Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist/ Emotional Disorders Team Lead - London

Job Overview · The post holder will be responsible for leading Kensington and Chelsea CAMHS Emotional Disorders Team (EDT) -alongside the team's consultant Psychiatrist- and for providing a highly specialist Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy service to children, young people and ...

Job description

Job Overview

The post holder will be responsible for leading Kensington and Chelsea CAMHS Emotional Disorders Team (EDT) -alongside the team's consultant Psychiatrist- and for providing a highly specialist Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy service to children, young people and families experiencing mental health difficulties.

They will deliver specialist psychotherapeutic assessments, formulations and interventions for young people and their families or carers, and offer expert psychodynamic consultation and advice to multidisciplinary colleagues and the wider professional network.

The post holder will contribute to generic CAMHS functions, including initial assessments, urgent assessments, risk assessment and management, duty participation and care coordination, applying psychoanalytic understanding to the broader range of therapeutic work undertaken in CAMHS.

The role includes providing consultation across partner agencies to promote psychologically informed approaches, and contributing to the supervision and development of trainees and less experienced clinicians, as appropriate to service need.

The post holder will utilise research, audit and service evaluation skills to support service development and the implementation of evidence‑based practice, working collaboratively with senior clinicians and managers.

Main duties of the job

Below are some of the key duties of this role.

For a more complete list, please refer to the attached Job Description:

Provide highly specialist psychoanalytic/psychodynamic psychotherapy assessment and treatment for children, adolescents and families referred to Kensington and Chelsea CAMHS.

Formulate and implement psychotherapeutic treatment plans across the full range of Child & Adolescent Psychotherapy modalities, including STPP, longer-term psychotherapy, short- term interventions, parent–child therapy, parent work, adolescent group therapy and consultation, according to service needs.

Deliver generic CAMHS assessments, including initial assessments, urgent assessments, neurodevelopmental screening and risk evaluations, ensuring timely access to care pathways.

Provide skilled, sensitive written formulations and treatment plans.
Carry out comprehensive risk assessments and develop robust, evidence-informed risk management plans.
Offer specialist psychodynamic risk formulation guidance to the MDT and partner agencies.
Provide specialist psychodynamic consultation to MDT colleagues and external professionals (education, social care, voluntary sector).
Contribute to duty systems, MDT discussions, inter-agency liaison and complex case/network meetings.
Prepare clear clinical reports and letters and liaise effectively with young people, families and professionals.

Working for our organisation

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL) provides Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) across five boroughs – Brent, Harrow, Hillingdon, Westminster, and Kensington and Chelsea – as well as specialist services to regional and national partners.

This post is based within Kensington and Chelsea CAMHS's Emotional Disorders Team, which forms part of a large and well‑established CAMHS service which includes psychiatrists, child psychotherapists, psychologists, family therapists, nurses and other mental health professionals.

The Emotional Disorders Team provides assessment and treatment for young people presenting with depression, anxiety disorders (including OCD, social anxiety and trauma- related presentations), self‑harm and suicidal ideation, and supports those with co‑occurring neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism and ADHD.

Kensington and Chelsea is an exceptionally diverse borough, and many families face significant social, cultural and environmental challenges.

The post holder will contribute to highly specialist assessments, formulations and treatment planning for young people with complex mental health needs, within a service committed to collaborative, culturally attuned and evidence‑based practice.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

Clinical

Provide highly specialist psychoanalytic/psychodynamic psychotherapy assessment and treatment for children, adolescents and families referred to Westminster CAMHS.

Formulate and implement psychotherapeutic treatment plans across the full range of Child & Adolescent Psychotherapy modalities, including STPP, longer-term psychotherapy, short-term interventions, parent–child therapy, parent work, adolescent group therapy and consultation, according to service needs.

Deliver generic CAMHS assessments, including initial assessments, urgent assessments, neurodevelopmental screening and risk evaluations, ensuring timely access to care pathways.

Provide skilled, sensitive written formulations and treatment plans.
Carry out comprehensive risk assessments and develop robust, evidence-informed risk management plans.
Offer specialist psychodynamic risk formulation guidance to the MDT and partner agencies.
Provide specialist psychodynamic consultation to MDT colleagues and external professionals (education, social care, voluntary sector).
Contribute to duty systems, MDT discussions, inter-agency liaison and complex case/network meetings.
Prepare clear clinical reports and letters and liaise effectively with young people, families and professionals.
Act as care coordinator where appropriate, leading on planning, reviewing, and coordinating care with families and professional networks.

Deliver all clinical work with cultural sensitivity and awareness of systemic, identity-related, social and developmental factors impacting Westminster service users.

Ensure practice is informed by current evidence and make effective use of Routine Outcome Measures (ROMs).
Lead or participate in service evaluation, clinical audit, research and quality improvement projects.
Contribute to pathway development, policy shaping and service improvement across the Emotional Disorders Team and wider CAMHS.
Provide reflective practice, teaching and consultation to MDT colleagues, including potential contribution to work discussion groups.
Provide supervision to trainees, assistant psychotherapists or Band 7 clinicians where appropriate and according to service need.
Support the ongoing development of psychotherapy provision within Westminster CAMHS.

Work autonomously within professional, ethical and regulatory frameworks as defined by the Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP) and within CNWL policies.

Actively use supervision and maintain high professional standards.

Teaching, training, and supervision

Receive clinical supervision from the Lead Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist.
Participate in annual appraisal and objective-setting in line with Trust processes.
Maintain and develop specialist skills and knowledge in line with CAMHS competency frameworks and ACP requirements.
Engage in CPD to enhance psychotherapeutic practice and service contribution.

Provide high-quality supervision to trainee Child & Adolescent Psychotherapists and maintain liaison with training institutions to ensure excellent training placements.

