CYP Psychological Practitioner Trainee | South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust

South West London & St George's Mental Health NHS Trust; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent health service provider in London seeks a Trainee Infant and Early Years Practitioner to join their dynamic CAMHS team. The role involves assisting in psychological interventions for children under 5 and offers training at Anna Freud/UCL. Ideal for candidates looking to develop skills in a supportive environment, this position provides flexibility and career development opportunities.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Career development opportunities

Inclusive work environment

Qualifications

• Must assist in the delivery of psychological interventions under supervision.
• Experience in working with children and families in mental health contexts is necessary.
• Willingness to travel for training and community work.

Responsibilities

• Assist in delivering psychological interventions to children and their families.
• Support the team in managing service entry protocols.
• Help with data collection and reporting for service evaluation.

Skills

Psychological assessment skills

Ability to assist in therapeutic interventions

Data collection and analysis

Communication skills

Education

Relevant degree in psychology or related field

Job description

An exciting opportunity has arisen to work in the Early Years part of Wandsworth CAMHS based within Wandsworth Borough Early Years settings. Wandsworth CAMHS Under 5s team offers early intervention and preventative work to children and their families. Established 14 years ago, the team is highly regarded by the Trust, the Local Authority and the CCG. The team works closely with staff from the perinatal service, nurseries and children’s centres in Battersea, Tooting and Roehampton, and offers appointments in the community and in family homes.

Responsibilities

• Assist qualified psychotherapists and applied psychologists in delivering psychological interventions for infants, children and their parents or carers accessing the Under 5s service.
• Assist with the provision of information and self‑help material for service users under the supervision of a qualified professional psychologist or psychotherapist.
• Undertake protocol‑based psychological assessments of children and their carers using self‑report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi‑structured interviews.
• Assist in the formulation and delivery of mental health care involving psychological interventions in line with Under 5 CAMHS services, under clinical supervision of qualified professional psychotherapists and psychologist as appropriate across community settings.
• Assist, and where appropriate lead, in the coordination and running of groups and workshops.

Teaching, Training and Supervision

• Receive regular clinical supervision in accordance with professional practice guidelines and clinical governance guidelines.
• Complete the Anna Freud/UCL training programme and assignments to further develop skills in therapeutic interventions and risk assessment.
• Develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of current duties.
• Support the leads and service in the regular and systematic entry of clinical data on IAPTus according to Trust protocols and highlight areas of difficulty to the Under 5 service lead as soon as they arise.
• Contribute to the training and support of others, including staff and workers in the non‑statutory sector enabling them to provide effective mental health care.
• Inform primary care practitioners and users about local statutory and voluntary services to whom children and young people can be signposted.

Management, Recruitment and Service Development

• Assist in managing a triage system for entry to the service in line with agreed protocols and highlight issues relating to potential waiting times and access to the relevant Clinical Lead or Service Manager.
• Assist in the design and implementation of service development projects within the service as required.
• Attend meetings in which service developments are planned and discussed.

Research and Service Evaluation

• Assist the clinical team leader and others in undertaking data collection, analysis, and production of reports and summaries, in relation to primary care mental health services.
• Undertake searches of evidence‑based literature and research to assist qualified staff and others in evidence‑based practice in individual work and work with other team members.

About the Team and the Training Pathway

The successful candidate will work as part of the existing Tier 2 CAMHS team based within Wandsworth Children’s Centres to support young children with attachment, separation, emotional and behavioural regulation difficulties from nurseries and schools across Wandsworth. This Trainee Infant and Early Years Early Childhood pathway post combines formal teaching at Anna Freud/UCL with a caseload within the Trust’s Wandsworth Under 5s CAMHS service line. The position will be based in the community around Wandsworth and successful candidates will be expected to travel to Anna Freud in Central London for teaching during the training year. Upon completion of the training year, the postholder will be encouraged to apply for Under 5s CAMHS Practitioner roles, although please note that currently we are unable to guarantee that these roles will be available in the Trust.

About South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust

We are proud to belong at South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust. We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill‑health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’ – we aspire to be ‘outstanding’. We are inclusive, diverse and actively anti‑racist, and we want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We offer flexible working, career development and a variety of benefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.

Come and Join Us

Come and join our inclusive teams and help our patients on their recovery journey.