Trainee CBT Therapist

Job summary

Do you have experience of working with childrens mental health?

Are you looking to train as a High Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Practitioner?

We have two exciting opportunities to join our Thought-Full Mental Health Support Team in schools as a Trainee CBT Therapist - CYP (further details of the training and university are below).

Main duties of the job

You will be expected to work as part of an integrated mental health team which requires creativity, flexibility, and adaptability, and above all a passion for working with Children and Young People in educational settings.

As a Trainee CBT Therapist - CYP, you will hold caseloads of children and young people with mild to moderate mental health problems within schools, being responsible for developing packages of care for them.

You will be training to deliver a variety of evidence-based interventions against a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) model, working collaboratively with children, young people, their families, schools and other mental health professionals.

About us

Working as part of Standards and Effectiveness, Thought-Full, The Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) are an exciting new initiative and an important strand of the Governments 2017 Green Paper Transforming Children and Young Peoples Mental Health Provision.

We fulfil 3 core functions:

1. Supporting the senior mental health lead in each education setting to introduce or develop their whole school approach.
2. Delivering evidence-based interventions in schools for mild to moderate mental health issues.
3. Giving timely advice to school and college staff, and liaising with external specialist services, to help children and young people to get the right support and stay in education.

The Trainee CBT Therapist -CYP is a professional role which delivers CBT-informed, evidence-based early interventions for children and young people and parents / carers in educational settings in England, such as schools and colleges.

Details

Date posted

14 October 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£36,363 to £39,152 a year

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

F0052-25-0005

Job locations

County Hall

West Street

Chichester

West Sussex

PO19 1RG

West Sussex County Council

Chart Way

Horsham

West Sussex

RH12 1XH

Job description

Job responsibilities

To succeed at this role, you will need to:

• Be highly motivated and enthusiastic about making a difference to children and young peoples mental health through evidence-based interventions
• 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.
• Demonstrate a good level of understanding/experience in offering cognitive behavioural informed assessment, formulation, and intervention.
• Demonstrate the ability to study as a self-motivated learner.
• Be open and aware of others.
• Have time management skills, organisational skills, and be able to communicate in English with members of the public.
• Work collaboratively with children, young people, and their families to provide the best outcomes for them.
• You will need to be able to demonstrate personal resilience as some cases may be sensitive, traumatic or potentially emotionally distressing.

For more information on the Key Skills, Qualifications and/or Experience required, please refer to the Job Description attached. Please refer to the key skills in your cover letter as these will be used for shortlisting criteria.

Training and Qualification Information

This post is fully funded by NHS England.

Our Trainee CBT Therapist - CYP positions training starts in January 2026. This is split with 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 KCL. Upon completion, qualified trainees will receive a Postgraduate Diploma.

Whilst on assignment you will work within a multidisciplinary team, being responsible for supporting development and embedding services in educational settings.

You will either need a minimum second-class bachelors degree (or equivalent in a relevant subject),OR if you do not hold the academic criteria but you have relevant professional experience, we would love to hear from you.

You need to be ready to start with us in January as the course begins on 19 January 2026.

The reference number for this role isCAFHE05425.

To apply: please upload your CV and Cover Letter. You can apply via the WSCC here: http://emea3.mrted.ly/3y2sf

In your cover letter please outline your motivations for applying and explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills) ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.

This is a dual application process. In addition to applying for this position with us, you must also complete a KCL 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 KCL training place if you are successful in securing this post and you meet the university training requirements.

Please go to https://www.kings-cyp.com/page/recruit-to-train to complete your UCL application.

Please note: candidates who have previously completed a course funded by HEE (Health Education England), can only apply for this course 2 years after the exam board of their previous course.

Job description

Job responsibilities

To succeed at this role, you will need to:

• Be highly motivated and enthusiastic about making a difference to children and young peoples mental health through evidence-based interventions
• 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.
• Demonstrate a good level of understanding/experience in offering cognitive behavioural informed assessment, formulation, and intervention.
• Demonstrate the ability to study as a self-motivated learner.
• Be open and aware of others.
• Have time management skills, organisational skills, and be able to communicate in English with members of the public.
• Work collaboratively with children, young people, and their families to provide the best outcomes for them.
• You will need to be able to demonstrate personal resilience as some cases may be sensitive, traumatic or potentially emotionally distressing.

For more information on the Key Skills, Qualifications and/or Experience required, please refer to the Job Description attached. Please refer to the key skills in your cover letter as these will be used for shortlisting criteria.

Training and Qualification Information

This post is fully funded by NHS England.

Our Trainee CBT Therapist - CYP positions training starts in January 2026. This is split with 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 KCL. Upon completion, qualified trainees will receive a Postgraduate Diploma.

