Job summary
- Main area
- Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8a
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Part time - 22.5 hours per week (Working days to include Tues am, and Monday or Friday)
- Job ref
- 391-RFL-7239587
- Employer
- Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Royal Free hospital
- Town
- London
- Salary
- £61,927 - £68,676 per annum (pro-rata) inclusive of HCAS
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 04/07/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Band 8a Child & Adolescent Psychotherapist
NHS AfC: Band 8a
Our trust has over 17,000 staff serving 2 million patients every year. It comprises Barnet Hospital, Chase Farm Hospital, the Royal Free Hospital, North Middlesex University Hospital and more than 30 services in the community. This larger scale organisation provides an unprecedented opportunity for us to continue our pioneering work, particularly in finding ways to deliver even better care to our patients.
Our mission is to deliver world class care and expertise in our clinical services, underpinned by world class teaching and research and we will continue to measure our progress against our five governing objectives: excellent outcomes, excellent patient and staff experience, excellent value for taxpayers’ money, being safe and meeting our external duties, and building a strong organisation.
Everyone is welcome at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. We're proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME, gender equality, staff carers and people with disabilities and lived experiences to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.
Click here to view our video Welcome to the Royal Free
Job overview
We are seeking an experienced, strongly psychoanalytic Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist to join us in our well-functioning and supportive, multi-disciplinary CAMHS team. We are primarily a neurodevelopmental service offering diagnostic assessments and therapeutic treatments. There are also some opportunities for paediatric liaison work. We are located within the Royal Free hospital between Belsize Park tube and Hampstead Heath train stations.
Main duties of the job
To provide child psychotherapy services to the Royal Free CAMHS neuro-developmental service. This will comprise providing specialist diagnostic and psychotherapeutic assessment, treatment, advice and consultation on patients’ psychological care, working autonomously within professional guidelines and within the overall framework of the service’s policies and procedures. Additionally, there are opportunities for some paediatric liaison work, particularly to provide a support service for parents and staff on the neonatal unit. Also, to provide clinical supervision, consultation and training to staff in the Paediatric Division to promote reflective practice and staff wellbeing. The post holder will manage Anna Freud Centre MSc student placements within the Child Psychotherapy team.
Working for our organisation
The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s biggest and most innovative trusts. Across three main hospitals, our dedicated army of staff care for over 1.6million patients, treat more than 200,000 in A&E, deliver over 8,000 babies and carry out more than 17million tests.
Our size, scale and influence offer you unrivalled career opportunities and a forward-thinking approach to working that works around your lifestyle. From flexible hours and generous benefits, to next level training, we make it easier to take your career to the top.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see attached job description for more information about this role and working at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.
Person specification
Professional registration, training and skills.
Essential criteria
- Postgraduate training (doctoral equivalent) in clinical child psychotherapy at a training school accredited by the Association of Child Psychotherapy or Association of Child Psychotherapists’ Statement of Equivalence and ACP Registration.
- High level of expertise and competence in the practice of psychoanalytic Child Psychotherapy
- Experience of working with a wide variety of children, adolescents and their parents across the whole age range and presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity and complexity.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to infants, children and adolescents including child protection procedures and policies. Knowledge of NHS, Social Care and Education structures.
- Highly developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, complex, clinically sensitive information to patients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Ability to form good working relationships to work with others in a multidisciplinary setting.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of managing and supervising clinical and research placements for Masters’ students
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups, including staff debriefing sessions
- Experience of working with patients with neurodevelopmental conditions.
Availability
Essential criteria
- To be available to attend weekly MDT meeting on Tuesday mornings and the Child Psychotherapy team meeting on Thursdays 1-2pm. To be available to work on Mondays or Fridays
Theoretical and clinical orientation
Essential criteria
- Psychoanalytic orientation.
Desirable criteria
- Ability to articulate clearly the role of Child Psychotherapy in multi-professional services, based on a good understanding of NHS and national professional policies.
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Alison Cantle
- Job title
- Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychotherapist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07944 605405
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