CYP-PT Therapies Trainee Systemic Family Practitioner

Main duties include:

• Attendance at university and implementation of learning from the Systemic Family Practice in Conduct Disorder and Depression (SFP CDD) course into clinical practice.
• Holding a caseload across both the South MHST and South Children and Young People's Mental Health Service (CYPMHS
• With the support of the clinical supervisor, consultant systemic psychotherapist or clinical team manager, make decisions on suitability of new referrals, adhering to the MHST and CYPMHS referral criteria and protocols.
• Assessing clients regarding suitability for Systemic Family Therapy.
• In line with i-THRIVE principles, work collaboratively with team members to ensure appropriate signposting, transfer, or onward referral for children and young people whose needs are not best met through systemic intervention.
• Collaboratively formulating, implementing and evaluating the therapeutic intervention with children, young people and their families., We are seeking highly motivated candidates who are enthusiastic about making a difference to children's mental health through evidence-based interventions based on NICE Guidelines recommended treatments.
Based in the South Mental Health Support Team (MHST), this role includes holding a caseload across both the South MHST and South Children and Young People's Mental Health Service (CYPMHS), providing valuable experience across both services. You will be committed to the CYP Psychological Training Programme core principles: Accessibility, accountability, participation, awareness and evidence-based practice and in providing an inclusive and effective service for children and young people, along with a dedication to equity, diversity and inclusion. This intensive training post will equip the post-holder to provide interventions to 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 Systemic Family Therapy for Conduct Disorders and Depression (CDD). This full time training position will begin in January 2027 with around 2.5 days a week for academic work (teaching and personal study), and 2.5 days based within the services using the newly developed skills to support children and young people and their families. Trainees will be both an employee of the service and an enrolled student with King's College London. Upon completion, qualified trainees will receive a KCL Postgraduate Diploma. The post holder will:
• With the support of the clinical supervisor, consultant systemic psychotherapist or clinical team manager, make decisions on suitability of new referrals, adhering to the MHST and CYPMHS referral criteria and protocols.
• Assess clients for suitability for Systemic Family Therapy for conduct disorders and depression.
• In line with i-THRIVE principles, work collaboratively with team members to ensure appropriate signposting, transfer, or onward referral for children and young people whose needs are not best met through systemic intervention.
• Collaboratively formulate, implement and evaluate the therapeutic intervention with children, young people and their families.
• Convey therapy formulations with sensitivity in easily understood language.
• Involve the system around the child in treatment as appropriate.
• Where appropriate, attend multi-disciplinary meetings relating to children and young people in treatment.
• Complete all requirements relating to data collection as set out by the service, supervisor, line manager or area manager
• Routinely collect outcome measures and ensure these are recorded accurately on the patient electronic records system.
• Keep clear, professionally coherent written records of all activity in line with both health and education service protocols and use these records and outcome data to inform decision making.
• Ensure that the electronic records of all children and young people are updated on the day of contact and no later than 48 hours after contact as per the HPFT Care Records Management Policy
• Operate at all times from an inclusive values base, which recognises and respects diversity.
Please note: Applicants who attended an NHSE-funded course listed on the webpage below, will normally be required to wait two years from the date of their qualifying exam board before they can start another NHSE-funded training programme:https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/mental-health/psychological-professions/funding-psychological-professions-training-programmes The following programmes are exempt from the two-year post-graduation rule (in either direction): CYP-PT Supervision PGCert; Senior Wellbeing Practitioner PGDip and Leadership PGCert


• Minimum of a second-class Bachelor's degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard in a relevant academic subject (e.g. Psychology, Education, Childhood development, Social Work etc)
• A registerable professional qualification (e.g. as a counselling/clinical/educational psychologist, social worker, CBT therapist, counsellor (three-year minimum training, full BACP accredited membership (MBACP Accred), and experience in the public or voluntary sector), mental health nurse, occupational therapist, art/ music therapist, Substantial experience of working with children/young people in a mental health setting.
• Experience of assessing, managing and working with risk and safeguarding issues.
• Experience of multi-agency and/or multi-disciplinary working and liaising across internal & external agencies.
Desirable criteria
• Experience of delivering services in different cultural contexts and understanding the needs of a multicultural population., Knowledge and understanding of issues relating to safeguarding children and young people
• Ability to work in a collaborative and respectful manner with children, young people, and their families.
• Ability to maintain a reflective stance in emotive/challenging interactions with children and their families
• Ability to use supervision to reflect on practice
• Ability to organise own time and diary to meet the needs of the service and academic requirements
• Ability to follow HPFT policies and procedures including any proposals for change
• Capability to complete academic work at postgraduate diploma level, including IELTS or equivalent to the appropriate level for students with English as a foreign language (BAND D) https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/entry-requirements/english-language.aspx
Desirable criteria
• Understanding of evidence-based practice and the ability to demonstrate how this influences clinical practice, Ability to communicate effectively and sensitively with children, young people, and their families
• Ability to communicate highly sensitive, contentious information effectively in a highly emotive or hostile atmosphere, and to overcome barriers to acceptance/psychological resistance to potentially threatening information.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to maintain accurate written records
• Ability to write clear, detailed reports and letters.
• Ability to work within a team and foster good working relationships., Car driver (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010 which prevents you from driving)
• Ability to regularly travel to meet the requirements of the post and to attend university
• Computer skills for inputting clinical notes onto the patient record system
Mental Effort,
• Ability to manage periods of prolonged concentration in client sessions and during computing tasks.
• Ability to manage own caseload and demonstrate good time management and prioritisation skills.
• Ability to work in an environment that is at times extremely busy and demanding.
Desirable criteria
• Ability to identify, provide and promote appropriate means of support to carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and severely challenged behaviours, Regular requirement to deal with distressing or emotionally charged situations., The applicant demonstrated Trust Values throughout their application: Welcoming, Kind, Positive, Respectful, Professional, You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
  
  The Hertfordshire Mental Health Support Team (MHST) has an exciting opportunity for a CYP-PT Therapies Trainee Systemic Family Practitioner to join our team as part of the NHS England (NHSE) funded Children and Young People (CYP) Psychological Training Programmes (formerly CYP-IAPT/Recruit to Train).
CYP-PT Therapies is a government-funded initiative aiming to grow the child mental health workforce to meet much needed demand. To help reach this goal, NHSE covers salary and training costs for a 1-year post, allowing services to employ trainees to aid in implementing new or expanding existing specialist pathways to bridge the gaps in CYP mental health support. This is a unique opportunity to translate your learning into practical clinical interventions and make a direct impact on the lives of children, young people, and their families. The successful candidate will hold a caseload across both the South MHST and South CYPMHS providing valuable experience across both services. Please note: This position will be based in South Hertfordshire but successful candidates will be expected to travel toDenmark Hill Campus of King's College London for teaching during the training year., Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is an outstanding organisation with ambitions to match. We are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from the Care Quality Commission, and our aim is to be the leading provider of mental health and specialist learning disability services in the country. Our family of over 3500 members of staff provide health and social care for over 400,000 people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. We also deliver a range of nationally commissioned specialist services including Tier 4 services for children and young people, perinatal services, plus medium and low secure learning disabilities services. The care we provide makes a fantastic difference to the lives of our service users, their families and carers - everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout