Fixed Term of 12 months from January 2027 until January 2028
Hours: 35 hours per week
Salary: £27,485 per annum
Location: Plymouth
Benefits include but not limited to:
36 days’ annual leave, inclusive of flexible bank holidays, increasing with length of service
Enhanced maternity/paternity leave
We match up to 8% pension
Free counselling service
Opportunities to develop and widen your skills
2 days of paid volunteering time per annum to support another part of the organisation
About us:
The Children’s Society has been helping children and young people in this country for over 140 years. We deliver essential local services that provide safe, trusted support to children and young people during times of significant need.
Our Youth Impact domain creates impact for children and young people. With highly skilled and experienced staff working across England and Wales, we provide direct support to children, young people, parents and carers, as well as conduct research and influence Government to make changes. We also provide training for professionals. Our value driven team change the lives of children in this country for the better — and with your help and expertise, tomorrow we can support even more.
About the role:
We are seeking to recruit an enthusiastic and motivated trainee Children’s Wellbeing Practitioner (CWP) to join our service. This is an exciting opportunity to work alongside The Children’s Society Wellbeing Service whilst also completing a Postgraduate Diploma or a Graduate Diploma in Psychological Therapies Practice (Low Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy - Children, Young People and Families) at the University of Exeter.
This is an employment based training role within the forming part of a NHSE, HEE and DoH initiative to expand the mental health workforce, offering support to children and young people at a stage of early intervention. The trainee Children Wellbeing Practitioner will be trained over the course of a year to deliver brief, focused evidence-based psychological interventions in the form of low intensity support and guided self-help to young people who are experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties, such as anxiety, low mood and common behavioural difficulties. Intensive clinical supervision and practice development will be provided. The post is salaried, and the training fully-funded for its duration. The training is delivered by the University of Exeter.
We welcome applications from enthusiastic, highly-motivated and resourceful individuals who are keen to work as part of a team. We are looking particularly for applicants who are passionate about working with children and young people.
We are seeking candidates with a commitment to evidence-based practice, young people’s participation, routine outcomes monitoring, promoting shared decision making and collaborative practice with children and families. Trainees will be provided with robust support and supervision to ensure their learning and development in the role.
The training will commence in January 2027. The trainee CWP will attend University-based taught and self-study days required by the education provider, as specified within the agreed national curriculum and then work in the service area for the remaining days of the week using their developing skills.
Applications to the training programme will be reviewed against the education provider’s minimum entry requirement:
Applicants must have either a minimum of a degree (Level 6 qualification) from a UK university or equivalent from an overseas qualification in a relevant subject (e.g. psychology) to access the Post Graduate route. The Graduate Diploma programme is a level 6 qualification so we would normally expect an applicant to have some evidence of activity at level 5 (e.g. second year UG study or equivalent). However, applicants who have studied up to level 4 but have significant relevant experience may also be considered. For further information on qualification Levels, please see: https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels).
Experience of working with children and young people is essential.
Applicants need to be able to cope with the demands of coordinating clinical with the academic demands of the course.
Closing date: Midnight on Friday 14th August 2026
Interviews: Interview date 17th September 2026
The Children’s Society is committed to safeguarding and protection of the children and young people we work with. As such, our safer recruitment process includes a Basic or Enhanced DBS check, 5 years of references, and additional vetting checks relevant to the role. We have a comprehensive range of policies and procedures in place to promote safeguarding and safer working practices across all areas of our organisation.
In support of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, shortlisting is carried out on an anonymised basis. Personal details are hidden from the shortlisting panel, and candidates are referenced by a candidate number only. As part of this process, we ask that your CV is anonymised before submission - this means removing personal information such as your name, contact details, age, and any other identifying details.
AI tools can support your application but only when used appropriately. You’re welcome to use them to improve clarity, structure, and research. However, overuse or misuse (e.g. inventing experience or using AI during assessments) may lead to rejection at any stage. We want to hear the real you - authenticity matters.
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