Job summary
- Main area
- Mental Health
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 6
- Contract
- 12 months (Fixed term Contract)
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 363-SS7537145
- Employer
- East London NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Charter House
- Town
- Luton
- Salary
- £37,338 - £44,962 pa
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 31/10/2025 23:59
Employer heading
CYP-PT Trainee (formally RtT): CAMHS Practitioner (IPT-A Trainee)
NHS AfC: Band 6
ELFT has long been recognised as a centre of excellence for mental and health care, innovation and improvement. So it is a very exciting time for you to come and work for us. Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving 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.
Job overview
2x CAMHS Practitioner CYP-PT: Therapy Trainee [IPT-A]
Our service has an exciting opportunity for a CYP Psychological Training: Therapy Trainee – IPT-A modality to join one of our central CAMHS teams as part of the National Health Service England (NHSE) funded Children and Young People (CYP) Psychological Trainings Programmes.
This government funded initiative promotes the growth and skill of the child mental health workforce to meet much needed demand. NHSE covers salary and training costs for a 1-year position, allowing services to employ trainees to support specialist pathways to bridge the gaps in CYP mental health support.
The post-holders will be training on the Children & Young People Mental Health (CYP-MH) IPT-A Course in partnership with the Anna Freud Centre and University College London, and carrying out clinical work in our service to complement their studies and use their newly developed skills.
The IPT-A (Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Adolescents with Depression) is a training modality within the Child and Young Persons Psychological Trainings. We have 2 vacancies Luton Specialist CAMHS Emotional and Behavioural Team.
This is a dual application process. In addition to applying for this position with ELFT, you must also complete a UCL application for the Course Team to review (see further guidance below)
Main duties of the job
This intensive training post will equip the post-holder to provide interventions for children, young people or families using the core principles of the CYP Psychological Training Programme and consistent with the evidence base in the area of IPT-A. The post-holder will work in the service, for at least 2.5 days of the week using the newly developed skills whilst attending the training programme or undertaking self-study days for the remaining days, as required by the education provider.
The post holder will hold an appropriate training case load and complete the necessary assignments to meet the course requirements.
Working for our organisation
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.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
IPT-A is a 12-16 session evidence based therapy for children and young people with a primary presentation of depression, it is indicated when depression is linked with interpersonal difficulties in social systems/relationships. It is a particularly effective therapy where there is discord between the young person and a close relative, where there has been a significant life change/or transition, where there has been a bereavement or loss of significant other, and where there has been significant bullying and/or history of social relationship difficulties. IPT-A Practitioners will be trained to respond to and work with suicidal ideation and deliberate self-harm. For further information: https://d1uw1dikibnh8j.cloudfront.net/media/19061/ipt-a-brochure-23-24-final.pdf
The posts are based within Luton Specialist CAMHS service and each successful candidate will work across two pathways: Luton Emotional and Behavioural pathway and Adolescent Mental Health pathway, providing IPT-A interventions whilst undertaking a program of training for this role. The teams are part of a broader North and South Bedfordshire CAMHS service and work alongside other teams which offer specialist support, for example for clients in crisis, or clients with neuro-diverse conditions or those with eating disorders.
This intensive training post will equip the post holder to provide evidence-based interventions as recommended by NICE Guidelines and CYP Psychological Trainings core principles of accessibility, accountability, participation, awareness and evidence-based practice to provide an inclusive and effective service for children and young people in Luton.
We are seeking highly motivated and enthusiastic mental health practitioners to work and train within our service. The training post will equip the post-holder to provide IPT-A interventions for young people and their families.
The post holder will work in the service for at least 2.5-3.0 days of the week using the newly developed skills whilst training for the remaining days.
The post holder will hold an appropriate training case load for the course and work with young people and families with different cultural backgrounds and developmental needs, using interpreters when necessary and should be committed to equity, diversity and inclusion.
The post holders 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.
These are fixed term (yearly) training posts funded by NHSE. After successful completion of the course the fixed term training contract will end. When possible applicants will be encouraged to apply for any vacant posts within the service and will be provided support and advice in job applications.
