Trainee CBT Therapist (Children & Young People)
Location: Pan London
Contract: Fixed term for 12 months, dependent upon successful completion of the course
Salary: £35,000 – £37,000 (depending on experience)
Start Date: Must be available to start January 2026 and available throughout term-time
Hours: 37.5 per week
This is a training position, where you will be employed by Groundwork London, our Youth Team, while undertaking the Postgraduate Diploma in CBT for Children and Young People at King’s College London. The course is part of the Children and Young People’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (CYP IAPT) programme. Applicants will be required to hold a relevant undergraduate degree and to have a minimum of 2 years’ experience working therapeutically with children and young people.
You will receive weekly teaching from King’s College London on Mondays and Tuesdays and concurrently work clinically within our services, providing CBT-based 1:1 and group interventions to children and adolescents with common mental health difficulties, under regular supervision, to meet the requirements of the course and the needs of our service users.
Therapeutic interventions will initially be delivered across The Nest in Peckham, working with ages 11-25s, and the Roots in Waltham Forest working with ages 11 – 17. The therapeutic work will be conducted in person at our hub in Peckham, at a base in Walthamstow, or online with some use of other satellite locations in Southwark possible with some of these sessions being outside office hours. Therefore, an ability and willingness to work flexibly, outside office hours, and to travel across Southwark and Waltham Forest are requirements of the post.
Employees for Groundwork London receive BUPA health benefits that mean staff can claim money back, for a wide variety of wellbeing services including dental work and optician’s appointments.
Staff are given the opportunity to participate in regular CPD opportunities to support their professional growth. Groundwork’s Youth Team also provide whole team Wellbeing Days allowing colleagues to take the day off from their regular workday to socialise and participate in a range of activities to support positive wellbeing and team cohesion.
Key requirements: Please contact us if you have:
- A relevant undergraduate degree and at least two years’ experience working therapeutically with children and young people.
- Ability to balance academic study and clinical work, maintaining accurate records and adhering to clinical governance standards.
- Strong reflective practice — able to manage emotive or challenging interactions and use supervision effectively.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with sensitivity to cultural and social differences.
- Flexibility to work across locations in Southwark and Waltham Forest, including some sessions outside normal office hours.
Successful applicants will need to submit an application form to KCL and be accepted on the Diploma in Education Mental Health Practice at King’s College London. Please note if you are successful at interview, you will be invited to submit your application to KCL. Your post can only be confirmed once KCL have accepted your application.
Apply now!
To apply for the role please download the below Job Description and Person Specification and complete the Application Form, quoting reference ‘1282/CBT’ and send this to Londonjobs@groundwork.org.uk
Job description & person specification
Closing date for applications: 12:00pm, 11th November 2025
Interview date: The first round of interviews will be held remotely. Candidates successful at this stage will be invited to attend an in-person interview.
For further information and to discuss the role please contact Munaza Ali at Munaza.Ali@groundwork.org.uk.
Groundwork London is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all members of the community. We are particularly seeking applicants from under-represented backgrounds including but not exclusive to, males, transgender people and those from an Asian background.