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Job summary

Main area
Psychological Therapy
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 4
Contract
Fixed term: 12 months (12 Months)
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
334-CLI-7488366
Employer
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Southwark Borough
Town
London
Salary
£31,944 - £34,937 per annum Incl. of HCAs
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
22/10/2025 23:59

Employer heading

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust logo

Trainee Children's Wellbeing Practitioner - Southwark CAMHS

NHS AfC: Band 4

 

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We deliver specialist services in the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Wandsworth and Richmond.

We are committed to provide a high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for our care and treatment we provide. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’.

We launched our five-year strategy, Aiming High; Changing Lives  in 2021 together with Our Care Improvement System as our quality management system methodology  to make a positive impact on patient care, outcomes and staff experience. By joining SLaM, all staff will get the opportunity to be part of this exciting improvement journey supported with learning and development to harness everyone’s potential as change makers.

The trust recognises the unique and valuable contribution that people with lived experience of mental illness can bring to a role. We therefore welcome applications from people with lived experience and consider them as an asset to the Trust. 

Our Values

We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values and our promise to be caring, kind, polite, prompt, honest, listen and do what I say I’m going to do is at the heart of everything we do. When you join us, you’ll be part of something special.

As a Trust we are happy to talk flexible working.

Job overview

The Children Wellbeing Practitioners (CWP's) are part of the Children and Young People’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme (CYP IAPT) is a service transformation programme that aims to improve existing children and young people’s Mental Health Services (CYP MHS) working in the community.

This advert is for Trainee CWP positions in Southwark CAMHS ONLY.

These are training role posts and the post-holders will work as Trainee CWP's within the CWP Team embedded in Southwark CAMHS as part of a multi-disciplinary team delivering, under supervision, high-quality; outcome–informed, focused, evidence-based interventions for Children and young people experiencing, mild to moderate anxiety, low mood, behavioural difficulties.

Please note that you will need to submit an application form to Kings College London (KCL) for a place on the Postgraduate Diploma in Child and Young Person Mental Health (CYP-MH) Child Wellbeing Practice alongside the application to this service.

 

KCL webpages provide further information -see link below: 

KCL - Child Wellbeing Practitioner PGDip (CWP)

Please direct all queries to KCL using this email address: [email protected] 

 

The university's application portal closes on Tuesday 25th November 2025 at 23.59 pm. Applications to the service that haven’t met this deadline or KCL criteria will be rejected.

 

• For KCL applications you can navigate the portal via attached documents or online going to  https://apply.kcl.ac.uk/

 

Main duties of the job

  • This is a training role within the Children and Young People’ Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme (CYP IAPT). The post-holder will work within a CYP MHS as part of a multi-disciplinary team delivering, under supervision, high-quality; outcome–informed, focused, evidence-based interventions for Children and young people experiencing, mild to moderate anxiety, low mood, behavioural difficulties.
  • The training and service experience will equip the post holder with the necessary knowledge, attitude and capabilities to operate effectively in an inclusive, value driven service.
  • The post holder will attend all university based taught and self-study days required by the education provider, as specified within the agreed national curriculum, and work in the service for the remaining days of the week using their newly developed skills.

Working for our organisation

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) provide the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK as well as substance misuse services for people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. We work closely with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London and are part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre. There are very few organisations in the world that have such wide-ranging capabilities working with mental illness. Our scope is unique because it is built on three major foundations: care and treatment, science and research, and training.

 

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:

Therapeutic skills

  • Assess and deliver, under supervision outcome focused, evidence-based interventions to children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties.
  • Working in partnership, support children, young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties and their families in the self-management of presenting difficulties.
  • Work in partnership with children, young people and families in the development of plans for the intervention and agreed goals.
  • Support and empower children, young people and families to make informed choices about the intervention.
  • Operate at all times from an inclusive values base, which recognises and respects diversity.
  • Accept referrals within agreed national and local protocols.
  • Undertakes accurate assessment of risk to self and others.
  • Adhere to the service referral protocols. Under supervision signpost unsuitable referrals to the relevant service as necessary.
  • Through close case management and supervision, escalate cases where the level of need becomes beyond scope, or more severe, ensuring adherence to other relevant elements of service delivery.
  • Provide a range of information and support for evidence based psychological treatments. This may include guided self-help. This work may be face-to-face, by telephone or via other media.
  • Adhere to an agreed activity schedule relating to the overall number of children and young people contacts offered, and sessions carried out per week in order to improve timely access and minimise waiting times.
  • Attend multi-disciplinary meetings relating to referrals or CYP in treatment, where appropriate.
  • Keep coherent records of all activity in line with service protocols and use these records and outcome data to inform decision making. Complete all requirements relating to data collection.
  • Assess and integrate issues relating to transitions, education and training/employment into the overall therapeutic process.
  • Work within a collaborative approach involving a range of relevant others when indicated.
  • Work in collaboration with children, young people and communities to enhance and widen access.

