Trainee Early Years (0 to 5s) Practitioner RTT

Job summary

We have an exciting opportunity to join our West London NHS CAMHS Under 5s teams as a Recruit to Train Trainee / Infant Mental Health Practitioner (1 year fixed term), as part of the NHS England (NHSE) funded Recruit to Train Programme in partnership with Anna Freud, University College London, and Kings College London.

We are recruiting trainees across West London CAMHS. The post-holders will be training on the Children & Young People Mental Health 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 with a passion for working with families and children age 3 to 5 years old to work and train within our service. This post may suit a professional with an existing core training who is looking to develop their expertise in clinical, therapeutic with children under 5 and their families.

This is a training position and so all candidates will need to apply for both the trainee role with our organisation and the UCL Post Graduate Diploma in IEYP Early Childhood Pathway Course in order to be shortlisted. Please see our Candidate Pack for further details.

Please note that this job vacancy may close early due to a high number of candidates.

Main duties of the job

You will offer a high-quality service to children age 3-5 and their families / carers, alongside working effectively with your colleagues and liaising with other professionals in the network. Infant Mental Health training will enable you to deliver, under intensive supervision, high quality, focused evidence-based individual and group interventions for children age 3-5 and their parents or carers. The training will equip those in post to develop and operate effectively in an inclusive, value driven mental health service and team working specifically with children age 3-5 years old. The roles will be exciting and varied, including individual and group working in a CAMHS setting and also working in community Family Hub settings, offering consultation and support to parents and professionals. The development role enables the post holders to develop a range of clinical skills and experience whilst studying for a Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Infant Mental Health. The post provides excellent opportunities for professional development and regular supervision.

About us

West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse healthcare providers in the UK, delivering a range of mental health and physical healthcare and community services. The Trust runs Broadmoor Hospital, one of three high secure hospitals in the country, with an international reputation.

Our high secure services care for patients from South of England and we provide low and medium secure services across eight London boroughs. The Trust also provides mental and physical healthcare in three London boroughs (Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham). We employ over 5,000 staff, of whom 59% are BME. Our turnover for 2024-25 is over £500m.

The Trust is rated as 'Good' overallby the Care Quality Commission. Forensic services are rated as 'Outstanding'.

The Trust is an established partner and contributor in the development of the evolving North West London Integrated Care System and the Integrated Care Board. The Trust leads the NW London Children and Adolescent Mental Health provider collaborative.

Details

Date posted

17 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£44,485 to £52,521 a year per annum inclusive

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

222-LS-CAMHS-719

Job locations

Heart of Hounslow Health Centre

Hounslow

TW3 3EL

Job description

Job responsibilities

The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached

The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached

The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Training

Essential

• Qualifications that demonstrate a capacity to complete academic work at postgraduate diploma level
• Minimum second-class Bachelor's Degree from a UK University or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard in a relevant subject (e.g., psychology, social work etc).
• Applicants who do not fulfil the academic criteria but with relevant professional experience are encouraged to apply and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Desirable

• A core profession as recognised by BABCP (for example, mental health nursing, social work) or a level 6 qualification (typically this would be an undergraduate degree) and meet the eligibility criteria for the BABCP Knowledge Skills and Attitudes (KSA) route. To be eligible for the KSA route you would need to have a minimum of 2 years' relevant full-time equivalent therapeutic experience in a mental health setting.

Experience

Essential

• A minimum of two years of experience of working with children /families/ young people in a mental health setting and prior experience of working with children under the age of 5
• Experience of assessing and managing risk and safeguarding issues
• Experience of multi-agency and/or multi-disciplinary working and liaising across internal & external agencies.

Desirable

• Previous experience of working within a mental health service using brief intervention models.
• A year or more experience working within an Early Years setting and experience of co-delivering group-based interventions
• Experience of monitoring and recording outcome measures for children's emotional wellbeing.

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge and Understanding of child development
• Knowledge and understanding of issues relating to risk and safeguarding children and young people.
• Ability to be an autonomous practitioner whilst being able to work as an integral part of a multi-agency locality team.
• Be committed to anti discriminatory/ anti oppressive practice and equal opportunity.

Desirable

• Foundation knowledge and understanding of relevant child development theory and its application.

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.
• Ability to work in a collaborative and respectful manner with children, 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 local policy and procedures and make proposals for change.
• Ability to complete academic work across different learning environments at postgraduate level and balance the academic demands of the course with clinical placement demands
• Demonstrates adaptability and able to work with diverse communities
• IT/Computer literate
• Able to accommodate travel demands associated with the role
• Ability to conduct mental health assessments and interventions of children and young people.
• Ability to make an assessment of risk and to record and communicate it appropriately
• Ability take appropriate action to mitigate or manage risk.

Desirable

• vUnderstanding of evidence-based clinical practice and the ability to demonstrate how this influences good clinical practice.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Training

Essential

• Qualifications that demonstrate a capacity to complete academic work at postgraduate diploma level
• Minimum second-class Bachelor's Degree from a UK University or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard in a relevant subject (e.g., psychology, social work etc).
• Applicants who do not fulfil the academic criteria but with relevant professional experience are encouraged to apply and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Desirable

• A core profession as recognised by BABCP (for example, mental health nursing, social work) or a level 6 qualification (typically this would be an undergraduate degree) and meet the eligibility criteria for the BABCP Knowledge Skills and Attitudes (KSA) route. To be eligible for the KSA route you would need to have a minimum of 2 years' relevant full-time equivalent therapeutic experience in a mental health setting.

Experience

Essential

• A minimum of two years of experience of working with children /families/ young people in a mental health setting and prior experience of working with children under the age of 5
• Experience of assessing and managing risk and safeguarding issues
• Experience of multi-agency and/or multi-disciplinary working and liaising across internal & external agencies.

Desirable

• Previous experience of working within a mental health service using brief intervention models.
• A year or more experience working within an Early Years setting and experience of co-delivering group-based interventions
• Experience of monitoring and recording outcome measures for children's emotional wellbeing.

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge and Understanding of child development
• Knowledge and understanding of issues relating to risk and safeguarding children and young people.
• Ability to be an autonomous practitioner whilst being able to work as an integral part of a multi-agency locality team.
• Be committed to anti discriminatory/ anti oppressive practice and equal opportunity.

Desirable

• Foundation knowledge and understanding of relevant child development theory and its application.

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.
• Ability to work in a collaborative and respectful manner with children, 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 local policy and procedures and make proposals for change.
• Ability to complete academic work across different learning environments at postgraduate level and balance the academic demands of the course with clinical placement demands
• Demonstrates adaptability and able to work with diverse communities
• IT/Computer literate
• Able to accommodate travel demands associated with the role
• Ability to conduct mental health assessments and interventions of children and young people.
• Ability to make an assessment of risk and to record and communicate it appropriately
• Ability take appropriate action to mitigate or manage risk.

Desirable

• vUnderstanding of evidence-based clinical practice and the ability to demonstrate how this influences good clinical practice.

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 London NHS Trust

Address

Heart of Hounslow Health Centre

Hounslow

TW3 3EL

Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

West London NHS Trust

Address

Heart of Hounslow Health Centre

Hounslow

TW3 3EL

Employer's website

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