Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist

We are looking for an enthusiastic and flexible ACP Registered Child & Adolescent Psychotherapist with experience of working with children in a CAMHS setting.

This is a community-based post located within the Emotional & Behavioural Team (EB1) of Tower Hamlets CAMHS (TH CAMHS). The post holder will join a supportive, friendly and vibrant service and contribute to the positive working environment of the multi-disciplinary team. As well as weekly CPD meetings, there are consultations slots to support clinical practice (such as working with trauma or neurodiversity) and opportunities for the practitioner to grow and develop their skills.

The post holder will offer assessment and flexible, evidence-based episodes of care and interventions to children/young people and families for a wide variety of clinical presentations.

The post holder will require a high degree of professional autonomy and self-management, and will be required to account for their professional practice through appraisal and audit.

ELFT has a strong ethos of Quality Improvement and we are keen to continually develop our staff and service.

Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are:
We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.

Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification.

For more information and/or an informal discussion, please contact Malby Oliver, Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist -

• Postgraduate Diploma/ MA in psychoanalytic Observational Studies or recognised equivalent for CAPs
• Minimum Masters Level in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy:
  Child and Adolescent
• Registered member of ACP
• Evidence of continuous and relevant professional training and development (CPD) in keeping with qualification period

• Experience of working with (assessment, formulation and treating) a wide range of child and adolescent mental health problems
• Experience of intensive and non-intensive psychoanalytic /psychodynamic interventions with individual children, parents and adolescents, and briefer models of psychoanalytic interventions
• Experience of risk assessment and risk management and of supporting children, young people and families in emotional crisis
• Experience, skills and flexibility to contribute to and facilitate effective working within a multi-disciplinary team setting
• Experience of working with partner agencies to support children and young people, including experience of safeguarding and child protection issues
• Experience and understanding of working with children and families from a diverse ethnic and cultural background, and families with a high level of deprivation

• Knowledge of psychoanalytic theory and an understanding of implication for clinical activity
• Knowledge of recent legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management and mental health in relation to children, young people and their families
• Advanced practical knowledge in area of specialisation
• Knowledge, understanding and experience with diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds and families with a high level of deprivation
• A high degree of self-awareness and an ability to reflect on personal and professional attitudes and accept feedback
• Knowledge of standard setting and audit implementation
• Evidence of well-developed clinical skills and knowledge in CAMHS assessments and interventions
• Able to manage own time and caseload

• Commitment to equal opportunities
• Proven qualities in sustaining the mental, emotional and physical demands of specialised therapeutic work with distressed children, adolescents and their families/carer networks
• Mental effort: writing reports; planning teaching; concentrating for therapy sessions /clinical supervision; managing psychiatric emergencies
• Emotional effort:
  Dealing with families in breakdown; experiencing trauma and abuse; occasional patient complaints; conveying of unwelcome news

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.