Training & Supervision

  • Attend and fulfil all the requirements of the training element of the post including practical, academic and practice based assessments.
  • Apply learning from the training programme to practice.
  • Receive supervision from educational providers in relation to course work to meet the required standards.
  • Prepare and present case load information to supervisors within the service on an agreed and scheduled basis, in order to ensure safe practice and the governance obligations of the trainee, supervisor and service are delivered.
  • Respond to and implement supervision suggestions by supervisors in practice.
  • Engage in and respond to personal development supervision to improve competences and practice.

Professional

  • Ensure the maintenance of standards of practice according to the employer and any regulating bodies, and keep up-to-date on new recommendations/guidelines set by the relevant departments.
  • Ensure that confidentiality is protected at all times.
  • Ensure clear objectives are identified, discussed and reviewed with supervisor and senior colleagues on a regular basis as part of continuing professional development.
  • Participate in individual performance review and respond to agreed objectives.
  • Keep all records up to date in relation to Continuous Professional Development and ensure personal development plans maintains up to date specialist knowledge of latest theoretical and service delivery models/developments.
  • Attend relevant conferences/workshops in line with identified professional objectives.

General

  • Support the collection of data and facilitate data flow to the New Workforce Development team.
  • Contribute to the development of best practice within the service.
  • Ensure a comprehensive understanding of the relevant safeguarding legislation, guidance and best practice.
  • Maintain up-to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and procedures in relation to children and young people’s mental health
  • All employees have a responsibility and a legal obligation to ensure that information processed is kept accurate, confidential, secure and in line with the Data Protection Act (1998) and Security and Confidentiality Policies.
  • It is the responsibility of all staff that they do not abuse their official position for personal gain, to seek advantage of further private business or other interests in the course of their official duties.
  • This Job Description does not provide an exhaustive list of duties and may be reviewed in conjunction with the post holder in light of service development.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • A minimum of a second-class Bachelor's degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard in a relevant subject (e.g. psychology)
  • Evidence of working with children and young people with mental health difficulties
Desirable criteria
  • Training in nursing, social work, occupational therapy, counselling or within a specific psychological therapy
  • Psychology or other health /social care/youth related undergraduate degree
  • Other relevant postgraduate degree

Skills & Competencies

Essential criteria
  • Ability to study as a self-motivated learner and implement training with appropriate support
  • Demonstrates high standards in written and verbal communication
  • Team Player
  • Ability to personally manage a sensitive, traumatic and potentially emotionally distressing caseload.
Desirable criteria
  • Ability to manage own caseload and time
  • Is proficient in a second language

Experience

Essential criteria
  • • Evidence of working with children and young people with mental health difficulties
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of working in mental health or related services
  • Worked in a service where agreed targets in place to demonstrating outcomes

Other

Essential criteria
  • Full, enhanced and current satisfactory DBS disclosure for the role
  • Able to travel to meet post requirements

Employer certification / accreditation badges

London Healthy workplaceCapital Nurse, LondonNo smoking policyLondon Living Wage is a voluntary commitment made by employers, who can become accredited with the Living Wage FoundationImproving working livesMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Stonewall Silver 2022Disability confident employerStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.Armed Forces Covenant Bronze AwardHappy to Talk Flexible WorkingArmed Forces Covenant

Applicant requirements

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

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Iris Varela
Job title
CWP Supervisior
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
0203 228 7777
Additional information

Lola Pacheco, CWP Service Lead @ [email protected]

0203 228 7777

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