment, consultation and therapeutic interventions.

You will provide advice, information, consultation and supervision within the service and externally within your specialist area.

As part of working together you will actively liaise with and support robust partnership working arrangements between the CAMHS team and community partners and other key stakeholders involved with the child across agencies in order that an integrated package of care is developed.

You will work as specialist practitioner with the team providing assessment, treatment and consultation for children, adolescents and families grounded in the principles and techniques of child & adolescent psychoanalytic psychotherapy. As a specialist resource you will offer specialist consultation and training to colleagues and staff from partner agencies.

Job responsibilities

• Provide a clinical service in coordination with other CAMHS/Tier 4 inpatient unit team members through agreed referral processes.
• Work closely with the service manager and senior leadership team to develop and monitor quality assurance systems to ensure effective assessment, planning, intervention and review practice to deliver good outcomes for children, young people and families.
• Collaborate with colleagues and multi disciplinary professionals within the team and other agencies to support complex decision making in the management of risk and the promotion of positive outcomes for children, young people and families.
• Support CAMHS Managers to promote a culture of continual improvement in the quality, diversity and performance management of services.
• Facilitate effective team communication systems and ensure staff comply with departmental and CSU wide policies and procedures.
• Support the organisation of staff supervision, appraisal and staff continuing professional development within the context of the service as a whole.

Person Specification Registration

• Must be registered/accredited with the Association of Child Psychotherapist.

Qualifications

• Recognised qualification: Doctoral level training in Child & Adolescent Psychotherapy from ACP affiliated training school and ACP registration.
• Additional postgraduate training in psychological therapies and interventions.

Experience

• Significant experience of working with children and young people with autism and social communication difficulties.
• Relevant experience and training in multi disciplinary assessments of ASD in children and adolescents.
• Proven experience of working effectively with people with mental health difficulties, including autonomous management of a complex caseload which frequently deals with distressing and emotional circumstances.
• Experience of hard to reach diverse community groups and individuals with emerging complex needs, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities and safeguarding.
• Experience of assessing and managing risk, including safeguarding.
• Experience of developing and providing evidence based assessments, formulations, and care plans and effective use of ROMs.
• Experience of liaison and working with a range of other relevant agencies and professionals, including managing difficult conversations and differences of opinion.
• Experience of mentoring and supervision of others, including supporting the mental health and wellbeing of junior staff and trainees.
• Understanding of the principles of Clinical Governance and a willingness to follow Trust policy and procedures.
• Experience of providing a variety of interventions for children and young people with mental health problems and their families.
• Community mental health experience across a variety of settings.

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.

£47,810 to £54,710 a year (pro rata)