Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Highly Specialist Family & Systemic Psychotherapist

The closing date is 11 November 2025

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Job summary

A rare opportunity has arisen in North west Sussex CAMHS for a Highly Specialist Family & Systemic Psychotherapist.

Family and Systemic Psychotherapy is an integral part of our service provision across Coastal NW Sussex CAMHS.

We are looking for highly motivated, innovative and self-reflexive individual with a passion for working creatively and collaboratively with children and young people with moderate to severe, complex mental health problems and their families/carers/networks. In addition to the local multi-disciplinary team where you will be based, you will join a supportive county-wide Family and Systemic Psychotherapy group and Trust-wide Systemic Practice Network .

If you enjoy being a part of a team, are forward-thinking, seeking a new challenge and want to make a positive difference to the lives of children & young people and their families, then we would be delighted to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will work as a member of the clinical service/team, providing a high quality, specialist family and systemic psychotherapy to children/young people and their families or carers. You will support systemic practice within the team through consultation, supervision, formulation and training and by participating in systemic clinical governance. You will work with complex presentations suitable for family and systemic psychotherapy in the team, utilising a high level of knowledge and experience and adapting approaches as appropriate, with regard to evidence-based practice. You will lead on complex cases, support and take a leadership role supporting junior staff, as well as supporting the wider team with your expertise and clinical knowledge.

About us

We're looking for people who share our values (compassion, accountability and optimism) to help us provide high quality care to the patients, carers, families and local communities we serve. We specialise in providing NHS mental health and learning disability services.

So what can we offer you in return?

We're an organisation which puts people first. We'll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. We'll help you learn, acquire new skills and gain further experience to support your career development. And we'll provide the opportunity for you to bring your fresh ideas to work about how we can do things differently and continue improving.

You will also be joining a health and care system committed to working together to do the best we can for the communities we serve. Above all, at Sussex Partnership you'll have the chance to make a difference to the lives of the patients, carers and families across our communities.

As a Trust we are committed in making a difference. Your development is important to us, so don't forget to ask us during interview what opportunities we can offer. We can offer fully funded lifelong learning opportunities such as an apprenticeship from GCSE to Masters level.

Details

Date posted

28 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£55,690 to £62,682 a year pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

354-CS-21801

Job locations

New Park House

North Street

Horsham

RH12 1RJ


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached Job Descriptions for further information.

REQUIREMENTS

- Accreditation in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy with the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).

- Substantial experience post qualification in a relevant field of practice

DESIRABLE

- Evidence of post qualification training in clinical supervision

Access to own transport is recommended as this post involves occasional travel to sites across West Sussex. SPFT staff have the capacity to work from home remotely where clinically applicable and in agreement with your line manager.

MAIN DUTIES

To provide high-quality specialist systemic psychotherapy to children, young people, families, groups and networks of care, within and across teams

To hold and manage a clinical caseload and to exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the planning and prioritising of own workload and client assessment, treatment and discharge, within the bounds of the service operational policy.

To take clinical management decisions in complex clinical issues.

To clinically supervise Systemic Psychotherapists, systemic practitioners, systemic trainees and other staff as appropriate.

To provide systemic consultation, mentorship and supervision to team and service members and other professionals working with service users, across a range of agencies/ settings as appropriate.

To contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of Family Therapy and systemic practice within Horsham CAMHS, and to the teams operational policies and services

To utilise research skills to undertake service evaluation, audit and research as appropriate and disseminate the results in the service and nationally.

Clinical:

To formulate and implement highly specialist Family & Systemic Psychotherapy interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, within and across teams, adjusting and refining formulations and hypotheses.

To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options considering both theoretical and therapeutic models and complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group.

To provide specialist Family & Systemic Psychotherapy perspectives, guidance and consultation to other professionals, contributing directly to clients formulations, diagnoses and treatment plans and to a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across relevant settings and agencies.

To undertake risk assessment, formulation and management for individual clients with complex presentations.

To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning client assessment, formulation and treatment plans and to monitor progress during uni- and multi-disciplinary care.

To promote and participate in multi-disciplinary team working, development and liaison.

To act as a care coordinator or lead practitioner as appropriate

To promote actively, user and carer involvement in care planning and service development.

See attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details.

Please apply using the link in this advert. For more information explore the attachments and/or contact:

Jan Parker, Principal Family & Systemic Psychotherapist: jan.parker7@nhs.net

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached Job Descriptions for further information.

REQUIREMENTS

- Accreditation in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy with the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).

- Substantial experience post qualification in a relevant field of practice

DESIRABLE

- Evidence of post qualification training in clinical supervision

Access to own transport is recommended as this post involves occasional travel to sites across West Sussex. SPFT staff have the capacity to work from home remotely where clinically applicable and in agreement with your line manager.

