We are excited to be recruiting to our newly redesigned Children & Young People’s Inpatient Mental Health Unit at Chalkhill, reopening in Autumn 2026. Following extensive engagement, co‑design, and investment in our clinical model, workforce, and environment, we are creating a modern therapeutic service where young people receive purposeful, high‑quality care.
Following extensive co-design with young people, families and staff, and significant investment in our workforce and therapeutic approach, this is an exciting opportunity to work in a modern, recovery-focused inpatient service delivering high-quality, purposeful care to young people with acute mental health needs.
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Our refreshed CAMHS inpatient service is built around:
Purposeful admissions with early review points
Structured, therapeutic care programmes delivered across 7 days
Strong links with crisis and community services, including COAST (Crisis Outreach Acute Support Team),
Trauma-informed and autism-aware practice
A focus on least restrictive practice and improving experience and outcomes
Supportive MDT working, safe staffing and strong clinical leadership
You will work as part of a skilled and supportive multidisciplinary team, delivering therapeutic care to young people and working closely with families and carers from admission through to discharge.
We are seeking a dedicated and passionate UKCP‑registered Family and Systemic Psychotherapist (Band 7) to join the CAMHS Inpatient Team on a full‑time (1.0 WTE) basis.
You will be committed to family‑focused practice, ensuring families’ needs and experiences remain central throughout hospital admissions. The role involves delivering family and systemic interventions for children and young people requiring inpatient care, and working closely with the COAST team, which provides alternatives to admission for those experiencing acute mental health difficulties.
You will join a skilled multidisciplinary team providing integrated, family‑led care across Sussex. Drawing on a range of systemic psychotherapy approaches, you will contribute to assessment, formulation and the delivery of timely, targeted interventions, supporting young people and families to feel heard, involved and supported in their recovery from the outset.
You will work collaboratively with the multi-disciplinary team and a strong culture of teamwork and shared responsibility for high‑quality care. You will receive regular supervision from the Principal Family and Systemic Psychotherapist and Consultant Psychologist, alongside support from the wider Psychological Professions network.
We welcome compassionate, motivated professionals committed to trauma‑informed practice, co‑production and improving outcomes for children and young people in a fast‑paced inpatient setting.
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust delivers specialist mental health, learning disability and neurodevelopmental services across Sussex.
This post sits within our Specialist CAMHS Services, offering opportunities to work closely with acute, community and crisis pathway colleagues.
We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, and to creating a compassionate, supportive working environment where staff feel valued, developed and able to deliver excellent care.
What we can offer you
- The opportunity to help shape a newly reopened CAMHS inpatient unit
- Comprehensive induction programme prior to opening, where all new staff train together and contribute to the team’s therapeutic approach
A supportive leadership team and strong MDT culture
High‑quality clinical and managerial supervision
Access to CPD, specialist CAMHS training and leadership development
Career progression opportunities within inpatient and wider CAMHS services
NHS Pension Scheme and Agenda for Change benefits
Sussex Partnership provides mental health and learning disability care for children, young people and adults across Sussex. The trust is rated as ‘good’ overall and ‘outstanding’ for caring by the CQC.
SPFT encourage flexible working. We know that a positive work/life balance brings about huge health related benefits, which has a positive impact on the care we provide. Please speak to us about flexible working, for example, flexible start/finish times or anything else. If it works for you and works for the role, we'll do our best to make it happen.
This is an excellent time for Psychology Professions to be joining Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust as we have launched our Strategy and can offer the following to you:
- Regular Professional and Clinical supervision with a focus on enhancing wellbeing at work
- The opportunity to ensure that Children and Young People benefit from increased access to Psychological Therapies
- A commitment to improving matters of Equality, Inclusion, Diversity and Human Rights for Children and Young people, their families and staff.
- The opportunity to participate in a range of quality improvement work and service innovations.
- Access to a wide range of training and CPD opportunities through
- The Psychological Professions Practice Networks
- The Leadership Programme for Senior Psychological Professions.
- Quarterly Psychology Professions CAMHS, Early Intervention and Perinatal Senior Leadership Forum
In order to be a successful Family & systemic psychotherapist (Band 7) in our team you will be:
- Registered with UKCP
- Experienced in risk management
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced and varied role
- Able to communicate effectively in complex and challenging circumstances to support professional decision making
- Adaptable, organised, compassionate and a team player
- Experience working in a multi-disciplinary environment
- Experience working with families who are facing tough times and in crisis and adapting your therapeutic relationship/ intervention accordingly.
If you want to make a real difference to young people’s lives and help shape a redesigned, values ‑ driven inpatient service, we would love to hear from you.
