Job summary
- Main area
- Senior Family Therapist
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8a
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Part time - 22.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 425-25-7292750
- Employer
- Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Centenary House
- Town
- Sheffield
- Salary
- £55,690 - £62,682 per annum pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 20/08/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Senior Systemic Family Therapist
NHS AfC: Band 8a
Job overview
Permanent | 22.50 hrs per week
We're looking for an experienced and enthusiastic Family Therapist to join our specialist team supporting children and young people with eating disorders.
You'll deliver evidence-based systemic psychotherapy to young people and families within an MDT framework, including psychology, paediatrics, dietetics, nursing, and senior practitioners. The role includes caseload management, participation in assessment clinics, and offering specialist consultation to colleagues.
You'll be part of a collaborative team environment, and also welcomed into the wider network of family and systemic psychotherapists across the Trust. Regular professional meetings, CPD opportunities, and supervision are available through our well-established psychological services group.
What we're looking for:
We welcome creative, committed applicants who are passionate about making a difference, along with:
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A recognised first qualification in mental health or social care (e.g., nursing, social work, psychology), or AFT-agreed equivalent
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Master's qualification in Systemic Psychotherapy, with UKCP registration
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Relevant clinical experience in CAMHS working with children, young people, and families.
Main duties of the job
You will report to the Team Lead (SEDATT), and your responsibilities will include:
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Provide specialist family and systemic psychotherapy to children, young people, and families, with a focus on inclusive and anti-discriminatory practice.
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Lead the development of systemic practice within the team.
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Conduct assessments, delivering evidence-based family therapy (including Family Therapy for Anorexia), and creating care plans.
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Work both independently and collaboratively within the multidisciplinary team, including participation in twice-weekly assessment clinics.
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Offer supervision, line management, and leadership support to colleagues.
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Provide consultation to SEDATT and CAMHS colleagues.
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Collaborate with health, social care, and other agencies to ensure holistic, coordinated care.
Working for our organisation
At Sheffield Children’s, our purpose is clear: to provide healthier futures for children and young people. Our three strategic aims are Outstanding Patient Care, Brilliant Place to Work, and Leaders in Children’s Health.
We work with partners across local, regional, and national levels to deliver physical and mental healthcare in both acute and community settings. Many of our clinicians are nationally and internationally recognised for their expertise.
We’re proud that 73% of colleagues would recommend Sheffield Children’s as a place to work, placing us among the top five NHS trusts in England — and the top-ranked trust in the North East and Yorkshire — in the latest NHS Staff Survey.
Our nearly 4,000 colleagues bring our CARE values — Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence — to life every day, creating a kind, welcoming environment where patients and families feel safe and supported.
As we approach our 150th anniversary in 2026, we’re excited to keep building our leadership in children's health, improve experiences for patients and staff, and focus on our communities and population health.
We also offer excellent benefits to support your wellbeing, with generous annual leave and pension schemes, health and wellbeing programmes, and exclusive discounts — helping you thrive at work and beyond.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For more information on the main responsibilities for this post, please refer to the job description and person specification.
Please note that Sheffield Children's uplift pay to meet the Real Living Wage, which is £12.60 per hour.
Diversity Statement
At Sheffield Children’s, we are committed to creating an inclusive environment that celebrates diversity and supports everyone’s success. We prioritise Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in our recruitment practices, creating a welcoming space for people of all backgrounds, including ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ members.
Recognising that inclusivity is an ongoing effort, we review our processes and welcome feedback to enhance our practices. A diverse team strengthens our organisation and the quality of care we deliver. For ideas on how we can improve, please contact our Recruitment Manager at [email protected]. Together, we’re building a workplace where everyone belongs.
#LI-Onsite
Person specification
Qualifications & Training
Essential criteria
- First post-graduate qualification in appropriate mental health/social welfare profession e.g. social worker/nurse/psychologist or AFT agreed
- Masters’ qualification in Systemic Psychotherapy
- Eligible for UKCP registration.
- Further training in Systemic Supervision
Desirable criteria
- Leadership training
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of working with children, young people andtheir families in a hospital/paediatric psychology setting
- Some experience of working with different service usergroups.
- Experience of maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and threat of physical abuse
- Experience of working in a family therapy team
- Experience of delivering supervision
Desirable criteria
- Experience of conducting research
- Experience of managing others / leading within a team
Knowledge & Skills
Essential criteria
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
- Skills in using complex methods of specialist systemic assessment, intervention and clinical management in arrange of contexts frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration and maintaining a restricted position for long periods
- Ability to exercise autonomous responsibility making clinical judgements in highly complex, challenging and emotive situations interpreting Trust policies and working within professional guidelines
- Able to work both independently and within a multi -disciplinary team
- Ability to provide specialist advice and consultation on systemic formulations and practice to colleagues in other disciplines.
- Well -developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
- Knowledge of research design, methodology and data analysis and ability to conduct research projects and audit.
- Skills in liaison with other agencies and in providing consultation to other professional and non -professional groups. Broad knowledge of relevant theories and practice in child development and child protection, including relevant legislation in the field of mental health, children and families.
- Ability to work in complex situations, to manage risk and deal sensitively with stress
- Knowledge of ethical issues and commitment to anti-discriminatory practice
- Ability to maintain high standards of recordkeeping, including electronic data entry and recording
- Skills in presentation and ability to use a variety of multi-media materials
- Able to use supervision effectively
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of CAMHS policies and guidelines
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
- Nomakhosazana Ndhlovu
- Job title
- Team Lead
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07551848675
- Additional information
Informal visits and enquiries are strongly encouraged.
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