Job Summary
Our service has an exciting opportunity to join our team as a CYP-PT Therapy Trainee, part of the NHS England (NHSE) funded programme in partnership with The Anna Freud Centre, University College London, and Kings College London. The post-holder will be training on the Children & Young People Psychological Therapies (CYP-PT Trainee) Therapy Course and carrying out clinical work in our service to complement their studies and use their newly developed skills. We are seeking highly motivated and enthusiastic mental health practitioners to work and train within our service. The training post will equip the post-holder to provide interventions for children, young people or families using evidence-based intervention consistent with the course they are attending. The post holder will work with people with different cultural backgrounds and ages, using interpreters when necessary and should be committed to equity, diversity and inclusion.
Main duties of the job
This is a fixed term post with this training year funded by NHSE. After successful completion of the course the fixed term training contract will end however applicants would be encouraged to apply for any vacant posts within the service and will be provided support and advice in job applications.
This role will be best suited for applicants that are able to balance a very busy work and study schedule. You will be an employee at the service but also enrolled on a Postgraduate Diploma course. As this is a Postgraduate level training, you will be required to study and perform at academic level. Applicants must be prepared to work towards their studies outside of protected study time (such as on weekends and after work). Protected study time or teaching days are typically two days a week during term (with possibility of extra university days near start) and will be a mixture of in person and online sessions. Applicants must be willing to travel into London to attend their lectures and our clinic which is based in Harrow.
More information about the courses and how the training works can be found here (AFC website) and here (KCL website) including the course brochures, and we strongly recommend you read the FAQs.
NHSE have implemented a rule regarding beneficiaries of their training year funding – this affects candidates who have been on one of the courses listed on the NHSE website from 1st August 2022. We recommend you read this if you plan to apply to future trainings.
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- Qualifications that demonstrate a capacity to complete academic work at postgraduate diploma level.
- Degree level qualification (if you do not have a degree level qualification you can submit alternative evidence of your academic capability.
- A training in a mental-health related profession (e.g. psychology, nursing, health visiting; social-work, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, special needs teaching, psychiatry, other psychotherapy, counselling)
Knowledge
Essential
- Demonstrates an appreciation of the importance of working with parents to address child behavioural problems.
- Knowledge and understanding of issues relating to safeguarding children.
Desirable
- Demonstrates an appreciation of the range of factors that can impact on the presentation of child behavioural problems.
- Demonstrates an understanding of services that work with children and families with behavioural problems.
- Demonstrates knowledge of theory in relation to child conduct problems (e.g., social learning theory).
Experience
Essential
- Two years professional experience working with children with behavioural problems and their families
- Experience of working with safeguarding issues
- Experience of multi agency working and liaising across internal & external agencies
Desirable
- Experience of working with child behaviour problems using parenting approaches
Other
Essential
- Able to travel to meet the requirements of the post.
- Team player; mentor, teach and support others in the team.
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Ability to communicate effectively and sensitively with families, children and tier network, e.g., schools, nurseries etc
- Ability to adapt communication style according to the varying needs of families
- Ability to maintain a reflective stance in emotive/challenging interactions with children and their carers
- Ability to use supervision to reflect on practice
- Ability to organise own time and diary
- Ability to follow policy and make proposal for change
- Ability to maintain accurate records
- Capability to complete academic work at postgraduate diploma level, including IELTS or equivalent to the appropriate level for students with English as a foreign language (BAND D) https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/entry-requirements/english-language.aspx
Desirable
- Ability to adopt collaborative approach to working with parents of children with behavioural problems
- Understanding of evidence based practice and the ability to demonstrate how this influences clinical practice
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Closing Date: 27 October 2025