Whilst on assignment you will work within a multidisciplinary team, being responsible for supporting development and embedding services in educational settings.

You will either need a minimum second-class bachelors degree (or equivalent in a relevant subject),OR if you do not hold the academic criteria but you have relevant professional experience, we would love to hear from you.

You need to be ready to start with us in January as the course begins on 19 January 2026.

The reference number for this role isCAFHE05425.

To apply: please upload your CV and Cover Letter. You can apply via the WSCC here: http://emea3.mrted.ly/3y2sf

In your cover letter please outline your motivations for applying and explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills) ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.

This is a dual application process. In addition to applying for this position with us, you must also complete a KCL 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 KCL training place if you are successful in securing this post and you meet the university training requirements.

Please go to https://www.kings-cyp.com/page/recruit-to-train to complete your UCL application.

Please note: candidates who have previously completed a course funded by HEE (Health Education England), can only apply for this course 2 years after the exam board of their previous course.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Qualifications and/or experience:
• Minimum second-class bachelors degree, or equivalent standard in a relevant subject (e.g. psychology, social work etc)
• OR
• 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
• PLUS
• 2 or more years of experience working within a children and young peoples mental health setting (e.g. mental health worker)
• Previous experience of working within a CBT framework and/or using CBT informed interventions (e.g. PWP, CWP, EMHP).

Desirable

• Previous training in a mental-health related profession (e.g. psychology, nursing, health visiting, social work, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, special needs teaching, psychiatry, psychotherapy, counselling, CWP, EMHP and low intensity therapies).
• Ability to study and complete academic work at postgraduate study level, with a proven record of academic attainment.
• Previous experience of assessing and managing risk and safeguarding issues.
• Experience of working as multi-agency and/or multi-disciplinary working and liaising across internal and external agencies.

Experience

Essential

• (These will be used as the shortlisting criteria)
• Key Skills:
• 1.Ability to maintain a reflective stance and consider multiple perspectives in emotive/challenging interactions with children, young people and their parent/carers.
• 2.Ability to personally manage sensitive and potentially emotionally distressing caseload material.
• 3.Ability to reflect on own practice (in clinical supervision and practice tutor groups with course peers).
• 4.Ability to maintain accurate records and follow all policy and clinical governance procedures.
• 5.Ability to complete academic work at postgraduate level and balance the academic demands of the course with clinical placement demands.
• 6.Effective verbal and written communication skills with good IT skills and able to work with diverse communities.
• 7.Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to quickly build and maintain an effective therapeutic rapport with a child, young person and / or their parents.
• 8.Ability to effectively manage an allocated caseload including assessing, recording and communicating risk appropriately and taking necessary actions.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Qualifications and/or experience:
• Minimum second-class bachelors degree, or equivalent standard in a relevant subject (e.g. psychology, social work etc)
• OR
• 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
• PLUS
• 2 or more years of experience working within a children and young peoples mental health setting (e.g. mental health worker)
• Previous experience of working within a CBT framework and/or using CBT informed interventions (e.g. PWP, CWP, EMHP).

Desirable

• Previous training in a mental-health related profession (e.g. psychology, nursing, health visiting, social work, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, special needs teaching, psychiatry, psychotherapy, counselling, CWP, EMHP and low intensity therapies).
• Ability to study and complete academic work at postgraduate study level, with a proven record of academic attainment.
• Previous experience of assessing and managing risk and safeguarding issues.
• Experience of working as multi-agency and/or multi-disciplinary working and liaising across internal and external agencies.

Experience

Essential

• (These will be used as the shortlisting criteria)
• Key Skills:
• 1.Ability to maintain a reflective stance and consider multiple perspectives in emotive/challenging interactions with children, young people and their parent/carers.
• 2.Ability to personally manage sensitive and potentially emotionally distressing caseload material.
• 3.Ability to reflect on own practice (in clinical supervision and practice tutor groups with course peers).
• 4.Ability to maintain accurate records and follow all policy and clinical governance procedures.
• 5.Ability to complete academic work at postgraduate level and balance the academic demands of the course with clinical placement demands.
• 6.Effective verbal and written communication skills with good IT skills and able to work with diverse communities.
• 7.Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to quickly build and maintain an effective therapeutic rapport with a child, young person and / or their parents.
• 8.Ability to effectively manage an allocated caseload including assessing, recording and communicating risk appropriately and taking necessary actions.

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.

Employer details

Employer name

West Sussex County Council

Address

County Hall

West Street

Chichester

West Sussex

PO19 1RG

Employer's website

https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

West Sussex County Council

Address

County Hall

West Street

Chichester

West Sussex

PO19 1RG

Employer's website

https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)