Therapeutic Practitioner: CYP-PT Trainee ASC/LD Pathway

Job description

Job responsibilities

Location: Norwich Hub (with travel across Norfolk & Waveney and to Anna Freud, London for training)

Salary: £34,467.72 per annum

Hours: Full-time, 37.5 hours

Start date: 6th January (university start date is 19th January)

Contract: 1-year fixed-term training post

About the Role

This is a full-time CYP-PT (Recruit to Train) ASC/LD trainee position within the NHS England (NHSE) funded Children and Young Peoples (CYP) Psychological Training Programme (formerly CYP-IAPT).

The CYP-PT ASC/LD pathway is designed to build the workforce of specialist practitioners supporting children and young people with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) and/or learning disabilities (LD).

This unique opportunity allows trainees to:

• Apply academic learning from weekly teaching directly into practice.
• Deliver structured, evidence-based interventions tailored for children and young people with ASC/LD.
• Support families and carers in promoting wellbeing, resilience, and communication.

About Supporting Smiles

Supporting Smiles provides professional mental health support to children and young people across Norfolk and Waveney through our therapeutic pathways and Childrens Wellbeing Practitioner teams. Our holistic approach combines the expertise of our therapeutic practitioners, counsellors, and childrens wellbeing practitioners. We aim to deliver accessible, inclusive, and community-driven mental health support to children, young people, and families.

Our services name, Supporting Smiles, was co-created with input from the children and families we support. We are part of Norfolk & Waveneys Children and Young Peoples Alliance, an integrated mental health service network guided by the THRIVE principles ensuring support is needs-led, accessible, outcome-informed, promotes shared decision-making, partnership working, and proactive prevention.

Within this framework, Supporting Smiles primarily delivers care within the Getting Help quadrant of the THRIVE Framework. This means we provide focused, evidence-based interventions for children and young people who need more targeted support with their mental health and emotional wellbeing, but who do not require highly specialist or intensive services.

We also work closely with partners across the other quadrants (Getting Advice, Getting More Help, and Risk Support) to ensure children, young people, and families receive the right level of support at the right time.

(For more information about the THRIVE Framework principles, see:https://implementingthrive.org/principles-of-the-thrive-framework/)

Training Information

The training will begin on 19th January 2026 and combines academic study with practical experience.

Around 2.5 days per week will be dedicated to teaching and personal study, while 2.5 days per week will be spent in service working on clinical cases linked to training assignments.

Trainees will be jointly employed by Supporting Smiles and enrolled at UCL/Anna Freud, receiving a UCL Postgraduate Diploma upon successful completion.

Successful candidates will be required to travel to Anna Freud, Central London (Rodney Street, N1 9JH) for teaching during the training year.

About You

We are seeking highly motivated candidates who are:

• Passionate about improving outcomes for children and young people with ASC/LD.
• Committed to delivering accessible, inclusive, and evidence-based interventions.
• Flexible, resilient, and reflective in their practice.
• Able to work in partnership with families, schools, and multi-agency professionals.
• Dedicated to equity, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of service delivery.

Applicants must be able to study and write at postgraduate level and demonstrate the ability to balance academic demands with clinical responsibilities.

Application Process

This is a dual application process:

You must apply for this position with Supporting Smiles/Ormiston Families.

For further information and to apply please visit our websitehttps://www.ormiston.org/work-with-us/our-vacancies

You must also complete a UCL application for the course team to review.

Direct UCL application link:https://evision.ucl.ac.uk/urd/sits.urd/run/siw_ipp_lgn.login_enc?0qhYzuG1h9udTFM8i9sPhtGiUgIR6D6iP0QBDHq24aUE7Anl4FtDGBDmc3LlBtzaVi6cWmaNYWo=Application guidance document:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/17bbinRzAlIfH8SKe3t18I2m14L7sli5e?usp=drive_link

The course team will liaise with us to ensure you meet the academic requirements. You will only be offered a UCL training place if you are successful in securing this post and meet the universitys entry requirements.

For more details on the programme, see the Anna Freud CYP IAPT Therapy Programme webpage

Any queries, please email: brittanie.collins@ormistonfamilies.org.uk

Closing Date for Applications:9am, Friday 26th September 2025

Safeguarding and Equal Opportunities

Ormiston Families is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and adults at risk, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts.

We are an equal opportunities employer; we value diversity and welcome applications from all sections of the community.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Minimum second-class Bachelors Degree or equivalent in a relevant subject (e.g., psychology, social work, etc.)
• Applicants with relevant professional experience will be considered on a case-by-case basis

Desirable

• Previous 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, psychotherapy, counselling)
• Ability to study and complete academic work at postgraduate level
• Proven record of academic attainment

Skills / Competencies

Essential

• Flexible and creative approach to engaging Autistic/LD children and young people
• Ability to adapt communication and interventions for varying needs and levels
• Maintain reflective stance in emotive/challenging interactions with children and carers
• Manage sensitive/emotionally distressing caseload material
• Reflect on own practice (clinical supervision & practice tutor groups)
• Follow policy and clinical governance procedures; make proposals for change
• Maintain accurate records
• Complete postgraduate-level academic work while balancing clinical placement demands
• Adaptable to diverse communities
• Good time management and organisational skills
• Effective oral and written communication skills
• IT/computer literate
• Able to accommodate travel demands

Desirable

• Multi-agency working for complex cases
• Advocate for children/young people with Autism/LD and families
• Observational stance for non-verbal children/young people
• Understanding and application of evidence-based practice

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of key features and symptoms of Autism/LD
• Understanding unique challenges for Autistic/LD children and families
• Awareness of increased risk of co-morbid mental health/neurodevelopmental challenges in Autistic population
• Knowledge of safeguarding issues

Desirable

• Knowledge of MDT approach and collaborative work with education/social care agencies

Experience

Essential

• 2+ years working with children and young people in a mental health setting
• 1+ year of clinical competence and experience working with Autistic and/or LD individuals

Desirable

• Previous experience of working with safeguarding issues
• Experience working as part of a multi-disciplinary team with children and young people with Autism and/or LD and their families
• Experience of working with risk and safeguarding issues

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Ormiston Families

Address

Ormiston Families

11 Prince Of Wales Road

Norwich

NR1 1BD

Employer's website

https://www.ormiston.org/work-with-us/ (Opens in a new tab)