Job overview
Are you a qualified (or about to) Family and Systemic Psychotherapist who holds a "core profession" such a Nurse, OT or Social Worker who is seeking a varied role in a supportive, collaborative team?
We are looking for a Band 7 psychotherapist to join our SCT team covering Reading, Wokingham, and Newbury. Your main base will be Erlegh House, in the beautiful grounds of the University of Reading.
The Specialist Community Teams provide assessments, therapeutic interventions, and care coordination for children and young people with moderate to severe complex mental health difficulties.
You will work with a complex, diverse and varied caseload across social, cultural, and individual differences, and your role will include:
- Delivering assessments, interventions and care
- Offering individual and family sessions and running reflective clinics
- Collaborating with schools, social care, and other agencies
- Being involved in service development
- Receiving regular supervision ongoing learning opportunities
You might be a newly qualified therapist seeking excellent learning opportunities from senior therapists and psychologists, or an experienced practitioner looking for a flexible role in a compassionate service.
This role offers full flexibility in terms or working pattern and we are open to those looking for full or part time hours.
Our Trust is rated “Outstanding” by the CQC, recognised for its supportive culture where staff feel valued.
Main duties of the job
- Provide comprehensive assessments and therapeutic interventions to young people and their families, as appropriate.
- Provide care co-ordination for young people open to the Service.
- Independently manage an appropriately sized caseload.
- Use supervision effectively.
- Offer supervision and training to junior colleagues and other agencies as appropriate.
- Work with colleagues to support the clinical leadership of the team.
- Work effectively in a multi-disciplinary team and within a multiagency system.
- Work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of psychological practice.
- Contribute to audit, service development and research, as appropriate.
- Maintain own continuing professional development and contribute to team professional development initiatives.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The “must haves” for this role:
- A qualified or about to qualify Family and Systemic psychotherapist accredited by UKCP
- A core profession as per the job specification
- Experience in children, young people and families Mental Health services (this could include placements)
- A UK driving licence and access to a vehicle, or the equivalent ability to reach rural locations effectively.
For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.
We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.
We’re committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.
We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don’t hesitate to call: Christina Subrai, Team Manager on 07815485190 or email: [email protected] who’ll be delighted to help.
Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.
Person specification
Previous Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in evidence-based ways with service users (and their carers/families) presenting with a full range of clinical severity across the range of settings, maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
- Experience of dealing with highly distressing or emotional circumstances, such as serious mental illness, child and sexual abuse, exploitation, and complex family dynamics
- Experience of working effectively in a multi-disciplinary team and multi-agency environment
- Experience of service development and carrying out clinical audits, evaluative research and applying the findings
- Experience of working with, and addressing, issues of diversity, including experience of working with diversity, multiculturalism, and equality of access to the service
Desirable
- Experience of delivering teaching and training to staff
- Experience of providing clinical supervision, mentoring and structured guidance to other staff
Additional Requirements
Essential
- Able to work flexibly around working patterns as required
- Ability to travel independently between locations in Berkshire to fulfil the requirements and duties of the position
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Demonstrable knowledge, skills and abilities in the practice of assessment, formulation and intervention, relevant to the specialist modality and service area
- Knowledge and understanding of service evaluation, audit and research and how to undertake these activities in an NHS context, including how to implement learning
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, complex, technical and/or sensitive information to service users, their carers/families and other professional colleagues, both within and outside of an NHS setting
- Well-developed interpersonal skills, with the ability to support, influence and engage with clinicians, stakeholders and service users to create change and improvement
- The ability and skills to act as an advocate for the service, to engage and foster positive relationships with all health professionals in promoting the good integration of the service within the wider health care system
- Advanced IT skills and the ability to navigate various systems and software packages (such as RiO, Outlook, databases, MS Office/Teams, One Consultation and the Internet)
Education/Qualifications/Training
Essential
- Graduate qualification in relevant mental health or social care related discipline or equivalent, e.g. Practitioner Psychologist registered with HCPC, Registered Mental Health Nurse (NMC), Occupational Therapist registered with HCPC, or Social Worker registered with HCPC
- Postgraduate Masters in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy from a course that is accredited by the Association for Family Therapy and Systemic Practice (AFT)
- Accreditation with UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) as a Family and Systemic Psychotherapist
Desirable
- Additional training and accreditations (or working towards these) in relevant therapeutic approaches or psychological models to reflect post qualification interests/ specialism (e.g., specific therapy models and accreditations, Health Psychology, Neuropsychology etc.)
Continuous Professional Development
Essential
- Evidence of training and/or interest and knowledge in psychological models or therapeutic approaches relevant to the post
- Commitment to continuing professional development as recommended by the relevant accrediting body
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Family and Systemic Psychotherapist with Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in Bracknell, South East, England. It is listed as a Band 7 Psychologist role. The advertised salary is £50,008 - £56,908 per annum, pro rata (Incl of HCAS). The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 30 Jun 2026.
Before you apply, compare the job description with the person specification and mirror the employer's essential criteria in your supporting information. Use the vacancy title, employer, location, salary, contract type, closing date and posted date (16 Jun 2026) to decide whether this role fits your current NHS job search. If the employer can close applications early, prepare the application before the stated deadline rather than waiting for the final day.
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