CAMHS Practitioner CYP-PT: Therapy Trainee – CBT x 3 Posts

Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust; City Of London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A mental health specialist trust is offering a Training Post for a CAMHS Practitioner CYP-PT Therapy Trainee. This position entails applying learning to real-world clinical interventions, working with children and young adults experiencing emotional difficulties. Candidates will gain experience in an evidence-based environment and will be enrolled in a UCL program leading to a postgraduate diploma. The role promotes accessibility and diversity in mental health services.

Benefits

Professional development opportunities

Supportive working environment

Qualifications

• Enthusiastic about improving children's mental health.
• Understanding of NICE Guideline recommended treatments.
• Commitment to principles of accessibility and accountability.

Responsibilities

• Apply learning to clinical interventions with clients.
• Engage in group and individual CBT sessions.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams.

Skills

Motivation

Evidence-based intervention knowledge

Child mental health understanding

Commitment to equity and diversity

Education

Postgraduate Diploma in Child and Young Person IAPT Therapy

Job description

Overview

A Vacancy at Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.

CYP Psychological Therapy CBT Training Role

Role and Placement

Band 6 – 3 x Training posts within: Camden CAMHS Unit: Wellbeing Team, Mental Health Support Team [MHST] and Community CAMHS Team

1-year fixed term Training Post(s)

January 2026 – January 2027. Based at: Tavistock Centre, 120 Belsize Lane, LONDON, NW3 5BA; Ampthill Square, 219 Eversholt Street, London NW1 1DR; Camden primary and secondary schools.

Job Title: CAMHS Practitioner CYP-PT Therapy Trainee CBT

The Camden CAMHS Wellbeing Team and Community CAMHS Team have an exciting opportunity to recruit two CBT Recruit to Train Trainees to join their teams as part of the NHS England (NHSE) funded Children and Young People (CYP) Psychological Training Programmes (formerly CYP-IAPT).

Recruit to Train is a government-funded initiative aiming to grow the child mental health workforce to meet much needed demand. This is a unique opportunity to apply your learning from weekly teaching into practical clinical interventions working with clients in the service making a direct impact in the lives of children, young people and their families.

Team Context

The Camden CAMHS Wellbeing Team works with children and families aged 4-18. We provide group and individual CBT and parent training interventions to parents and young people with mild to moderate anxiety, low mood, or challenging behaviour. The Team also has an active role in community engagement, offering trainings to universal services and service user involvement projects. The team includes 3 CWP’s, 4 Trainee CWP’s, a parenting practitioner, systemic practitioner, CBT Therapists, a supervisor and service lead.

The Community CAMHS Team operate in the North and South of the Camden borough and support CYP 0-18 years with emotional wellbeing needs, often these are of a moderate+ nature and fit within the Getting More Help area of the THRIVE model. The community teams have a strong MDT culture, with several disciplines offering evidence-based talking therapies. The team often work with internal clinical colleagues and external partner agencies to include: school, children’s services and voluntary and charitable organisations.

The Mental Health Support Team [MHST] are a service that work within Camden primary and secondary schools, they offer direct interventions to CYP within the school context in a 1:1 and group format. They also support schools with a whole school offer, that can typically support educational staff. MHSTs work closely with other CAMHS colleagues in the Camden CAMHS Unit as well as external services (statutory and VCSEs).

Although this is a fixed term contract there may be opportunities for employment once the course is completed. The team values a supportive working environment, continued professional development and career advancement. The teams work closely with community multidisciplinary Teams. The Tavistock has a national and international reputation as a training centre and provides an excellent environment in which trainees.

Please note: The position will be based at The Tavistock Centre and possibly South Camden Community Team (Ampthill Square, 219 Eversholt Street, LONDON, NW1 1DR) but successful candidates will be expected to travel to Anna Freud in North London (Rodney St, N1 9JH) for teaching during the training year.

Training Details

Course start date: 19th January 2026

This full-time training will begin in January 2026 with around 2.5 days a week for academic work (teaching and personal study), and 2.5 days based at the service seeing clients (children, young people, and carers) related to training assignments. Trainees will be both an employee of the service and an enrolled student with UCL/Anna Freud. Upon completion, qualified trainees will receive a UCL Postgraduate Diploma.

Application Process

This is a dual application process. In addition to applying for this position with us, you must also complete a UCL application for the Course Team to review. The Course Team will liaise with us on whether you meet the academic requirements for the course during the recruitment process. You will only be offered a UCL training place if you are successful in securing this post and you meet the university training requirements.

Please view the attached document ‘UCL CYP PT Therapy - Application Guidance for Candidates August 2025’ for the university application link and more information on how to apply.

More information about the course content and the different modalities can be found on the Anna Freud webpage: https://www.annafreud.org/ucl-postgraduate-study/ucl-postgraduate-programmes/child-and-young-person-iapt-therapy-pg-dip/

There is also a useful training FAQ section for prospective candidates: Prospective Trainees_ CYP IAPT Therapy Programme FAQ's.docx - Google Docs

What We Are Looking For

We are seeking highly motivated candidates who are enthusiastic about making a difference to children’s mental health through evidence-based interventions based on NICE Guideline recommended treatment.

You will be committed to the CYP Psychological Training Programme core principles: Accessibility, accountability, participation, awareness and evidence-based practice and in providing an inclusive and effective service for children and young people, along with a dedication to equity, diversity and inclusion.

Please review the job description and person specification for more information on the role. Please ensure you address each point of the person specification in your application.

The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health trust with a focus on training and education alongside a full range of mental health services and psychological therapies for children and their families, young people and adults.

Additional Information

We are committed to improving mental health and emotional wellbeing, believing that high quality mental health services should be available for all who need them. We bring a distinctive contribution based on the importance we attach to social experience at all stages of people’s lives, and our focus on psychological and developmental approaches to the promotion of health and the prevention and treatment of mental ill health. We contribute to the pool of ideas through our own research and development and are committed to bringing together the best ideas of the time, old and new, from inside and out, together with the most gifted and able professionals in our fields of endeavour. We aim to share our ideas and practice through as many routes as possible. As a Trust we aim constantly to be evolving in nature and form in relation to the environment in which we work, to ensure that our contribution remains relevant.

Please see the attached Job Description and Person specification for more information on the role requirements and duties.

This advert closes on Monday 29 Sep 2025