MAIN DUTIES

To provide high-quality specialist systemic psychotherapy to children, young people, families, groups and networks of care, within and across teams

To hold and manage a clinical caseload and to exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the planning and prioritising of own workload and client assessment, treatment and discharge, within the bounds of the service operational policy.

To take clinical management decisions in complex clinical issues.

To clinically supervise Systemic Psychotherapists, systemic practitioners, systemic trainees and other staff as appropriate.

To provide systemic consultation, mentorship and supervision to team and service members and other professionals working with service users, across a range of agencies/ settings as appropriate.

To contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of Family Therapy and systemic practice within Horsham CAMHS, and to the teams operational policies and services

To utilise research skills to undertake service evaluation, audit and research as appropriate and disseminate the results in the service and nationally.

Clinical:

To formulate and implement highly specialist Family & Systemic Psychotherapy interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, within and across teams, adjusting and refining formulations and hypotheses.

To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options considering both theoretical and therapeutic models and complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group.

To provide specialist Family & Systemic Psychotherapy perspectives, guidance and consultation to other professionals, contributing directly to clients formulations, diagnoses and treatment plans and to a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across relevant settings and agencies.

To undertake risk assessment, formulation and management for individual clients with complex presentations.

To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning client assessment, formulation and treatment plans and to monitor progress during uni- and multi-disciplinary care.

To promote and participate in multi-disciplinary team working, development and liaison.

To act as a care coordinator or lead practitioner as appropriate

To promote actively, user and carer involvement in care planning and service development.

See attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details.

Please apply using the link in this advert. For more information explore the attachments and/or contact:

Jan Parker, Principal Family & Systemic Psychotherapist: jan.parker7@nhs.net

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Recognised accredited post graduate level training in a psychological therapy as specified in the relevant Appendix
  • Professionally registered as specified in the appendix

Knowledge/Experience

Essential

  • Substantial post-qualification/accreditation experience of specialist psychological therapy (assessment, formulation and treatment), as specified in the Appendix, maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
  • A high level of competence in applying a psychological therapy to complex difficulties appropriate for this therapy with the client group served by the post, and a proven track record of delivering positive outcomes in this therapy
  • Experience of offering teaching, training and supervision within a demanding organisational context
  • A clear and theoretically informed approach to supervision
  • Experience of representing psychological therapy within the context of multi-disciplinary care within a complex organisational context
  • Significant experience of working with the particular client group served by the team/service
  • Knowledge of guidance and legislation in relation to the client group
  • A high level specialist knowledge of the theory and practice of specialist psychological therapy as specified in the appendix, as applied to the client group using this service.
  • Experience of the application of psychological therapy in different cultural contexts and experience of working within a multicultural framework
  • Evidence of continuing professional development as required by the professional registration/accrediting body specified in the appendix
  • Experience of conducting formal research, audit or service evaluation in a healthcare setting
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Recognised accredited post graduate level training in a psychological therapy as specified in the relevant Appendix
  • Professionally registered as specified in the appendix

Knowledge/Experience

Essential

  • Substantial post-qualification/accreditation experience of specialist psychological therapy (assessment, formulation and treatment), as specified in the Appendix, maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
  • A high level of competence in applying a psychological therapy to complex difficulties appropriate for this therapy with the client group served by the post, and a proven track record of delivering positive outcomes in this therapy
  • Experience of offering teaching, training and supervision within a demanding organisational context
  • A clear and theoretically informed approach to supervision
  • Experience of representing psychological therapy within the context of multi-disciplinary care within a complex organisational context
  • Significant experience of working with the particular client group served by the team/service
  • Knowledge of guidance and legislation in relation to the client group
  • A high level specialist knowledge of the theory and practice of specialist psychological therapy as specified in the appendix, as applied to the client group using this service.
  • Experience of the application of psychological therapy in different cultural contexts and experience of working within a multicultural framework
  • Evidence of continuing professional development as required by the professional registration/accrediting body specified in the appendix
  • Experience of conducting formal research, audit or service evaluation in a healthcare setting

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Address

New Park House

North Street

Horsham

RH12 1RJ


Employer's website

https://www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Address

New Park House

North Street

Horsham

RH12 1RJ


Employer's website

https://www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Principal Family and Systemic Psychotherapist

Jan Parker

jan.parker7@nhs.net

03003040218

Details

Date posted

28 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£55,690 to £62,682 a year pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

354-CS-21801

Job locations

New Park House

North Street

Horsham

RH12 1RJ


Supporting documents

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