Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist

**Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist**

**Salary**:

- £40,000 to £45,000 per annum

**Location**:

- Ormskirk, Lancashire

Exceptional Care our seeking a dedicated Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist to join our team. We provide trauma informed care through a systemic practice model to our children across 9 children’s homes.

**Who are Exceptional Care?**

Exceptional Care is a therapeutic children’s service providing care and support to children and young people aged 8-17, from complex backgrounds, who display challenging behaviour and EBD. The service is an independent social care organisation with multiple residential units across the whole of the North West.

Exceptional Care believes that consistency in care is paramount to children/young people with complex needs, to this end we are committed to developing and maintaining good communicative relationships with the child/young person.

The organisation has now implemented a therapeutic model of care underpinned by the PACE approach,

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**About The Role**

**Responsibilities**:

- Conduct individual therapy sessions tailored to the unique needs of children and adolescents in residential care.
- Conduct comprehensive psychological assessments to identify the unique needs and strengths of each child and develop personalized treatment plans in line with our therapeutic parenting model, The Secure Base.
- Collaborate with care home staff, social workers, education providers, and other allied health professions to ensure there is a systemic approach to children’s care.
- Provide consultation and support to care home staff on therapeutic techniques, behaviour management strategies, and trauma-informed care practices.
- Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings to review progress, discuss treatment plans, and make recommendations for interventions and support services.
- Offer crisis intervention and support during challenging situations, such as emotional crises, behavioural outbursts, or incidents of self-harm.
- Advocate for the mental health needs of children in residential care, both within the organisation and with external agencies and stakeholders.
- Keep accurate and up-to-date records of therapy sessions, assessments, progress notes, and other relevant documentation in accordance with professional and regulatory standards.
- Stay informed about current research, best practices, and emerging trends in child psychology and trauma-informed care and integrate this knowledge into clinical practice.

**Qualifications and Experience**:

- MA, MSc in counselling, therapeutic practice from an accredited institution. This can be within any discipline or modality.
- Registration with HCPC, BACP, or other accreditation institutes.
- Experience of working with children and adolescents in residential care settings, with a deep understanding of the unique challenges and needs of children with attachment and trauma needs.
- Strong clinical skills in assessment, diagnosis, and evidence-based interventions for a range of mental health issues commonly experienced by children in care.
- Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team, demonstrating excellent communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills.
- Commitment to culturally competence, diversity, equity, and inclusion in clinical practice and service delivery.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality, professionalism, and ethical standards in all aspects of clinical practice.

Flexibility, resilience, and a positive attitude in the face of challenging situations and complex care needs.

**Benefits and Incentives**:

- Consistent support, training and development within our organisation
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Outstanding service employee of the year award -£3,000 voucher based award
- Employee of the month award
- Paid Blue Light care on completion of induction
- Medicash
- Cycle to work program
- Long Service award - £200 for 2 years, £400 for 5 years and £600 for 10 years _(all of which include increased annual leave and will be paid by a gift voucher of your choice)_
- Pension Scheme
- Length of Service Holiday Scheme - Awarding up to an additional 3 days paid leave per year with continued service, above Statutory Entitlement
- Refer a Friend Scheme offering £100 for every person you successfully recommend.
- Free Gym Membership, including group classes

If you are passionate about supporting the mental health and well-being of children in residential care and meet the qualifications outlined above, we would love to hear from you.

Informal chats can be arranged with our Head of Therapeutic Services, please call our head office to arrange: 01695 768708.

**Required Criteria**

Doctoral degree (Ph.D. or Psy.D) in clinical or counselling psychology from an accredited institution.

**Skills Needed**

**About The Company**

**Exceptional Care** is a children’s care home provider based in the Northwest of England. We work with children from ages 8 to 17 years