Job Description

Location:

Across centres in Kent, Hampshire, Sussex (Battle, Burgess Hill, South London, Enfield), Chesham, Milton Keynes, Bromsgrove, and Wisbech

Contract Type:

Self-employed - contract per case

Salary:

Trainee (0-100hrs): Placement opportunity (insurance and in-house group supervision provided) 100-450hrs (working towards accreditation): 25 per hour (includes in-house group supervision) 450hrs+ with UKCP or BACP accreditation: 55 per hour

About Us

Set up in 1987 by a small but passionate group of foster parents, we became the UK's first independent foster care agency. That gives us the benefit of over 30 years' of fostering experience and we're still going strong!

The founder members recognised that looked after children - especially those who'd had very difficult starts in life - needed specialist support. So right from the beginning they put the child at the centre of their thinking and surrounded them with an integrated range of support services. In fact, that's what ISP means: Integrated Service Programme.

Over time, this circle of support has increased to include a whole range of professionals that children and foster parents can tap into, whenever they need to. This includes social workers, fostering advisors, teachers and therapists, who all work with our foster parents and the children they look after, helping them understand and manage even the most challenging situations. This is what's known as a 'therapeutic approach' to fostering and it's something that we pioneered.

We are excited to be looking for new therapists to join our wonderful team on a self-employed- contract per case basis - delivering psychotherapy sessions to our children and young people across our centres in across our Kent, Hampshire, Sussex - Battle, Burgess Hill, South London, Enfield, and Chesham, Milton Keynes, Bromsgrove, Chesham, Wisbeach.

Cases allocated comprise of up to 8hrs a month per case during term time, to include weekly therapy sessions with child or young person referred, a monthly consultation with the carer, participation in case management and group supervision, and other meetings and administrative matters as required.

There will also be opportunities to contribute to training and service development projects.

We are a pluralistic trauma-informed service, aiming to offer therapies and therapeutic interventions that are as diverse and individual as our children, young people are carers are.

What We Offer

This is a rare opportunity to practise therapy in a setting where depth, continuity and collaboration are genuinely valued. Unlike much of the sector, we offer work that extends well beyond brief 6-8 session models - allowing you to build meaningful therapeutic relationships over time.

You won't be expected to provide your own space or materials - all therapy rooms and resources are provided on site.

You'll be part of the UK's longest-established therapeutic fostering agency, joining a well-established, supportive and skilled multidisciplinary team.

Our model is rooted in relational practice and therapeutic diversity - we welcome a range of modalities and perspectives.

You'll have the chance to work closely with therapeutically trained foster parents, contribute to training and development, and take part in case discussions that value the therapist's voice.

We provide access to specialists with experienced professionals in areas such as trauma, neurodiversity and safeguarding. These opportunities are designed to deepen your clinical thinking and support your work with complex presentations.

We also recognise your need for self and professional development - so we prioritise connection and community. There will be regular opportunities for peer supervision, online quarterly CPD sessions offered by and for our therapist group, and informal social gatherings to help us stay connected, reflective and well supported.

You'll also be invited to attend The Therapeutic Pathway Training - Assured by City & Guilds, our industry-leading training providing foster parents and ISP staff with the key skills and knowledge they need to provide extraordinary therapeutic foster care. These sessions are part of our commitment to being a reflective and learning-oriented organisation.

Recognising the hidden labour that often comes with freelance therapeutic work, we offer paid time to cover key administrative responsibilities - including report writing, clinical notes and necessary documentation.

We currently have vacancies for

Postgraduate psychotherapy placement trainees (50-100hrs) Newly qualified psychotherapists (working towards accreditation and towards 450hrs)
There are also opportunities for those trainees studying for a MA/MSc in psychotherapy by research to conduct their studies alongside clinical work.

Different rates of pay apply depending on your existing supervised clinical hours and accreditation status.

0-100hrs - placements for trainees in the second year of postgraduate training - insurance and in house group supervision will be provided 100-450hrs - accreditation pathway - 25ph & in house group supervision will be provided 450hrs+accreditation with UKCP or BACP - 55ph

Successful candidates will:

Be responsible for carrying out core therapy activities with children and young people, and run one to one therapy both brief and long-term, contributing to assessments, foster care consultations and attend network meetings as required. Participate proactively in supervision, training and ongoing personal and professional development. Have a positive attitude to shared therapeutic planning, reflective practice and outcomes tracking, both qualitative, through reports and multidisciplinary team working, and administering regular quantitative measures (eg SDQs). Be passionate about listening to children and young people and helping them reach their full potential in challenging circumstances, seeking regular feedback and input from CYP and networked professionals and be able to demonstrate taking this on board. Demonstratively apply knowledge and experience of evidence based practice informed by models of attachment, child and adolescent development, approaches to presentations and interventions around complex developmental trauma, sexualised behaviour, neurodiversity. You will be able to articulate this clearly to children, young people, carers and professionals across allied domains. Maintain practice and records that are consistent with GDPR, professional practice standards and ISP policy. You will be comfortable with electronic records systems and MSOffice applications.

Your skills and experience

A postgraduate psychotherapy or clinical/counselling psychology trainee, signed off as ready for clinical placement, and with student membership of BACP or UKCP, or a fully qualified therapist with a recognised psychotherapy qualification and professional registration Knowledge and skills working therapeutically with children and young people with complex/developmental trauma and/or children and young people in care. Make effective and efficient clinical decisions. Excellent communication and collaboration skills. Proven experience of working with children and young people with SEMH and supporting for parents/carers. Be experienced at effective multidisciplinary team working in a networked multi-agency environment, including organisationally held confidentiality, effective interagency collaboration, integrated working, shared decision-making, safeguarding and risk planning.

Your personal qualities

Confidence engaging with challenge, uncertainty, change and distress. Pragmatic, flexible, creative, responsive, resilient, equanimous and collaborative in working style. You build working relationships that can withstand divergent perspectives and agendas and reach sufficient and practicable consensus to move forward. Commitment and drive to engage and share therapeutic expertise and knowledge with others A team player able to both challenge and support other helping professionals and call on and respond to challenge and support from others when needed.

Other requirements

Have full driving licence with unrestricted access to own vehicle and confidence travelling across the relevant region. Willing to undergo an Enhanced DBS check, the cost of which will be met by ISP
Job Type: Freelance

Pay: 25.00-55.00 per hour

Work Location: In person

Reference ID: REF-2Q-MADBLLP