Systemic Psychotherapist / Clinical Specialist

Join Achieving for Children's (AfC) dynamic Emotional Health Service (EHS), a progressive and highly valued multi-disciplinary team committed to the emotional well-being of children and young people.

We are a supportive, high-performing team of Clinical, Counselling, CBT, Systemic, and Art Psychotherapists, proud to be a trailblazer site known for innovation and a strong sense of unity. AfC is dedicated to embedding systemic practice and are delighted to be delivering our own in-house Foundation Certificate in Systemic Practice.

Our systemic vision for AfC is to become a truly systemic organisation, ensuring that all our staff have the skills to apply relational thinking and practice to support our most vulnerable children, grounded in our "Outstanding" (excellent) Ofsted rating. To find out more click here.

There are 2 available roles, one is based in Kingston and one will be based in Richmond. If you have a preference, please include this in your supporting statement.

This role will attract a health market supplement in addition to the existing salary.

This is a hybrid role, with a requirement to be office-based for a minimum of 3 days per week.

About our benefits

We are focused on creating a positive supportive environment, where you will have access to a really wide range of resources, as well as a competitive salary and all the perks to enable hybrid working. In AfC you will also have access to:

• 29 days annual leave, increasing to 33 days after 2 years and 35 days after 4 years with an additional day off in your birthday month (Or for term-time workers, your leave entitlement consists of the non-working periods in your contract)
• Tailored induction sessions commencing on the date you start working for AfC
• Local Government salary and pension scheme (LGPS or Teachers Pension)
• Flexible working options - helping to keep a good work life balance
• A comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
• A range of staff benefits and discounts
• An excellent learning and development offer to support your career pathway

About the role

We are seeking a passionate and skilled Clinical Specialist/Systemic Psychotherapist to join our EHS Safeguarding Service, reporting directly to the Lead Systemic Psychotherapist. You will be instrumental in improving the well-being and welfare of our most vulnerable children, those involved with Children in Need, Safeguarding/Child Protection plans, kinship care, or looked after. You will work alongside Social Workers, offering systemic consultations and targeted relational interventions mainly within family homes or family therapy clinics, and be involved in delivering Systemic training.

This is a broad and rewarding role where you will be afforded many different opportunities to use your skills and influence:

• Systemic Consultation: Provide high-quality, reflective space and consultations to practitioners and social care teams.
• Direct Work: Deliver evidenced-based systemic interventions, including assessment, therapeutic work, and contribute to running groups (including NVR).
• Leadership & Development: Take on supervision and management of practitioners on their year 1 and 2 of systemic training, and be responsible for in-house systemic training and workshops.
• Family Therapy Clinics: Ability to join a highly professional Family Therapy Clinic with a one-way screen, alongside other fully qualified Systemic Psychotherapists to deliver therapeutic interventions to complex and multi-stressed families known to Social Care.
• Innovation: We welcome creative and innovative ways to deliver services and offer excellent professional development opportunities, including potential for Consultation and Supervisors training.
• You will also benefit from being part of a group of 6 Systemic Psychotherapists and a wider multidisciplinary team, and have access to regular clinical supervision, peer group supervisions, team meetings and service days.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Sonia Kalia via email: sonia.kalia@achievingforchildren.org.uk

About you

• Postgraduate qualification (MA/MSc/MSc equivalent) in Systemic Psychotherapy. (We will also consider applicants who are in their final year of training and will be ready to register with the UKCP by October 2026).
• UKCP/AFSP registration (or in the process of being registered).
• Proven evidence of continuing professional development.
• Direct experience of working alongside Social Workers doing statutory social work.
• Ability to work with children, young people, and their families, experiencing multi stress issues, including with suspected or diagnosed Autistic Spectrum Disorder and/or ADHD.
• Knowledge of delivering evidenced-based assessment and treatment, guided by NICE Guidelines.
• Experience in facilitating reflective practice spaces, providing systemic consultation and training to both small and large diverse professional groups.
• Outstanding communication, negotiation, and influencing skills, with an ability to manage emotional distress and think clearly in highly charged situations.

Desirable:

• Social work qualification and registration with Social Work England.
• Systemic Supervisors’ qualification.
• Experience of working within CAMHS and with a range of mental health difficulties