About this role
Job summary
We are excited to be recruiting to our newly redesigned Children & Young People's Inpatient Mental Health Unit at Chalkhill, reopening in Autumn 2026. Following extensive engagement, co-design, and investment in our clinical model, workforce, and environment, we are creating a modern therapeutic service where young people receive purposeful, high-quality care.
Following extensive co-design with young people, families and staff, and significant investment in our workforce and therapeutic approach, this is an exciting opportunity to work in a modern, recovery-focused inpatient service delivering high-quality, purposeful care to young people with acute mental health needs.
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Our refreshed CAMHS inpatient service is built around:
Purposeful admissions with early review points Structured, therapeutic care programmes delivered across 7 days Strong links with crisis and community services, including COAST (Crisis Outreach Acute Support Team), Trauma-informed and autism-aware practice A focus on least restrictive practice and improving experience and outcomes Supportive MDT working, safe staffing and strong clinical leadership You will work as part of a skilled and supportive multidisciplinary team, delivering therapeutic care to young people and working closely with families and carers from admission through to discharge.
Main duties of the job
We are seeking a dedicated and passionate UKCP-registered Family and Systemic Psychotherapist (Band 7) to join the CAMHS Inpatient Team on a full-time (1.0 WTE) basis.
You will be committed to family-focused practice, ensuring families' needs and experiences remain central throughout hospital admissions. The role involves delivering family and systemic interventions for children and young people requiring inpatient care, and working closely with the COAST team, which provides alternatives to admission for those experiencing acute mental health difficulties.
You will join a skilled multidisciplinary team providing integrated, family-led care across Sussex. Drawing on a range of systemic psychotherapy approaches, you will contribute to assessment, formulation and the delivery of timely, targeted interventions, supporting young people and families to feel heard, involved and supported in their recovery from the outset.
You will work collaboratively with the multi-disciplinary team and a strong culture of teamwork and shared responsibility for high-quality care. You will receive regular supervision from the Principal Family and Systemic Psychotherapist and Consultant Psychologist, alongside support from the wider Psychological Professions network.
We welcome compassionate, motivated professionals committed to trauma-informed practice, co-production and improving outcomes for children and young people in a fast-paced inpatient setting.
About us
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust delivers specialist mental health, learning disability and neurodevelopmental services across Sussex.
This post sits within our Specialist CAMHS Services, offering opportunities to work closely with acute, community and crisis pathway colleagues.
We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, and to creating a compassionate, supportive working environment where staff feel valued, developed and able to deliver excellent care.
What we can offer you
The opportunity to help shape a newly reopened CAMHS inpatient unit Comprehensive induction programme prior to opening, where all new staff train together and contribute to the team's therapeutic approach
A supportive leadership team and strong MDT cultureHigh-quality clinical and managerial supervisionAccess to CPD, specialist CAMHS training and leadership developmentCareer progression opportunities within inpatient and wider CAMHS servicesNHS Pension Scheme and Agenda for Change benefits
Job description Job responsibilities
Sussex Partnership provides mental health and learning disability care for children, young people and adults across Sussex. The trust is rated as good overall and outstanding for caring by the CQC.
SPFT encourage flexible working. We know that a positive work/life balance brings about huge health related benefits, which has a positive impact on the care we provide. Please speak to us about flexible working, for example, flexible start/finish times or anything else. If it works for you and works for the role, we'll do our best to make it happen.
This is an excellent time for Psychology Professions to be joining Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust as we have launched our Strategy and can offer the following to you:
Regular Professional and Clinical supervision with a focus on enhancing wellbeing at work
The opportunity to ensure that Children and Young People benefit from increased access to Psychological Therapies
A commitment to improving matters of Equality, Inclusion, Diversity and Human Rights for Children and Young people, their families and staff.
The opportunity to participate in a range of quality improvement work and service innovations.
Access to a wide range of training and CPD opportunities through
The Psychological Professions Practice Networks
The Leadership Programme for Senior Psychological Professions.
Quarterly Psychology Professions CAMHS, Early Intervention and Perinatal Senior Leadership Forum
In order to be a successful Family & systemic psychotherapist (Band 7) in our team you will be:
Registered with UKCP
Experienced in risk management
Comfortable working in a fast-paced and varied role
Able to communicate effectively in complex and challenging circumstances to support professional decision making
Adaptable, organised, compassionate and a team player
Experience working in a multi-disciplinary environment
Experience working with families who are facing tough times and in crisis and adapting your therapeutic relationship/ intervention accordingly.
If you want to make a real difference to young peoples lives and help shape a redesigned, valuesdriven inpatient service, we would love to hear from you.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Recognised/accredited postgraduate level training in a psychological therapy as specified in one of the Appendices Professionally registered as specified in the same Appendix
Desirable
Additional pre- and/or post-qualification training as specified in the same Appendix
Knowledge Essential
Substantial experience of specialist psychological therapy (assessment, formulation maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse. n and treatment), as specified in the same Appendix, A high level of competence in applying a psychological therapy to complex difficulties appropriate for this therapy with the client group, and a proven track record of delivering positive outcomes in this therapy ?Experience of offering teaching, training and supervision within a demanding organisational context. A clear and theoretically informed approach to supervision Experience of the application of psychological therapy in different cultural contexts and experience of working within a multicultural framework.
Desirable
Experience of delivering group interventions
communication Essential
Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, highly technical, and clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS. Proven ability to establish, maintain and conclude therapeutic relationships with clients Good inter-personal and inter-professional skills and ability to work autonomously as a single discipline practitioner in a multi-disciplinary setting
Skills Essential
Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups. A capacity to reflect upon the therapeutic process and upon one's own part in it. An ability to make effective use of clinical supervision and to utilise these skills in contributing to clinical consultation within the team and to other professional and non-professional groups
planning Essential
Ability to work within a large geographical area effectively, managing travel arrangements and using creative working solutions. Ability to assist or take a lead in specific service development projects Ability to plan and manage a work load
leadership Essential
Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
Desirable
Ability to supervise and support psychological professionals, in the locality, undertaking appraisals and managing sickness and annual leave where appropriate
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Address New CAMHS Inpatient Unit
Princess Royal Hospital Lewes Road
Haywards Heath
RH16 4EX
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)