Specialist Mental Health Therapist – Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Closing date: 13 May 2026
Overview
The role will involve working in the well‑established North East Hampshire New Leaf Service, delivering timely therapeutic services to children and young people in care, adopted, and under special guardianship. The majority of service delivery will be at the Aldershot Centre for Health; the successful candidate will also be expected to spend one day per week at the Surrey New Leaf base in Epsom.
Main duties
* Provide specialist assessments and mental health interventions in partnership with children, young people, and their families/carers.
* Consult, train and advise professionals and external stakeholders working with vulnerable children and young people.
* Tackle communication barriers with trauma‑experienced, anxious, or vulnerable clients using imaginative and sensitive approaches.
* Promote early intervention and active engagement across the network as an ambassador for mental well‑being.
* Manage and prioritise workload of children and adolescents with complex emotional and mental health issues, including self‑harm, depression, trauma and attachment difficulties.
* Record and communicate clinical work, both orally and in writing, handling complex or distressing information with skill.
* Use age‑appropriate language when sharing assessment and treatment plans, mindful of potential sensitivities.
* Exercise autonomous professional judgment and responsibility for practice.
* Consider and act on safeguarding concerns following national and local procedures.
* Commit to non‑discriminatory practice, recognising and respecting protected characteristics such as race, religion, culture, sexuality, disability, and SEND.
Qualifications
* Professional qualification in Mental Health Nursing, Social Work, Psychotherapy, Arts Psychotherapy, or Family Therapy.
* Professional registration such as HCPC, ACP, UKCP, NMC, Social Work England, BACP Accreditation.
* Post‑graduate training or further training in trauma and attachment, specific to children and young people in care, leaving care, adopted, or under special guardianship.
* Further training in systemic therapy, DDP, group work, DBT, CBT.
Experience
* Significant post‑qualifying experience in child and adolescent mental health.
* Experience and understanding of issues faced by children in care, young people leaving care, and adopted children or those under special guardianship who have experienced trauma.
* Experience working therapeutically with children, young people and their families/carers.
* Experience working with multiple agencies in a multidisciplinary team.
* Knowledge of evidence‑based practice models for attachment and trauma.
* Experience working with children and young people with PTSD, Complex PTSD, self‑harm, depression, anxiety, identity issues and displacement.
* Knowledge of the legal processes and developments affecting children in and previously in care is valued.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This position requires a Disclosure and Barring Service check under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975.
Benefits and Work Information
* Salary: £50,008 to £56,908 per year (includes 5 % Fringe, HCAS, p.a., pro rata).
* Contract: Permanent.
* Working pattern: Full‑time.
* Location: Aldershot Centre for Health, Loughta House.
Reference Number
325‑7923602‑CYPS
Applicants must have the right to work in the UK for the duration of the role.
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