CAMHS Practitioner CYP-PT Therapy Trainee (CBT)

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity for two individuals to join our team as a Recruit to Train Trainee, part of the NHS England (NHSE) funded Recruit to Train Programme in partnership with the Anna Freud Centre, University College London, and Kings College London. The post-holder will be training on the Children & Young People Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (CYP IAPT) Therapy Course and carrying out clinical work in our service to complement their studies and use their newly developed skills. We are seeking highly motivated and enthusiastic mental health practitioners to work and train within our service.

This graduate level practitioner will be employed by Whittington Health and managed and supervised by a CAMHS clinician to train for a one year qualification in the CBT strand of CYP IAPT through University College London (UCL). The training post will equip the post-holder to provide interventions for children, young people or families using the core principles of CYP-IAPT practice along with an evidence-based intervention consistent with the CBT course they are attending. The post-holder will work in the service for at least 2.5 - 3.0 days of the week using their newly developed skills whilst attending the UCL training programme for the other 2.0 - 2.5 days. The post holder will work with people with different cultural backgrounds and ages, using interpreters when necessary and should be committed to equity, diversity and inclusion.

Main duties of the job

Please see attached JD/PS for full details of main duties

The successful candidates will be based within Islington CAMHS, an integrated multi- disciplinary service providing a child and family mental health service to the population of Islington across the 0-18 year age range. The service provides a range of community based, multi-disciplinary interventions and specialist treatments and consultation to partnership agencies, and has been part of the Children and Young People's IAPT initiative for many years. Our local Future in Mind Transformation Plan has been refreshed and we are recruiting to meet the aspirations of the new plan, including work force development and early intervention. The populationwe serve come from the 40,500 children and young people in Islington. 60% are from ethnic backgrounds other than white British which accounts for the other 40%. 120 different languages are spoken in the homes of Islington children. Islington is the 4th most deprived Local Authority in London and 12th most deprived local authority in England. We are an equal opportunities employer, and we welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds to ensure our workforce is representative of the communities that we work with.

About us

Whittington Health serves a richly diverse population and works hard to ensure that all our services are fair and equally accessible to everyone. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the way we look after our staff. We aim to employ a workforce which is as representative as possible of this population, so we are open to the value of differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief. The Trustbelieves that as a public sector organisation we have an obligation to have recruitment, training, promotion and other formal employment policies and procedures that are sensitive to these differences. We think that by doing so, we are better able to treat our patients as well as being a better place to work.

Details

Date posted

17 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£46,419 to £55,046 a year Per Annum Including HCAS

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

220-WHT-3392

Job locations

Northern Health Centre Islington CAMHS,

580 Holloway Road. 3rd Floor

London

N7 6LB

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see attached JD/PS for full details of main duties

This role will be best suited for applicants that are able to balance a very busy work and study schedule. You will be an employee at Islington CAMHS but also enrolled on a Postgraduate Diploma course. This full-time training will begin in 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 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. 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 into London to attend their lectures.

Candidates will need to be ready to start work on Monday 12th January 2026and posts cannot be offered to candidates unless they can guarantee this start date.

Please note that applications will not be considered from applicants who are formally registered (or re-sitting examinations) for another concurrent programme of study at UCL or any other Higher Education Institution.

This is a dual application process. In addition to applying for this position with us, 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 (such as academic background, relevant experience, visa approval).

Please view the attached document UCL CYP PT Therapy - Application Guidance forCandidates August 2025 for the university application link and more information onhow to apply.

More information about the courses and how the training works can befound here (AFC website) including the course brochures, and we strongly recommend you read the FAQs.

NHSE have implemented a rule regarding beneficiaries of their training year funding this affects candidates who have been on one of the courses listed on the NHSE website from 1st August 2022. We recommend you read this if you plan to apply to future trainings.

If you apply to this job, you are giving permission for information to be shared between the Course Team at the HEI and the Recruitment team at the Service. The only information that is shared will be relevant to establishing eligibility for the job/course. No irrelevant information will be disclosed or discussed in relation to your application.

As these are training positions, please be aware that this is a dual application process where you must be employed in a Recruit to Train funded job to also receive a place on the course, and vice-versa. If you are ineligible for the University Course, we will be unable to be offer the role. If you withdraw from an employment offer but you have accepted a university offer, you will be unable to join the course.

Please note in this instance the course is not optional; the roles are dependent on meeting all course requirements. Applicants for this training at UCL will need to be available to start by the 12th of January 2026 at the latest (with the course starting on the 19th January 2026). Any queries applicants have on the course i.e. teaching/content can be sent to the course programme team: cyppttherapy@annafreud.org

Please be aware the information on your application form (name and contact details, qualifications and prior relevant experience) will be shared with the Anna Freud staff team as part of the recruitment process. By submitting your application to this role, you are agreeing to your details being shared with Anna Freud.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see attached JD/PS for full details of main duties

This role will be best suited for applicants that are able to balance a very busy work and study schedule. You will be an employee at Islington CAMHS but also enrolled on a Postgraduate Diploma course. This full-time training will begin in 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 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. 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 into London to attend their lectures.

