In-House Psychotherapist

About Able Health Care

Able Health Care is a growing, independently owned children's residential care provider operating across Suffolk and the Eastern Region. We currently operate three Ofsted-registered homes: Oak Tree House (Sudbury, Learning Disabilities - LD), Liberty Lodge (Ipswich, Emotional and Behavioural Disorders - EBD) and Fern Lodge (Leiston, EBD), with a fourth home in development and an ambitious target of ten homes across the region.
We are also developing a specialist Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) independent day school in Ipswich, reflecting our commitment to being an integrated care and education provider.
Our practice is grounded in therapeutic, trauma-informed and evidence-based approaches. We are committed to continuous development and to evolving our clinical frameworks as the evidence base and our own learning develop.

The opportunity
This role offers the opportunity to establish the first in-house psychotherapy function within Able Health Care. As a newly created post, it will play a central role in embedding psychological thinking into practice across a growing organisation. You will work directly with young people, registered managers and frontline teams across all homes, providing clinical input that informs care planning, responses to complexity and placement decision-making. The role is intended to support the development of consistent, psychologically informed approaches across all services. You will report directly to the Company Directors and, in time, to a Head of Care. This role is likely to suit a clinician who is interested in combining direct therapeutic work with a broader consultative and developmental remit within a residential care context. As an organisation, we are committed to learning from experience and from evidence-based practice, and we expect this role to be a central voice in that ongoing process.
Key Responsibilities
1, Direct Clinical Work
The role delivers specialist clinical input across Able Health Care’s EBD and LD homes, holding a defined caseload and supporting young people from initial placement through ongoing therapeutic work. Early involvement focuses on guiding staff to build relationships and understand each young person’s needs before formal clinical sessions begin. When appropriate, the clinician undertakes assessments to inform therapeutic direction, placement suitability and intervention planning. Direct therapeutic work is delivered where indicated, with high quality clinical records maintained in line with professional registration standards and Children’s Homes Regulations. The role contributes to multi agency reviews and LAC processes to ensure cohesive care.
2. Care Planning and Outcomes
Care planning is clinically driven, with close collaboration alongside Registered Managers to develop, review and challenge dynamic plans. Therapeutic formulations are embedded into daily practice, supporting improved stability, progress toward step down and reduction in crisis episodes. The clinician provides oversight of risk assessments, support plans and behaviour frameworks, ensuring evidence based and trauma informed approaches shape Able Health Care’s wider clinical model.
3. Workforce Development and Training
Workforce development is central, including designing and delivering structured training for staff and managers, embedding trauma informed practice at operational and strategic levels. Reflective practice and group supervision strengthen psychological safety, clinical literacy and staff wellbeing. The role champions continuous learning to build a best in class residential workforce.
4. Referral & Placement Selection
The clinician contributes to referral and placement decisions, offering clinical analysis of needs, risks and cohort compatibility. Written clinical opinions support placement suitability and conditions. Working with senior leaders, the role helps maintain therapeutically coherent cohorts and supports acceptance of Tier 4 step down referrals through CAMHS pathway knowledge and experience with complex presentations.
5. Clinical Governance & Leadership
Clinical governance responsibilities include contributing to incident review, serious case learning and regulatory compliance. The clinician participates in SLT discussions, engages with board level clinical advisory input and monthly supervision, and supports Ofsted preparation by ensuring clinical evidence is robust, accessible and aligned with regulatory expectations.
Person Specification
Essential
 Accredited qualification in psychotherapy or counselling/clinical psychology (BACP, UKCP, HCPC, BPS or equivalent registration)
 Postgraduate qualification in child and adolescent mental health, trauma, or attachment
 Minimum five years’ post-qualification experience working clinically with children and young people across a variety of settings and presentations, including EBD and/or LD.
 Experience working with young people with complex and high-severity mental health presentations, including those stepping down from Tier 4 CAMHS services into residential or community provision. Trauma-informed practice as a core competency, able to apply this both at a systemic and individual level.
 Experience designing and delivering clinical training and reflective practice to non-clinical staff.
 Strong risk assessment and safeguarding competence, with a clear understanding of the regulatory framework for children's homes.
 Full UK driving licence and access to own vehicle, as regular multi-site travel is a core requirement of this role.

Desirable

 Postgraduate qualification in child and adolescent mental health, trauma, or attachment.
 Direct experience working in children’s residential care settings.
 Experience contributing to referral matching or placement panel processes.
 Familiarity with DDP, Theraplay or other relevant trauma and attachment-focused frameworks.
 Experience as a practice lead or clinical lead in a residential or community CAMHS setting.
 Working knowledge of Children's Homes Regulations 2015 and Ofsted Quality Standards
 Experience of setting up clinical services from scratch within a new or developing organisation

Please send a CV and a covering letter to nish@ablehealthcare.co.uk outlining: what draws you to this role; a brief example of how your clinical work has directly shaped practice in a service working with children or young people; and what you would want to achieve in the first twelve months in post. We will be conducting interviews on a rolling basis and reserve the right to close the vacancy early if the right candidate is identified. Early applications are encouraged.