Training Information
This full-time training will begin on 19th January 2026 with around 2.5 days a week for academic work (teaching and personal study), and 2.5 days based at the service seeing clients (children, young people, and carers) related to training assignments. Trainees will be both an employee of the service and an enrolled student with UCL/Anna Freud. Upon completion, qualified trainees will receive a UCL Postgraduate Diploma.
This role will be best suited for applicants that are able to balance a very busy work and study schedule. As this is a Postgraduate level training, you will be required to study and perform at academic level. Applicants must be prepared to work towards their studies outside of protected study time (such as on weekends and after work). Protected study time or teaching days are typically two days a week during term (with possibility of extra university days near start) and will be a mixture of in person and online sessions. Applicants must be willing to travel to London to attend their lectures.
Application Process
This is a dual application process. In addition to applying for this position with ELFT, you must also complete a UCL application for the Course Team to review. The Course Team will liaise with us on whether you meet the academic requirements for the course during the recruitment process. You will only be offered a UCL training place if you are successful in securing this post and you meet the university training requirements.
Direct UCL application link: https://evision.ucl.ac.uk/urd/sits.urd/run/siw_ipp_lgn.login_enc?0qhYzuG1h9udTFM8i9sPhtGiUgIR6D6iP0QBDHq24aUE7Anl4FtDGBDmc3LlBtzaVi6cWmaNYWo=
Application guidance document for candidates –https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/17bbinRzAlIfH8SKe3t18I2m14L7sli5e?usp=drive_link
For more information about the course and minimum entry criteria, please see the course page and brochures: https://www.annafreud.org/ucl-postgraduate-study/ucl-postgraduate-programmes/child-and-young-person-iapt-therapy-pg-dip/
For more information about the role or to have a confidential discussion, please reach out to: Miguel Massa (Lead Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist – Clinical Team Lead): [email protected] or Dr Helen Barker (Clinical Team Lead): [email protected]
For application-related queries, please contact: ELFT Jobs Website
As you also apply for a training course that is delivered by Anna Freud and UCL, your date may be shared with them for the purpose of processing your application (shortlisting) and enrolling you onto this Programme.
Person specification
Education
Essential criteria
- • Minimum second-class Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent standard in a relevant subject (e.g. psychology, social work etc);
- • Applicants who do not fulfil the academic criteria but have relevant professional experience are still encouraged to apply and will be considered on a case-by-case basis;
- • Registered/accredited Professional Qualification in a MH profession - this is a pre-requisite for future registration with IPTUK.
Desirable criteria
- • Proven record of previous academic attainment.
- • Ability to study and complete academic work at postgraduate study level;
- • Previous training in a mental-health related profession (e.g. psychology, nursing, social-work, psychiatry, other psychotherapy, counselling);
Experience
Essential criteria
- • Ability to communicate effectively and sensitively with young people and their families and adapt communication styles according to their varying needs;
- • Ability to maintain a reflective stance in emotive/challenging interactions with young people and their families;
- • Ability to personally manage sensitive and potentially emotionally distressing caseload material;
- • Ability to reflect on own practice (in clinical supervision and practice tutor groups with course peers);
- • Ability to follow policy and clinical governance procedures and make proposals for change;
- • Ability to maintain accurate records;
- • Ability to complete academic work at postgraduate level and balance the academic demands of the course with clinical placement demands;
- • Demonstrates adaptability and able to work with diverse communities;
- • Good time management and organisational abilities;
- • Effective oral and written communication skills;
- • IT/Computer literate;
- • Able to accomodate travel demands associated with the role.
Knowledge and Skills
Essential criteria
- • Basic knowledge and understanding of IPT-A principles;
- • Knowledge and understanding of issues of safeguarding
- • Understanding of adolescent development and its significance for emotional well-being and mental health.
- • Understanding of evidence-based practice and the ability to demonstrate how evidence-based practice influences clinical practice.
Experience
Essential criteria
- • 2 or more years of experience working therapeutically with young people and/or their families within a mental health setting;
- • Experience of multi-agency working and liaising across internal & external agencies.
Desirable criteria
- • Experience of multi-agency working and liaising across internal & external agencies.
- • Experience of working with adolescents and their families.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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
- Miguel Massa
- Job title
- Clinical Team Lead Luton EB Team
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01525 638613
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