Systemic Family Therapist @ Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Job summary

Cambridge University Hospital Foundation Trust (CUH) is seeking a highly skilled and compassionate individual to join the new NHS Children and Young People's Gender Service (East of England) in the role of Systemic Family Therapist.

Based within the Paediatrics Department at CUH, the successful applicant will have extensive experience of delivering high quality, evidence-based assessments and care to children and young people.

The Cass Review into gender services for children and young people has recommended that staff should maintain a broad clinical perspective by working across related NHS services in order to embed the care of children and young people with gender-related distress within a broader child and adolescent health context. In order to facilitate this, we encourage part-time applications from staff already working in other NHS or related services. We can also work with successful candidates applying for full-time roles to agree a job plan that includes a mix of gender service activity and activity in another clinical area.

The service operates Monday-Friday.

Main duties of the job

To work with managers and clinical leads, to ensure the systematic provision of a high-quality psycho-social service within the East of England Children and Young People's Gender Service. To work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of systemic therapies and practice within the Service. To ensure that systems are in place and working effectively for the clinical supervision and support of all systemic practitioners and all psychological therapists practicing systemically within the Service. This also includes ensuring there are clear systems in place for effective outcome measurement, recruitment, professional appraisal and the identification of CPD needs across the Service.

About us

Our TrustCambridge University Hospitals (CUH) NHS Foundation Trust comprises Addenbrooke's Hospital and the Rosie Hospital in Cambridge. With over 13,000 staff and over 1100 beds the priorities of the Trust focus on a quality service which is all about people - patients, staff and partners. Recognised as providing 'outstanding' care to our patients and rated 'Good' overall by the Care Quality Commissioner, is testament to the skill and dedication of the people who work here. CUH's values - Together - Safe, Kind, Excellent - are at the heart of patient care, defining the way all staff work and behave. The Trust provides accessible high-quality healthcare for the local people of Cambridge, together with specialist services, dealing with rare or complex conditions for a regional, national and international population.

CUH is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where we can all be ourselves. We value our differences and fully advocate and support an inclusive working environment where every individual can fulfil their potential. We want to ensure our people are truly representative of all the communities that we serve. We welcome applications for all positions in the organisation irrespective of people's age, disability, ethnicity, race, nationality, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity status or social economic background.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.

This vacancy will close at midnight on 08th NovemberInterviews are due to be held on 18th November

All appointments with a start date on or after 1 October 2026 will be subject to a 12-week probationary period. This provides a structured and supportive period to help you settle into your role, with regular reviews and feedback.

As there is a 12-week probationary period, successful candidates are expected to have the Right to Work for a period of at least 6 months from the proposed start date. Immigration and Right to Work status will be discussed with successful candidates at conditional offer. CUH will not offer sponsorship to candidates that have applied for a fee waiver. Due to Home Office immigration rules, a full-time permanent vacancy cannot be filled by individuals on a student visa. Therefore, please be advised that if you are a student visa holder, we will not be able to offer you a full-time permanent contract unless you have:- applied for a Graduate visa- or you will have successfully completed your course and have applied for a Graduate visa before the anticipated start date of your employment

Benefits to youAt Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.

On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague-only caf, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.

CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work-life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part-time working, job-share, term-time working and flexible start and finish times. Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.

We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• oM.Sc./Post-graduate Diploma in Systemic Psychotherapy/Family Therapy
• oUKCP registered family therapist.
• oAdditional qualification in a related profession (e.g. social work, nursing, clinical psychology).
• oCurrent safe-guarding training

Desirable

• oRelevant specialist training in child and adolescent mental health disorders, or paediatrics.
• oAdvanced training in supervision
• oLeadership Training

Experience

Essential

• oSubstantial post-qualifying experience as a systemic/family psychotherapist working in health care or social care setting.
• oSubstantial experience of working with children, adolescents and families with complex mental health problems.
• oExperience of supervising other mental health professionals.
• oExperience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' care and treatment, both as a professionally qualified care coordinator and also within the context of a multi-disciplinary care plan.
• oAbility to work co-operatively in a multi-disciplinary team.
• oPrevious employment in a related health or social care post.
• oPlanning and delivering teaching to health and/or social care professionals.
• oInvolvement in a variety of systemic psychotherapy interventions (e.g. conjoint family therapy, parental counselling, group therapy).

Desirable

• oExperience of planning and implementing service developments.
• oRelevant experience of working collaboratively with service users and carers in the development of patient/client-centred services.
• oFamiliarity with research methodology.
• oInvolvement in strategic planning of services.
• oExperience facilitating the development of multi-disciplinary staff groups through the application of systemic models.
• oRelevant experience as a senior staff member.
• oExperience across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and in-patient settings.
• oExperience leading across health care professions.
• oFormal training in supervision of other systemic therapists.

Knowledge

Essential

• oGood understanding of other professionals' theoretical perspectives on this client group.
• oAbility to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance, including regular supervision, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
• oKnowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to the client group.
• oSkills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
• oKnowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of systemic psychotherapy.
• oEvidence of continuing professional development as recommended by UKCP and AFT.
• oAdvanced keyboard skills.
• oAbility to travel.

Skills

Essential

• oSkills in the use of complex methods of assessment, formulation, intervention and management, frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration. This requires the use of highly developed analytical and judgement skills.
• oSkills in current, evidence based, stepped care models of care as detailed in NICE guidance.
• oSkills in individual and group work and in programme planning.
• oPlanning and organising skills for caseload management.
• oSkills in self-management, including time-management.
• oWell-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information, including contentious and highly distressing information, to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.

Desirable

• oKnowledge of the theory and practice of specialised systemic therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc.)
• oGeneric supervisor competencies as detailed in Children's Division Clinical Governance Report.
• oKnowledge of neurodevelopmental disorders including ADHD and ASD and learning disability, including specific child protection and risk issues relevant to this group of CYP.

Additional Qualifications

Essential

• oAbility to work competently with highly distressing circumstances - frequently facilitating discussions in which complex treatment decisions are made.
• oAbility to contain and work with organisational stress.
• oAbility to frequently concentrate for sustained periods of time in order to plan and apply complex systemic interventions (e.g. multi-family group therapy).
• oAbility to understand and utilise therapeutic use of self and to maintain insight through constructive use of personal supervision
• oTo maintain highest professional standards and skills required by UKCP and AFT for registration and audit purposes.
• oWillingness to develop the role of the family/systemic psychotherapist within the service and to contribute to the broader field.
• oMust be capable of interpreting broad occupational policies and be accountable for own professional actions.
• oThe ability to understand and behave at all times, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of Safe, Kind, Excellent.

Desirable

• oRecord of having published in either peer-reviewed journals or equivalent.

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

Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Westbrooke House, Newmarket & Cambridge University Hospitals

Newmarket

CB8 7XN

United Kingdom

Employer's website

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