Job requirements
Requirements from the employer’s person specification. These describe the role, not your personal match.
Essential
24 listedRequirements the employer expects applicants to meet.
- Extra
Hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car to use for business purposes (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).
- Extra
Eligible to live and work in the UK.
- Knowledge
Knowledge of the importance of the 0-5 years on development and mental wellbeing and understanding of the range of factors that can impact 0-5 developmental and emotional wellbeing.
- Knowledge
Knowledge of 0-5s services (e.g. health visiting, early help and the need for holistic approaches).
- Knowledge
Knowledge and understanding of issues relating to the safeguarding of very young children.
- Experience
Two or more years of experience working with the development and wellbeing of children and young children aged 0-5 and their families.
- Experience
Experience of multi-agency working and liaising across internal & external agencies.
- Experience
Experience of working within a professional setting concerned with the mental health, development and wellbeing of infants aged 0-5.
- Qualifications
Minimum second-class Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent standard in a relevant subject (e.g. psychology, social work etc.) Applicants who do not fulfil the academic criteria but have relevant professional experience are still encouraged to apply and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Qualifications
Qualification in a relevant field such as early years child development; parenting; play therapy.
- Personal Qualities
Strong desire to work with children aged 0-5.
- Personal Qualities
Strong interest in developing knowledge of assessment and intervention of the emotional wellbeing of children in their first 60 months of life.
- Personal Qualities
Motivated to learn and be challenged. Capacity to work well in teams.
- Personal Qualities
Application to UCL for this course has been submitted.
- Personal Qualities
Act appropriately within general health, organisational and other occupational policies. Willingness to uphold the Trust’s values.
- Skills & Abilities
Ability to adopt an observational stance, particularly relating to babies and very young children.
- Skills & Abilities
Ability to reflect on the connection of own experiences of parenting/being parented.
- Skills & Abilities
Ability to communicate effectively and sensitively with young children and their carers
- Skills & Abilities
Ability to personally manage sensitive and potentially emotionally distressing caseload material
- Skills & Abilities
Ability to reflect on own practice (in clinical supervision and practice tutor groups with course peers);
- Skills & Abilities
Proficient IT skills and the ability to learn the electronic patient record system to maintain accurate records.
- Skills & Abilities
Ability to complete academic work at postgraduate level and balance the academic demands of the course with clinical placement demands
- Skills & Abilities
Demonstrates adaptability and able to work with diverse communities
- Skills & Abilities
Able to meet travel demands associated with the role. Ability to be flexible and respond to rapid changes.
Desirable
5 listedAdditional qualities the employer would prefer.
- Knowledge
Knowledge and understanding of theory in relation to early child development.
- Experience
Experience of working with safeguarding issues.
- Qualifications
Previous training in a mental-health related profession (e.g. psychology, nursing, health visiting, social work, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, special needs teaching, psychiatry, psychotherapy, counselling)
- Qualifications
Ability to study and complete academic work at postgraduate study level. Proven record of previous academic attainment.
- Skills & Abilities
Understanding of evidence-based practice and the ability to demonstrate how this influences clinical practice with children aged 0-5.
Job overview
Mental Health Practitioner Trainee– Infant and Early Years Practitioner Parent-Infant (IEYP - PI).
This is a 1-year fixed term contract. The successful candidate must be able to start the post on 11th January 2027.
Step2 is an Early Intervention Child and Young People's Mental Health Service working towards improving the mental health and emotional wellbeing of children and young people in Hertfordshire.
We have an exciting opportunity for a CYP Psychological Trainings: Therapy Trainee (IEYP) to join our team as part of the NHS England (NHSE) funded Children and Young People (CYP) Psychological Training Programmes. This government-funded initiative promotes the growth and skill of the child mental health workforce to meet much needed demand. NHSE covers salary and training costs for a 1-year position, allowing services to employ trainees to support specialist pathways to bridge the gaps in CYP mental health support. This is a unique opportunity to apply your learning from weekly teaching into practical clinical interventions working with clients in the service making a direct impact in the lives of children, young people and their families.
*Proposed interview date: 24th September 2026*
Main duties of the job
Course start date: 18th January 2027.
The post holder will be expected to have 2.5 days a week for academic work (teaching and personal study) and 2.5 days based at the service seeing clients (children, young people, and carers) related to training assignments.
Information about the course content and the different modalities can be found on the Anna Freud webpage: https://www.annafreud.org/ucl-postgraduate-study/ucl-postgraduate-programmes/child-and-young-person-iapt-therapy-pg-dip/
For full details see the attached documents: Job Description & Person Specification, Full advert and UCL CYP PT Therapy - Application Guidance for Candidates .
This is a dual application process. You must also complete a UCL application for the Course Team to review. You will only be offered a UCL training place if you are successful in securing this post and you meet the university training requirements.
Candidates who have not applied to the university by the closing date of this advert will not be eligible for offer of an interview.
Online applications for the UCL training are made on the UCL application portal via the following link: https://evision.ucl.ac.uk/urd/sits.urd/run/siw_ipp_lgn.login_enc?0qhYzuG1h9udTFM8i9sPhtGiUgIR6D6iP0QBDHq24aUE7Anl4FtDGBDmc3LlBtzaLnpmgGfEEG0=
This vacancy will close early if we receive a high volume of applications.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
We will communicate any interview arrangements with applicants via e-mail so it is advisable that you check the email address you give on your application on a regular basis.
Staff recruited from outside the NHS will usually be appointed at the bottom of the pay band. All new appointments (excluding Medical & Dental roles) are subject to a 13 week probation period.
We are proud to be an armed forces friendly employer and support the employment of the armed forces community, including veterans, spouses and partners. For more information, contact hct.armedforcesrecruitment@nhs.net
Staff are required to hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car to use with business insurance (unless the member of staff has a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).
HCT will prioritise recruitment of workers living in England under the new immigration rules for care workers effective from 9 April 2025. Employers must first prove that they have attempted to recruit a worker from within England who needs new sponsorship. This ensures that those who came to the UK to pursue a career in adult social care can do so.
Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Mental Health Practitioner Therapy Trainee – IEYP-PI with Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust in Welwyn Garden City, England. It is listed as a Band 6 Mental health practitioner role. The advertised salary is £39,959 - £48,117 per annum pro rata. The contract type is 12 months (1 year fixed term trainee role). The application deadline is 11 Sep 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 (31 Aug 2026) to decide whether this role fits your current NHSjob 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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