NELFT North East London Foundation Trust

CYP Clinical Psychologist, F/T and CBT Therapist, CYP Psychotherapist

The closing date is 04 December 2025

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a post-graduate qualified psychological practitioner (e.g. clinical psychologist, family therapist, child and adolescent psychotherapist, CBT practitioner) in the Ashford CYPMHS Team. To apply for this post you must be fully registered with the appropriate professional or regulatory body (e.g. HCPC, AFT, ACP, BABCP).

The post-holder will provide clinical interventions and assessment within their professional sphere of expertise in CYPMHS. They will be responsible for assessment, treatment and systematic outcome measurement and the extensive clinical supervision of assistant psychologists throughout the CYPMHS locality teams.

They will ensure that a high quality, timely, accessible, and evidence-based service is available to all service users who need it throughout the CYPMHS team.

The post-holder will establish and maintain excellent working relationships with wider mental health and wellbeing services and ensure adherence to evidence-based treatments by all clinical staff across the CYPMHS team.

The post-holder will be directly involved in delivering and supervising a range of therapeutic interventions, which may include parent work, group work, school observations of children, short term CYPMHS input and specialist psychological treatments.

They will be responsible for all specialist psychological assessments and treatments within their professional sphere of expertise within CYPMHS.

Main duties of the job

o To provide an efficient, effective, comprehensive and specialist psychological service for children and adolescents with emotional and mental health problems, their carers/parents, and families.

o Where appropriate to supervise assistant psychologists and trainees across the locality teams in CYPMHS.

o To contribute to multi-disciplinary assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with emotional and mental health problems, their carers/parents, and families.

o To undertake a range of clinical work, assessment work and parenting support.

o To contribute to audit and research.

o To actively engage in treatment and outcome monitoring, including the use of normed measures associated with CYP-IAPT.

o To work in clinical practice, making use of supervision, within the overall framework CYPMHS and the Trust's policies and procedures.

About us

Our Values 2025 - 2030

Working with our colleagues, patients and carers we have co-produced three new values that we aim to embed within our culture here at NELFT.

They are:

  • We are kind.
  • We are respectful.
  • We work together with our communities.

These three values help us tostrive to provide the best care by the best people.

Probationary Period

This post will be subject to a probationary period.

NELFT place great importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks, including mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop in sessions focussing in engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.

Details

Date posted

25 November 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

395-PP143-25

Job locations

Lenworth Clinic

329 Hythe Road

Ashford

TN24 0QE


Job description

Job responsibilities

To act as an autonomous professional fully registered with the appropriate professional or regulatory body.

To use appropriate clinical understanding in assessing, jointly with colleagues in the multidisciplinary team, children, adolescents, and their families to formulate their strengths and difficulties and to determine the most appropriate treatment plan.

To work alongside other colleagues in CYPMHS and in the care pathway to provide an indepth comprehensive assessment of the childs, young persons, and familys functioning where there is a constellation of high dysfunction and entrenched difficulties in the family.

To provide therapeutic interventions with due regard to issues of cultural, racial and religious difference and sexual orientation.

To provide clinical assessment of children and young people with severe, highly complex and persistent mental health problems.

To undertake observations of children in school settings as part of wider assessments.

To undertake observations of children in school settings as part of wider assessments. To provide therapeutic interventions (including parent/child work, group work, parent support input, psycho-education and brief individual work with children and young people.

To facilitate the development of a positive and supportive team culture by taking responsibility for dealing effectively with potential conflict

To take an active interest in working parties and groups within the Trust to develop and improve on service delivery, protocols, and guidelines.

To participate in the audit process, linking in with the clinical governance agenda.

Job description

Job responsibilities

To act as an autonomous professional fully registered with the appropriate professional or regulatory body.

To use appropriate clinical understanding in assessing, jointly with colleagues in the multidisciplinary team, children, adolescents, and their families to formulate their strengths and difficulties and to determine the most appropriate treatment plan.

