NHS
Principal Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist
This job is now closed
Job Description
- Req#: C9222-25-0351?language=en&page=143&sort=publicationDateDesc
- Honours degree
- Doctoral level training in Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy (or its equivalent), (4-6 years including personal analysis), as accredited by the ACP (Association of Child Psychotherapists).
- Professional registration with the ACP (Association of Child Psychotherapists).
- Specialist therapeutic skills as relevant to clinical population, such as parent-infant psychotherapy, video interactive guidance (VIG)
- Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of child and adolescent psychotherapy
- Post-qualification Leadership training
- Post-qualification Supervision training
- Training in parent-infant psychotherapy
- Extensive experience of working with a wide variety of client groups and presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity and across the age range of 0-18, including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
- Experience of assessment and treatment with complex children and their families.
- Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment, both as a professionally qualified care coordinator and also within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan.
- Experience of multi-agency working.
- Significant experience of delivering professional, clinical and management supervision to child and adolescent psychotherapists
- Experience of and commitment to service development.
- Experience of the management of staff including appraisal, performance management and budget holding commensurate with a leadership role.
- Experience of teaching and training.
- Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
- Knowledge and skills in specialist psychological assessment and treatment of specific groups (e.g. looked after children, learning disabilities, neurodevelopmental disorders, adolescent mental health, trauma, anxiety and mood disorders).
- High level knowledge of the theory and practice of child and adolescent psychotherapy practice specific to difficult to treat client groups.
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychotherapy assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the ACP
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
- Commitment to provide support to children, their families/carers and linked professionals and maintain high levels of aspiration for the population referred to the service.
- Commitment to working flexibly and collaboratively with team colleagues and to support innovative ways of working.
- To approach clients with empathy and adaptability and to be open to development of new approaches to work with clients.
- Experience of working within a multicultural framework.
- Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentation in public, professional and academic settings.
- Honours degree
- Doctoral level training in Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy (or its equivalent), (4-6 years including personal analysis), as accredited by the ACP (Association of Child Psychotherapists).
- Professional registration with the ACP (Association of Child Psychotherapists).
- Specialist therapeutic skills as relevant to clinical population, such as parent-infant psychotherapy, video interactive guidance (VIG)
- Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of child and adolescent psychotherapy
- Post-qualification Leadership training
- Post-qualification Supervision training
- Training in parent-infant psychotherapy
- Extensive experience of working with a wide variety of client groups and presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity and across the age range of 0-18, including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
- Experience of assessment and treatment with complex children and their families.
- Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment, both as a professionally qualified care coordinator and also within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan.
- Experience of multi-agency working.
- Significant experience of delivering professional, clinical and management supervision to child and adolescent psychotherapists
- Experience of and commitment to service development.
- Experience of the management of staff including appraisal, performance management and budget holding commensurate with a leadership role.
- Experience of teaching and training.
- Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
- Knowledge and skills in specialist psychological assessment and treatment of specific groups (e.g. looked after children, learning disabilities, neurodevelopmental disorders, adolescent mental health, trauma, anxiety and mood disorders).
- High level knowledge of the theory and practice of child and adolescent psychotherapy practice specific to difficult to treat client groups.
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychotherapy assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the ACP
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
- Commitment to provide support to children, their families/carers and linked professionals and maintain high levels of aspiration for the population referred to the service.
- Commitment to working flexibly and collaboratively with team colleagues and to support innovative ways of working.
- To approach clients with empathy and adaptability and to be open to development of new approaches to work with clients.
- Experience of working within a multicultural framework.
- Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentation in public, professional and academic settings.
Job summary
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and passionate Principal Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist (Band 8b, 0.6 WTE) to join the West London Hounslow CAMHS Adolescent Team. The successful applicant will lead on the delivery of specialist Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy provision to children, young people, and their families with moderate to severe emotional, relational difficulties and mental health presentations at Hounslow CAMHS.
This brand new senior child and adolescent psychoanalytic psychotherapy role reflects West London CAMHS' commitment to delivering psychoanalytical psychotherapy treatment as one of the key evidence-based treatments for children, young people and their families.