Candidates will need to be ready to start work on Monday 12th January 2026and posts cannot be offered to candidates unless they can guarantee this start date.

Please note that applications will not be considered from applicants who are formally registered (or re-sitting examinations) for another concurrent programme of study at UCL or any other Higher Education Institution.

This is a dual application process. In addition to applying for this position with us, 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 (such as academic background, relevant experience, visa approval).

Please view the attached document UCL CYP PT Therapy - Application Guidance forCandidates August 2025 for the university application link and more information onhow to apply.

More information about the courses and how the training works can befound here (AFC website) including the course brochures, and we strongly recommend you read the FAQs.

NHSE have implemented a rule regarding beneficiaries of their training year funding this affects candidates who have been on one of the courses listed on the NHSE website from 1st August 2022. We recommend you read this if you plan to apply to future trainings.

If you apply to this job, you are giving permission for information to be shared between the Course Team at the HEI and the Recruitment team at the Service. The only information that is shared will be relevant to establishing eligibility for the job/course. No irrelevant information will be disclosed or discussed in relation to your application.

As these are training positions, please be aware that this is a dual application process where you must be employed in a Recruit to Train funded job to also receive a place on the course, and vice-versa. If you are ineligible for the University Course, we will be unable to be offer the role. If you withdraw from an employment offer but you have accepted a university offer, you will be unable to join the course.

Please note in this instance the course is not optional; the roles are dependent on meeting all course requirements. Applicants for this training at UCL will need to be available to start by the 12th of January 2026 at the latest (with the course starting on the 19th January 2026). Any queries applicants have on the course i.e. teaching/content can be sent to the course programme team: cyppttherapy@annafreud.org

Please be aware the information on your application form (name and contact details, qualifications and prior relevant experience) will be shared with the Anna Freud staff team as part of the recruitment process. By submitting your application to this role, you are agreeing to your details being shared with Anna Freud.

Person Specification

Education/qualifications

Essential

• Qualifications that demonstrate a capacity to complete academic work at postgraduate diploma level.

Desirable

• Degree or equivalent

Skills and abilities

Essential

• Ability to communicate effectively and sensitively with children, young people, and their families, whilst considering social differences.
• Ability to maintain a reflective stance in emotive/challenging interactions with children and their families.
• 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 (Level 2) https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/english-language-re…

Desirable

• Fluency in another language in addition to Englishish

Knowledge and experience

Essential

• Experience of working within a mental health setting
• Demonstrates an understanding of child and adolescent development and its significance for emotional well-being and mental health
• Experience of working with children, young people and their families

Desirable

• Knowledge and understanding of issues relating to safeguarding
• Demonstrates knowledge and experience of local community groups
• A year or more experience working within a CBT framework and/or using CBT informed interventions (e.g., PWP, CWP, EMHP and Parent Trainer).
• Knowledge understanding and prior experience of CBT theory and its application.

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Ability to work within a team and foster good working relationships with colleagues inside and beyond the service
• Motivation to learn and be challenged
• Demonstrates an interest in CBT as a therapeutic approach with children and young people

Other

Essential

• Commitment to using data and relevant measures to assess clinical outcomes
• An interest in CBT as a therapeutic approach with children and young people

Person Specification

Education/qualifications

Essential

• Qualifications that demonstrate a capacity to complete academic work at postgraduate diploma level.

Desirable

• Degree or equivalent

Skills and abilities

Essential

• Ability to communicate effectively and sensitively with children, young people, and their families, whilst considering social differences.
• Ability to maintain a reflective stance in emotive/challenging interactions with children and their families.
• 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 (Level 2) https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/english-language-re…

Desirable

• Fluency in another language in addition to Englishish

Knowledge and experience

Essential

• Experience of working within a mental health setting
• Demonstrates an understanding of child and adolescent development and its significance for emotional well-being and mental health
• Experience of working with children, young people and their families

Desirable

• Knowledge and understanding of issues relating to safeguarding
• Demonstrates knowledge and experience of local community groups
• A year or more experience working within a CBT framework and/or using CBT informed interventions (e.g., PWP, CWP, EMHP and Parent Trainer).
• Knowledge understanding and prior experience of CBT theory and its application.

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Ability to work within a team and foster good working relationships with colleagues inside and beyond the service
• Motivation to learn and be challenged
• Demonstrates an interest in CBT as a therapeutic approach with children and young people

Other

Essential

• Commitment to using data and relevant measures to assess clinical outcomes
• An interest in CBT as a therapeutic approach with children and young people

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Whittington Hospital NHS Trust

Address

Northern Health Centre Islington CAMHS,

580 Holloway Road. 3rd Floor

London

N7 6LB

Employer's website

https://www.whittington.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Whittington Hospital NHS Trust

Address

Northern Health Centre Islington CAMHS,

580 Holloway Road. 3rd Floor

London

N7 6LB

Employer's website

https://www.whittington.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)