We are recruiting for a CAMHS Practitioner CYP-PT Therapy Trainee (SFP - CDD) at Go back South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
Closing Date
The closing date is 03 November 2025.
About the role
This full‑time training will begin in January 2026. Trainees will work 2.5 days a week for academic work (teaching and personal study) and 2.5 days in the service seeing clients related to training assignments. Trainees are employee of the service and enrolled students at King’s College London, and on completion will receive a KCL Postgraduate Diploma.
Our service offers an exciting opportunity for a recruit‑to‑train trainee (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy – SFP – CDD) as part of the NHS England funded Children and Young People (CYP) Psychological Training Programmes (formerly CYP‑IAPT).
Recruit‑to‑train is a government‑funded initiative that grows the child mental health workforce. NHSE covers salary and training costs for the 1‑year post, enabling services to employ trainees to deliver or expand specialist pathways and bridge the gaps in CYP mental health support.
This position allows you to apply 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
We are seeking highly motivated candidates enthusiastic about making a difference to children’s mental health through evidence‑based interventions based on NICE guideline‑recommended treatment.
As a trainee you will commit to the CYP Psychological Training Programme core principles: accessibility, accountability, participation, awareness and evidence‑based practice, and provide an inclusive and effective service for children and young people, reinforcing equity, diversity and inclusion.
Application for this post is double‑checked. Successful application for the post must be accompanied by a KCL training place and satisfy university training requirements (academic background, experience, visa approval).
About us
Croydon MSHT is a growing service designed to meet the mental health needs of children and young people (CYP) in education settings. As an early intervention service, the MHST delivers school interventions for mild to moderate mental health issues and supports schools in developing a whole‑school approach to mental health and wellbeing. The team also helps CYP with more severe needs access the right support, working with schools to provide a link to specialist NHS services.
Our MHST supports 16 schools in Croydon. The successful candidate will be employed by Croydon CAMHS where the MHST delivers emotional wellbeing interventions using guided self‑help strategies.
Job responsibilities
During the intensive training post you will provide interventions for children, young people or families using core principles of the CYP Psychological Training Programme and evidence‑based SFP approaches. You will work at least 2.5 days a week in the service, attending the training programme or undertaking self‑study on remaining days as required by the education provider.
* Work as part of the Croydon MHST team to manage a defined caseload, providing focused assessment and evidence‑based intervention for children and young people (CYP) with mild to moderate mental health difficulties and their parents/carers.
* Assess clients for suitability for the treatment for which modality‑specific training is provided.
* Make decisions on suitability of new referrals, adhering to departmental referral protocols, and refer unsuitable clients to the relevant service or back to the referral agent as necessary.
* Formulate, implement and evaluate therapeutic intervention for clients in line with training modality and experience.
* Involve the system around the child in treatment as appropriate, e.g., parent/carer, school, conveying therapy formulations with sensitivity in easily understood language.
* Attend multi‑disciplinary meetings relating to referrals or clients in treatment where appropriate.
* Complete all requirements relating to data collection within the service.
* Keep coherent records of all clinical activity in line with service protocols.
* Work closely with other members of the team, ensuring appropriate step‑up and step‑down arrangements are in place to maintain a stepped care approach.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Qualifications that demonstrate a capacity to complete academic work at postgraduate diploma level.
* A registerable professional qualification (e.g. clinical or educational psychology, social work, counselling, mental health nursing, occupational therapy etc).
* Applicants with at least 3 years’ experience in a CAMHS or equivalent setting and equivalence through the RPL process may also be considered.
* 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
* At least two years experience of working with children / young people in a mental health setting.
* Experience of working with safeguarding issues.
* Experience of multi‑agency working and liaising across internal & external agencies.
Knowledge / Skills
* Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding children and young people.
* Ability to communicate effectively and sensitively with children, young people and their families.
* Ability to maintain a reflective stance in emotive/challenging interactions.
* Understanding of evidence‑based practice and ability to apply it clinically.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a Disclosure and Barring Service check for any previous criminal convictions.
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
£44,485 to £52,521 a year per annum, including HCAs.
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