Job summary
We are seeking a dedicated Senior Therapist to join our team at the Axe Street Child & Family Centre on a permanent basis. This part-time position offers 18.75 hours per week. The successful candidate will play a vital role in supporting children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health challenges.

Main duties of the job
As a Senior Therapist, you will play a pivotal role in managing caseloads and supervising Senior Mental Health Practitioners (SMHPs). Working closely with senior colleagues, you will contribute to the development of Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) and foster service transformation within the local CAMHS system. Your role will also involve liaising with schools, co-producing materials, and embedding MHSTs into education settings. Additionally, you will maintain a small caseload and deliver group interventions in schools. See person JD and PS for further information.

About us
NELFT NHS Foundation Trust provides mental health and community services for over 4.9 million people living in the London Boroughs of Waltham Forest, Redbridge, Barking and Dagenham, Havering, and across Essex.

We work to ensure our patients, their friends and family, feel confident that their health needs are well met. With an excellent reputation for research and development, our skilled health professionals are at the cutting edge of evidence-based innovation, opening up the possibilities for better ways of working and delivery of care.

Job responsibilities
Essential Skills and Qualifications

• Experience as a mental health professional with 2–4 years' experience working with children, young people, and families in a mental health setting.
• Proven experience working with education settings to achieve positive outcomes for children and young people.
• Knowledge and competence in low-intensity cognitive-behavioural interventions and/or whole-school approaches to mental health.
• Experience delivering supervision, ideally in education settings and including group supervision.
• Familiarity with evidence-based practices for children, young people, and families, including the use of routine outcome measures in supervision.
• Strong critical and creative thinking skills for clinical contexts, including resource development for schools.
• Demonstrated experience involving service users in the design, implementation, and evaluation of services.

Why Join Us?

• Be part of a team driving meaningful change in mental health services for children and young people.
• Benefit from a supportive environment offering professional development and supervision training opportunities.
• Work in an organisation committed to inclusion, innovation, and delivering impactful care in diverse communities.

Starting with NELFT
NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop-in sessions focusing on engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes.

Probationary Period
This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff).

High Cost Area Supplement – Outer London
This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (with a minimum of £4,714 to a maximum of £5,941 p.a. pro rata for part time).

Working for Us
Joining #TeamNELFT means you'll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We're CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London and Essex. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.

The Trust has award-winning equality and diversity initiatives, along with staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest significantly in your development because when you feel valued and supported, we can deliver the highest quality care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been recognised in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for five consecutive years, and hold a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Through our staff networks and training opportunities, we strive to foster a just and compassionate culture at NELFT.

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.