Where appropriate and according to service need, supervise trainees, assistant psychotherapists, and Band 7 clinicians.
Contribute to the training and development of MDT colleagues, including reflective practice spaces and work discussion groups as required.

Management, policy and service development

Exercise delegated clinical authority to support high-quality psychotherapeutic interventions within the Emotional Disorders Team and CAMHS.
Contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of service policies, pathways, and procedures.

Support the enhancement and evolution of Child & Adolescent Psychotherapy provision in line with service priorities and clinical governance standards.

Participate in service planning meetings, quality improvement initiatives and MDT development activities.

Skills And Knowledge

Maintain high standards of clinical practice through active CPD engagement, in accordance with ACP professional requirements.
Act as a reflective and reflexive practitioner, contributing to the articulation of best practice within the service.
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of legislation, safeguarding frameworks, national guidance (including NICE), and NHS/NHS England policies relevant to CAMHS.
Attend team meetings, case discussions and professional network meetings, contributing psychodynamic perspectives to MDT formulation and care planning.
Undertake additional duties appropriate to the grade as required.

Qualifications And Professional Registration

Completion of a doctoral-level postgraduate training in Psychoanalytic Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy, typically of six years duration (two years part-time pre-clinical plus four years full-time clinical training), accredited by the Association of Child Psychotherapists.

Prior to training, the candidate will have:
A relevant Honours degree or recognised equivalent (or Honours degree followed by postgraduate study),
Substantial professional experience with children and adolescents,
Demonstrated personal suitability (reflective capacity, maturity, emotional robustness).
Maintain full membership and registration with the Association of Child Psychotherapists.

IT Responsibilities

Adhere to high standards of Information Governance, confidentiality and data protection (including GDPR).
Enter, update and retrieve clinical information using SystemOne and other electronic systems as required.
Maintain research, audit or evaluation databases to support service development and review.

General

Maintain exemplary standards of clinical record-keeping, including accurate electronic documentation, timely report writing and adherence to professional governance.
Participate in all Trust-mandated training.
Comply with Trust policies and procedures relating to Health & Safety, Lone Working, Sickness and Absence, and Annual Leave.
Actively engage in internal and external CPD, sharing learning where appropriate.
Work in accordance with the Trust's values, policies and professional codes.


To be noted:
This list is not exhaustive; the post holder may be required to undertake additional duties consistent with the grade.
The job description will be reviewed periodically in line with service needs.
The post holder must comply with all Trust policies including Equal Opportunities, Health & Safety and Confidentiality.

Person specification

Education And Qualifications

Essential criteria

ACP‑recognised pre‑clinical training to Master's level (or equivalent).
Post‑graduate doctoral‑level training in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy at an ACP‑accredited training school.
Full membership of the Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP) or eligible for membership.
Evidence of compliance with ACP Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements.

Desirable criteria

Training in clinical supervision for Child & Adolescent Psychotherapists.
Additional therapeutic training/qualification (e.g., MBT, DDP, systemic therapy, IPT, DBT trauma‑focused therapies including EMDR).

Previous Experience

Essential criteria

Post‑qualification experience (Band 7+ level) delivering specialist psychotherapeutic assessment, formulation and treatment for children, adolescents and families within CAMHS or equivalent statutory settings.

Experience working with a wide range of mental health presentations across childhood and adolescence, covering the full range of clinical severity.

Experience delivering Short‑Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (STPP) using evidence‑based and NICE‑aligned models.
Experience providing specialist psychodynamic consultation to professionals supporting children with complex needs.
Experience of therapeutic work with parents and carers.
Experience applying Child & Adolescent Psychotherapy approaches in diverse cultural contexts.

Desirable criteria

Experience supervising trainee CAPTs or other clinicians (e.g., assistant psychologists/psychotherapists, CWPs, social workers).
Experience contributing to or facilitating group therapy for adolescents.
Experience contributing to service development, quality improvement, audit or research projects.
Experience supporting reflective practice for MDT colleagues.
Experience working with children in care (LAC).

Knowledge, Skills and Professional Competencies

Essential criteria

Highly developed skills in specialist assessment, formulation and psychotherapeutic intervention across Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy modalities (including STPP, longer‑term work, brief interventions, parent/parent‑child psychotherapy, and state‑of‑mind assessments).

Strong understanding of child development, the impact of trauma and adversity, and the capacity to assess and manage risk in complex and emotionally charged contexts.

Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to convey complex and sensitive information to young people, families and professionals.

Knowledge of safeguarding legislation, child protection procedures, and relevant NHS, Social Care and Education frameworks (including NICE guidance).
Ability to provide highly specialist psychodynamic consultation to colleagues and partner agencies.
Commitment to anti‑racist, anti‑discriminatory and culturally attuned practice.
Ability to apply clinical governance processes (supervision, audit, outcome measurement, evaluation) to maintain high‑quality practice.
Experience using Routine Outcome Measures (ROMs) in clinical practice.

Desirable criteria

Knowledge of research methodology and ability to critically evaluate research and outcome data.
Ability to contribute to pathway, protocol or policy development.

Personal Qualities and Professional Atributes

Essential criteria

Ability to build effective working relationships within multidisciplinary and multi‑agency teams.
Emotional resilience and capacity to work with distress, trauma, and complex risk.
Ability to reflect on clinical work and use supervision constructively.
Ability to work flexibly, manage competing demands and prioritise effectively.
Good IT skills, including use of electronic clinical records, word processing, email and internet.
Strong interest and ability to contribute to service improvement and team development.
Sensitivity to issues of culture, identity, power and diversity; commitment to equitable practice.

Desirable criteria

Ability to contribute to service innovation and development.
Experience presenting at conferences or professional forums.