Therapist - Intensive Family Therapy

About the role:

Therapist opportunity in the Intensive Family Therapy Team, City Wide Service.

An exciting opportunity to join the Intensive Family Therapy (IFT) team delivering intensive, community‑based support to children and young people aged 9–17 at risk of care or custody due to offending, exploitation or severe behavioural difficulties. IFT aims to break cycles of anti‑social behaviour by keeping young people safely at home, engaged in education, and connected to positive relationships. The service operates 24/7 to provide timely crisis support.

Role Overview:

You will work intensively with complex families across Birmingham, delivering home and community‑based interventions that are formulation‑led and trauma‑informed. You will set clear goals with families, apply the IFT model consistently, and coordinate with statutory and voluntary partners to reduce risk, improve family functioning and prevent out‑of‑home placements.

Key Responsibilities:

• Deliver a minimum of three direct sessions per week with families in their homes and communities.
• Assess, formulate and implement evidence‑based interventions aligned to the IFT model.
• Reduce offending, anti‑social behaviour and exploitation; increase engagement in education and positive activities.
• Strengthen family relationships and address systemic drivers of behaviour.
• Provide crisis support via the 24/7 on‑call rota (additional payment applies).
• Maintain accurate case records, complete weekly paperwork prior to supervision, and contribute to performance monitoring and reporting.
• Work collaboratively with Children’s Services, Youth Justice, schools and community partners.
• Participate in weekly group supervision and monthly individual clinical/line management.
• Share learning across the team, support colleagues with case cover, and contribute to training and service development.
• Ability to plan & effectively manage a demanding workload.
• Work flexibly, including evenings, weekends and lone working as required.

Person Specification:

Qualifications

• Professional qualification or extensive experience in Mental Health Nursing, Social Work, Youth Work or Youth Justice.

Experience

• Direct experience working with challenging young people and families.
• Knowledge of children’s legislation, safeguarding, child protection and exploitation.
• Experience of multi‑agency working and applying a treatment model consistently.
• Experience of working across community, outpatient and residential settings is desirable.
• Knowledge & experience of MST would be advantageous to candidates. 

Skills

• Strong clinical skills in assessment, formulation and intervention.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; able to deliver sensitive information clearly.
• Effective organisational and caseload management skills.
• Ability to work independently, remain calm under pressure and manage high levels of client distress.
• Competent IT and written reporting skills.
• Valid driving license and access to a car.
• Commitment to anti‑discriminatory, trauma‑informed and relationship‑based practice.

Working Arrangements & Benefits

• Full‑time, role: community, office and home working across Birmingham.
• Participation in an on‑call rota (with additional payment).
• Regular clinical supervision, CPD opportunities and team development.
• Must live within a commutable distance of Birmingham and have the right to work in the UK (no sponsorship available).

Our Benefits:

• We pay your Social Work England registration fee
• We pay your DBS application fee and reimburse your update service fee
• A generous annual leave package of 30 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 5 years of service and 35 days after 10 years of service.
• Salary Sacrifice Car Scheme which gives you the chance to drive a brand-new car for an affordable fixed monthly amount as part of a salary sacrifice initiative. With no deposits or credit checks required a range of all-inclusive driving packages
• Free on-site parking at our offices on One Avenue Road (Aston) and Lifford House (Stirchley). We also provide onsite electric car charging ports which are free to use!
• Full access to our amazing internal employee benefits scheme including, Occupational Health services, Rewards Schemes, Benefits discounts (including the Blue Light Card), Health & Fitness and Personal Wellbeing support and much more!
• Flexible and hybrid working policy - we are well adapted to a hybrid model of working which includes a combination of time spent in the office and at home and we offer a variety of working patterns, to support the needs of the Trust and to ensure a positive work/life balance for our employees
• You will receive a generous local government career average pension scheme in line with the Local Government Pension Scheme
• Discounted gym memberships with Pure Gym and Nuffield Health

Help us to change children and young people’s lives!

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to making a positive impact on the lives of over 10,000 children and young people in our city every day. Our mission is to support the most disadvantaged children and young people in Birmingham, ensuring they are safe, happy, and healthy.

Why Join Us?

• Impactful Work - be part of a team that makes a real difference in the lives of the city’s most vulnerable children.
• Supportive Environment - enjoy a supportive and collaborative work culture where your contributions are valued.
• Career Development - benefit from tailored development programs, supportive supervision, and a range of learning opportunities to enhance your skills and advance your career.
• Generous Benefits - take advantage of our competitive reward package including generous leave allowance, Local Government pension scheme, and additional benefits.

Our Values

We approach our work with care and compassion, actively listening to the needs of the children and young people we serve. We involve them in the decisions that affect their lives, ensuring their voices are heard and respected.

We are committed to using our resources wisely, ensuring that every penny is spent where it counts the most. We foster collaboration among schools, health professionals, and the police, working together to create a supportive network for our young people.

We believe that when we work as one cohesive team, the children and young people of Birmingham are more likely to thrive. Our unified approach ensures that we provide the best possible support and opportunities for their growth and development.

Join us and together, we can create a brighter future for all.

Safeguarding

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

Depending on the role, you may be asked to undergo the appropriate level of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to assess your suitability for working with children and young people.

The level of check (Standard, Enhanced, or Enhanced with Barred List) is determined based on the specific responsibilities of the role and the level of contact with children and young people.

We are committed to the fair treatment of all applicants, including those with criminal records. Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar an individual from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of the offence.