Clinical or Counselling Psychologist (CLA/ND)

Clinical or Counselling Psychologist (CLA/ND)

The closing date is 26 January 2026

Clinical or Counselling Psychologist - Children Looked After / Neurodevelopmental Assessment (band 7, full time, permanent)

We have an exciting opportunity to join Waltham Forest CAMHS's Children Looked After (CLA) Champions team and our Neurodevelopmental Assessment pathway as a band 7 clinical or counselling psychologist. This post would suit either a newly qualified or established band 7 looking to specialise.

Our teams are committed to collaborative working and actively supporting and liaising with other health, education and social care professionals. We are passionate about ensuring the child's voice is central to the work we do and work in partnership with families, carers and other agencies to achieve the outcomes desired by the child or young person.

Main duties of the job

In the CLA Champions team, you would join a small, passionate team of trauma informed clinicians, using a consultation led, attachment aware model to provide specialist interventions for children who are looked after. You would have a varied caseload of direct work with young people (including complex trauma focused therapy) and indirect work with foster carers, residential staff and the wider network around the child. There is also the option to become involved in our therapeutic parenting group and develop your skills through receiving specialist supervision and additional on the job training.

In the neurodevelopmental pathway, you will contribute to high quality assessments of ADHD and ASD as part of a multidisciplinary team, and by bringing a trauma informed perspective to case discussions. You will carry out parental interviews, child assessments and school observations, and have the opportunity to receive ADOS training. You may also have the opportunity to contribute to neuropsychological assessments and liaise with the network around the child to promote understanding of neurodiversity.

About us

Our Values

Working with our colleagues, patients and carers we have co produced three new values that we aim to embed within our culture at NELFT.

• 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

This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (with a minimum of £4,313 to a maximum of £5,436 p.a. pro rata for part time).

An additional 5% supplement (with a minimum of £1,192 to a maximum of £2,011 p.a. pro rata for part time) may also be available for those living in the fringe areas.

Job responsibilities

This post sits within a large and diverse borough based Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service which is currently undergoing significant transformation to reduce geographical inequalities and strengthen clinical and operational leadership. You will have opportunities to join the wider community of psychological professionals across London CAMHS and the NELFT patch.

Please contact Dr Kate Danvers (Consultant Clinical Psychologist & Strategic Lead for Looked After Children) for more details about this post.

Person Specification Qualifications

• HCPC registered Clinical or Counselling Psychologist
• Additional or prior qualifications relevant to job role

Experience

• CAMHS experience
• CLA and/or ND experience

Skills

• Passion for working with CLA and relevant transferrable skills
• Passion for working with ND and relevant transferrable skills
• Supervision and/or consultation skills

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.

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year (plus HCAS)