To work alongside other colleagues in CYPMHS and in the care pathway to provide an indepth comprehensive assessment of the childs, young persons, and familys functioning where there is a constellation of high dysfunction and entrenched difficulties in the family.

To provide therapeutic interventions with due regard to issues of cultural, racial and religious difference and sexual orientation.

To provide clinical assessment of children and young people with severe, highly complex and persistent mental health problems.

To undertake observations of children in school settings as part of wider assessments.

To undertake observations of children in school settings as part of wider assessments. To provide therapeutic interventions (including parent/child work, group work, parent support input, psycho-education and brief individual work with children and young people.

To facilitate the development of a positive and supportive team culture by taking responsibility for dealing effectively with potential conflict

To take an active interest in working parties and groups within the Trust to develop and improve on service delivery, protocols, and guidelines.

To participate in the audit process, linking in with the clinical governance agenda.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Successful completion of a post-graduate training (e.g. clinical psychology, family therapy, child, and adolescent psychotherapy, CBT therapist)

Knowledge

Essential

  • An awareness of NHS Priorities and Issues
  • High level knowledge of the theory and practice of short term and long term in clinical interventions in CAMHS
  • Excellent knowledge of emotional, developmental, mental health problems and life span issues.
  • Knowledge of legislation in relation to children and adolescents and safeguarding procedures and policies.
  • Knowledge of NHS, Social Care and Education structures, national policies and frameworks, evidence based practice

Skills

Essential

  • Ability to communicate clearly and effectively highly complex and sensitive matters
  • Ability to integrate complex clinical information into a coherent formulation
  • Ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information
  • Capacity to write clear records and observe policies, procedures and guidelines.
  • Ability to work on their own , using own initiative with their professional remit and seeking further support as needed

Experience

Essential

  • Extensive experience of working with children and adolescents with co-morbid difficulties and special needs
  • Extensive experience of working with challenging children/young people requiring skilled and complex interventions.
  • Extensive experience of working therapeutically with parents/carers/families of children and young people with complex mental health problems
  • Experience of carrying out generic assessment with other colleagues in the multi -disciplinary team
  • Experience of initiating, organising and planning inter -agency meetings
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Successful completion of a post-graduate training (e.g. clinical psychology, family therapy, child, and adolescent psychotherapy, CBT therapist)

Knowledge

Essential

  • An awareness of NHS Priorities and Issues
  • High level knowledge of the theory and practice of short term and long term in clinical interventions in CAMHS
  • Excellent knowledge of emotional, developmental, mental health problems and life span issues.
  • Knowledge of legislation in relation to children and adolescents and safeguarding procedures and policies.
  • Knowledge of NHS, Social Care and Education structures, national policies and frameworks, evidence based practice

Skills

Essential

  • Ability to communicate clearly and effectively highly complex and sensitive matters
  • Ability to integrate complex clinical information into a coherent formulation
  • Ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information
  • Capacity to write clear records and observe policies, procedures and guidelines.
  • Ability to work on their own , using own initiative with their professional remit and seeking further support as needed

Experience

Essential

  • Extensive experience of working with children and adolescents with co-morbid difficulties and special needs
  • Extensive experience of working with challenging children/young people requiring skilled and complex interventions.
  • Extensive experience of working therapeutically with parents/carers/families of children and young people with complex mental health problems
  • Experience of carrying out generic assessment with other colleagues in the multi -disciplinary team
  • Experience of initiating, organising and planning inter -agency meetings

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

NELFT North East London Foundation Trust

Address

Lenworth Clinic

329 Hythe Road

Ashford

TN24 0QE


Employer's website

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


Employer details

Employer name

NELFT North East London Foundation Trust

Address

Lenworth Clinic

329 Hythe Road

Ashford

TN24 0QE


Employer's website

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


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Team Manager Ashford CYPMHS

Lianne Fitzmaurice

lianne.fitzmaurice@nelft.nhs.uk

03003001982

Details

Date posted

25 November 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

395-PP143-25

Job locations

Lenworth Clinic

329 Hythe Road

Ashford

TN24 0QE


Supporting documents

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