The successful applicant will be joining the existing team of fourteen Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists (ACP) and five trainees working across West London CAMHS.
Main duties of the job
As the Principal Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist, you will provide highly specialist psychoanalytic assessments and treatment to children and young people (age 14-18) presenting with severe and complex mental health difficulties alongside more generic clinical work. You will be a professional lead for the Hounslow CAMHS and will provide high-quality clinical supervision and leadership for the psychotherapy discipline in the borough. Furthermore, you will be a vital member of our MDT and will offer clinical leadership skills, collaborating with a range of partner mental health professionals.
You will receive regular supervision and line management from the Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist and Head of Child Psychotherapy for CAMHS. There is a strong network and regular meetings of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists across the three boroughs (Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith and Fulham), of which you would be a part. There are excellent opportunities for professional development and support towards further specialist training (eg, VIG, MBT, NVR, Reflective Practice).
This post is an ideal opportunity for an experienced 8b Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, or an 8a Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist with strong leadership skills looking to move into a more senior role.
The post holder will need to be available to work on Thursdays.
About us
West London CAMHS teams (Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham CAMHS) are multidisciplinary teams and include family therapy, nursing, clinical psychology, child psychotherapy, psychiatry, art therapy, social work, and allied health professionals. There are also three tri-borough teams for young people with eating disorders, those who are experiencing a crisis and Under 5s team. A range of therapeutic approaches and individual and group therapies are offered within teams, including CBT, systemic family interventions, child and adolescent psychotherapy, NVR, Art Therapy and EMDR. Child and adolescent psychotherapy is highly valued and well established within all three CAMHS clinics.
You would be joining a friendly, welcoming and well established child and adolescent psychotherapy team in West London who are committed to service improvement, staff well-being, and who value diversity in our workforce. We have good links with the training courses and offer placements to trainees within our service.
We welcome enquiries about the post to Ivana Ruzic, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist and Head of Child Psychotherapy in West London CAMHS. Email: Ivana.Ruzic@nhs.net Tel: 0208 483 1979 ; Mob: 07958 387 376
Details
Date posted
02 May 2025
Pay scheme
Agenda for change
Band
Band 8b
Salary
£67,950 to £78,028 a year pa inclusive of 15% HCAS
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Part-time
Reference number
222-LS-CAMHS-621
Job locations
Heart of Hounslow Health Centre
Bath Road Hounslow
TW3 3EL
Job descriptionJob description
Job responsibilities
The needs of young children and families will be at the centre of thinking about the service, and you will work together with service users and colleagues to ensure that the service best meets the needs of its population. West London is a culturally diverse borough, and you will be involved in ensuring that the service is accessible and effective.
Please see attached job description and person specification for further information.
Job responsibilities
The needs of young children and families will be at the centre of thinking about the service, and you will work together with service users and colleagues to ensure that the service best meets the needs of its population. West London is a culturally diverse borough, and you will be involved in ensuring that the service is accessible and effective.
Please see attached job description and person specification for further information.
Person SpecificationPerson Specification
Qualifications
Essential
Desirable
Experience
Essential
Desirable
Knowledge
Essential
Desirable
Skills
Essential
Other requirements
Essential
Desirable
Qualifications
Essential
Desirable
Experience
Essential
Desirable
Knowledge
Essential
Desirable
Skills
Essential
Other requirements
Essential
Desirable
Additional informationDisclosure 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).
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
West London NHS Trust
Address
Heart of Hounslow Health Centre
Bath Road Hounslow
TW3 3EL
Employer's website
Employer details
Employer name
West London NHS Trust
Address
Heart of Hounslow Health Centre
Bath Road Hounslow
TW3 3EL
Employer's website
About the company
National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly-funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). The founding principles were that services should be comprehensive, universal and free at the point of delivery—a health service based on clinical need, not ability to pay. Each service provides a comprehensive range of health services, free at the point of use for people ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom apart from dental treatment and optical care.