CAMHS Practitioner CYP-PT Therapy Trainee (CBT)
The closing date is 03 November 2025
This full‑time training role will start in January 2026. It is based on a split schedule of 2.5 days a week for academic work (teaching and personal study) and 2.5 days working in the service with clients. The trainee will be both an employee of the service and an enrolled student with King’s College London. On completion, qualified trainees will receive a KCL Postgraduate Diploma.
Our service is part of the NHS England funded Children and Young People (CYP) Psychological Training Programmes (formerly CYP‑IAPT). The recruitment is funded by the Government under the Recruit‑to‑Train programme which covers salary and training costs for a 1‑year post, enabling services to employ trainees to help build specialist pathways for CYP mental‑health support.
Main duties of the job
We are looking for highly motivated individuals who are enthusiastic about making a difference to children’s mental health through evidence‑based interventions recommended by NICE guidelines.
As a trainee you will be required to:
* Deliver CBT interventions to children, young people and families in line with the CYP Psychological Training Programme core principles (accessibility, accountability, participation, awareness and evidence‑based practice).
* Apply the core principles of the CYP Psychological Training Programme and consistent with the evidence base in CBT.
* Attend multi‑disciplinary meetings, complete training assignments, and maintain accurate clinical records.
* Work closely with other team members to ensure a stepped‑care approach and appropriate step‑up/step‑down arrangements.
* Collaborate with schools to improve mental‑health outcomes as part of a whole‑school or college approach.
Job responsibilities
The post will involve a defined caseload with a focus on providing assessment and evidence‑based intervention for CYP with mild to moderate mental‑health difficulties and their parents/carers. Responsibilities include:
* Assess clients for suitability for the specific modality; judge new referrals and refer unsuitable clients appropriately.
* Formulate, implement and evaluate therapeutic interventions in line with training and experience.
* Involve relevant stakeholders (parent/carer, school, etc.) in treatment and communicate therapeutic formulations clearly.
* Attend multi‑disciplinary meetings relating to referrals or clients in treatment.
* Complete all data‑collection requirements within the service.
* Keep coherent clinical records following service protocols.
* Maintain a reflective stance and use supervision to reflect on practice.
* Manage a high caseload while meeting service deadlines.
* Collaborate with team members to uphold a stepped‑care approach.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Capacity to complete postgraduate diploma‑level academic work.
* A registerable professional qualification (e.g. clinical or educational psychology, social work, counselling, mental‑health nursing, occupational therapy, etc.).
* Applicants may be considered if they lack a registerable professional qualification but have at least 3 years’ experience in a CAMHS or equivalent setting and can demonstrate equivalence through an RPL process.
* Minimum second‑class Bachelor’s Degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard in a relevant subject (e.g. psychology, social work).
Experience
* Minimum of two years’ experience working with children/families/young people in a mental‑health setting.
* Experience of group, individual and multi‑disciplinary work, clinical governance and audit, and CAMHS clinical supervision.
* Experience of safeguarding issues.
* Experience of multi‑agency working and liaising across internal & external agencies.
* Experience working with children, young people and families in a multi‑racial urban environment.
Knowledge
* Strong knowledge of mental‑health disorders in children and adolescents.
* Understanding of risk assessment and management.
* Knowledge of clinical governance, confidentiality, and information sharing.
* Understanding of safeguarding children and young people.
* Familiarity with current research and evidence‑based methods for assessment and treatment of CAMH disorders.
* Basic knowledge of CBT.
Skills
* Effective and sensitive communication with children, young people and families.
* Ability to maintain a reflective stance in emotive/challenging interactions.
* Use of supervision to reflect on practice.
* Time management to handle competing demands and a high caseload.
* Completion of academic work at postgraduate diploma level; English equivalent (IELTS or BAND D) if required.
* Evidence‑based practice orientation and ability to apply it clinically.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post requires a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975.
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
£44,485 to £52,521 a year (incl. HCAs)
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