Assistant Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist (ACP)

We are looking for an Assistant Psychotherapist to join the Kensington, Chelsea & Westminster (KCW) Under 5s team. The post-holder will be based in Kensington & Chelsea CAMHS clinic and will work in the community and in Family Hubs across KCW.
The KCW Under 5s Service is a specialist CAMHS service for children under the age of five, their parents/carers and for professionals working with this age group. Launched in January 2017, the service aims to provide an accessible, destigmatising, culturally sensitive infant/young child mental health perspective through:
+ consultation to parents and professionals
+ specialist assessment
+ 6 session brief work with Under 5s and their families
+ interagency partnership working
The Assistant Psychotherapist role requires a motivated, organised and enthusiastic professional interested in supporting a lively Under 5s clinical team. Once settled in the role, there will be opportunities for developing their own clinical understanding through shadowing, involvement in assessments and some joint working/brief work.
The post holder will be enrolled, or planning to enrol in the Masters ACP regulated Child and Adolescent pre-clinical training programme seminars (M7, Tavistock Clinic, or other ACP Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy pre-clinical Masters training programme - pre-requisite qualification for ACP Child & Adolescent Psychotherapists in doctoral training)., + To be involved in supporting initial assessments alongside Under 5s and/or CAMHS clinicians.
+ Under supervision to plan, develop and deliver programmes designed to support and complement the work of CAMHS practitioners in order to facilitate educational, social and emotional needs of Under 5s families and/or young people as part of the overall CAMHS treatment plan.
+ To support delivery of outcome focused brief psychodynamically-informed Goal Based individual and group interventions as needed to CAMHS Under 5s families and/or children and young people within CAMHS experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties and their parents
+ To work independently according to a plan agreed with supervisor and within the overall framework of the team's policies and procedures.
+ To assist in clinically related administration, ROMS, QI project, collection of statistics, taking notes and organising agendas and minutes of team meetings, assisting with managing waiting lists, liaising with external agencies, signposting referrals, assisting in development of audit and/or research projects and teaching and project work.
+ Deliver on Trust priorities in line with participation, which will require active engagement within the service and Trust., The post holder will be expected to support their team, department and organisation to achieve the Trust's Values in their day to day work:

• Compassion Respect Empowerment Partnership

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.,
• The post holder will be enrolled, or planning to enrol in the Masters ACP regulated Child and Adolescent pre-clinical training programme seminars (M7, Tavistock Clinic, or other ACP Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy pre-clinical Masters training programme - pre-requisite qualification for ACP Child & Adolescent Psychotherapists in doctoral training).


• The post-holder will work under supervision as part of a multi-disciplinary team delivering high-quality; brief psychodynamically-informed, outcome focused interventions for CAMHS Under 5s Service and/or children and young people within CAMHS experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties.


• To work with the multi-disciplinary team maintaining excellent working relationships with other professional and voluntary workers and significant others.


• To represent the service as appropriate at meetings, case conferences and to liaise with other agencies.


• To support and enhance the professional psychological care of clients within the CAMHS Under 5s Service and/or K&C CAMHS across all sectors of care. To support clinicians and clinical systems, do ROMS etc.


• To support the provision of psychological assessment and intervention ie brief parent-young child psychotherapy and/or brief, psychodynamically-informed Goal Based Interventions - under the supervision and guidance of a qualified Child & Adolescent Psychotherapist, or senior Band 6 Child & Adolescent Psychotherapist in Doctoral Training where appropriate.


• In addition the post holder would support the development and delivery of a wide range of supportive interventions to enable Under 5s children and families and/or young people referred to the service to improve their emotional well-being as well as their life chances.


• The post holder will be required to be creative, flexible, adaptable, professional and motivated in all aspects of their role, both in clinical delivery and within the development of the service provision.


• The post-holder will be involved in elements of participation in the Under 5s Service and respective borough. This includes engaging all service users in various ways to gain feedback, participate in shaping services and running appropriate participation groups within the services as needed.


• The post-holder will work with Under 5s families, children, young people and families within CAMHS with different cultural backgrounds and ages, using interpreters when necessary and should be committed to equal opportunities.

CNWL (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust) has almost 8,000 staff providing integrated healthcare to a third of London's population, Milton Keynes and areas beyond. We involve service users, carers, the public, staff and partner organisations in the way that we are run.
Our catchment area spans diverse communities, with over 100 first languages spoken. It contains areas of great affluence as well as areas of much deprivation. We are committed to providing services that meet the needs of the people who use them, and we actively encourage involvement from local people who can help make a difference. We're proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME and people with disabilities to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.
We are recognised locally, nationally and internationally for providing high quality, innovative healthcare. We aim to employ only the best people, and our experts are frequently called upon to contribute to national health strategy and policy, and many models of our care have been adapted for use in other countries.

We offer a generous relocation package (subject to eligibility assessment) and flexible working options, including bank assignments for most roles. See attached Staff Reward and Wellbeing Handbook detailing our benefits, discounts and wellbeing initiatives for staff.
Become part of our team. We care for you as much as you care for others.
CNWL NHS Foundation Trust are committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We follow safe recruitment practices to protect children and vulnerable adults.
Due to the high response levels we receive for some vacancies, we may expire any of them prior to the advertised closing date and advise you to submit your application as soon as possible.
Our Agenda for Change employment contracts are subject to a contractual 13 week probationary period.
If you are offered a job, information will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.