Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Specialist Family and Systemic Psychotherapist

The closing date is 08 March 2026

Job summary

We are delighted to offer this opportunity for a dynamic fully-qualified Family and Systemic Psychotherapist with a passion for community CAMHS.

The successful applicant to this fixed term 3 days (0.48) Band 8a post, based at Ouse Valley community CAMHS will be a fully integrated member of the locality team. They will provide assessment, systemic formulation, intervention and consultation, developing high-quality services for young people and families, working with other key young people's services and supporting practice and practitioner development through supervision, consultation, training and other CPD opportunities.

The applicant will be expected to thinking strategically about the development of the service and adhere to systemic clinical governance, including the involvement and evaluation of outcomes measures.

The successful applicant will use their systemic knowledge and skills to contribute into the team thinking regarding the complexities of families and systems.

Our service model is a blend of face to face and remote work with young people and families.

The post-holder will receive high standards of individual and group supervision, plus peer and Trust Wide CPD opportunities.

Main duties of the job

providing a high-quality, specialist family & systemic psychotherapy service for children and young people with moderate to severe mental health difficulties and their families/carers/networks of care
supporting staff, team, project and systemic practice development through supervision, consultation and training
participating in clinical governance
providing generic mental health assessment, care planning, risk assessment and specialist systemic formulation and assessment

Utilising research skills for audit, policy and service development and research

About us

We provide mental health and learning disability care for children, young people and adults across Sussex and for children and young people in East Sussex.

Working in Sussex:

Travel easily between stunning countryside, picturesque villages and seaside towns, with great access to London
Easy access to Gatwick and Heathrow plus excellent railway links across the UK

Our organisation is rated 'outstanding' for caring and 'good' overall by the Care Quality Commission.

Our staff agree, with:

82% of people in our recent staff survey telling us that they recognise that care for patients is our top priority.

70% highlighting flexible working opportunities as a key point for satisfaction at work

79% reporting feeling able to make suggestions to improve the work within their team

77% identifying the opportunities to show initiative in their roles

Date posted

24 February 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£55,690 to £62,682 a year pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

354-CS-21841

Job locations

Orchard House

Victoria Hospital, Nevill Road

Lewes

BN7 1PE

Job description

Job responsibilities

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 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 and evaluation of Family Therapy and systemic practice within Ouse Valley CAMHS, and to the teams operational policies and services

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 multi-disciplinary care.

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

To act as a lead practitioner as appropriate

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

Travel may be required to other localities in Sussex.

See attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details.

Job description

Job responsibilities

MAIN DUTIES

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

To take clinical management decisions in complex clinical issues.

To clinically supervise 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 and evaluation of Family Therapy and systemic practice within Ouse Valley CAMHS, and to the teams operational policies and services

Clinical:

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 multi-disciplinary care.

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

To act as a lead practitioner as appropriate

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

Travel may be required to other localities in Sussex.

See attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Recognised accredited post graduate level training in family & systemic psychotherapy, as specified in the relevant Appendix
Professionally registered as specified in the appendix

knowledge and 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
Experience of representing psychological therapy within the context of multi-disciplinary care within a complex organisational context.

Desirable

Experience of specialist psychological therapy assessment and treatment of clients across a range of care settings and client groups including both adults and children

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Recognised accredited post graduate level training in family & systemic psychotherapy, as specified in the relevant Appendix
Professionally registered as specified in the appendix

knowledge and 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
Experience of representing psychological therapy within the context of multi-disciplinary care within a complex organisational context.

Desirable

Experience of specialist psychological therapy assessment and treatment of clients across a range of care settings and client groups including both adults and children

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).