Programmes graduate trainee jobs

Programme Director

Calling all Programme Directors!

Anna Freud is seeking a permanent, part-time Programme Director – Child Wellbeing Practitioner (CWP) to join our world-leading mental health charity for children, young people and their families. Our mission is to close the gap in wellbeing and mental health by advancing, translating, delivering, and sharing the best science and practice with everyone who impacts the lives of children, young people and their families. More information about Anna Freud is available on our website.

Our EDI commitment

We are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace and being an equal opportunities employer, whereby equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are core to our recruitment practices. All candidates who meet the job criteria will be considered for employment, regardless of ethnic origin, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, socioeconomic background, caring responsibilities and care experience.

We ask candidates to share their diversity dimensions with us to help us identify, tackle and prevent bias across the employee lifecycle. We believe a diverse workforce enhances our ability to support mental health and wellbeing, allowing us to better meet the needs of the children, young people and families we serve.

As a Disability Confident employer, disabled candidates meeting our criteria are guaranteed an interview. Applications are submitted anonymously and assessed using a fair evaluation process based on the criteria set out in our job profiles.

What we offer

We offer a range of staff benefits, including an all-in-one rewards and recognition platform called Perkbox and wellbeing offers such as finishing early on Fridays and free counselling through our Employee Assistance Programme. We are proud to have staff-led Diversity Networks offering unique opportunities for learning, connection and impact.

What you’ll do

As Programme Director, you will lead the delivery and continued development of the Child Wellbeing Practitioner programme, ensuring it provides an inclusive, high-quality student experience and meets UCL, BPS and national curriculum standards

• Lead, review and develop the programme curriculum, teaching and learning content
• Manage and support the programme team to ensure the course is delivered smoothly and effectively
• Oversee assessment, marking, quality assurance and compliance with UCL and BPS requirements
• Monitor trainee progress and experience, ensuring students receive appropriate academic and pastoral support
• Manage key programme operations, including stakeholder relationships, student recruitment, staffing and the programme budget

What you’ll bring

The ideal candidate will be an experienced child mental health and higher education professional with the leadership skills to manage an accredited postgraduate programme, support a multidisciplinary team and deliver an inclusive, high-quality learning experience

• A PhD or professional doctorate in clinical psychology or child mental health, alongside a relevant professional qualification or substantial experience in children’s mental health
• Experience of curriculum design, teaching, assessment and programme management within a higher education setting
• Strong knowledge of children and young people’s psychological training programmes, CBT interventions and mental health practice in CAMHS or educational settings
• Proven experience of leading, managing and supporting staff while balancing competing priorities and programme demands
• Excellent communication, collaboration and organisational skills, including the ability to manage budgets and maintain the programme’s quality and financial viability

Key details

Hours: Part-time: 14 hours over 2 days - the postholder will need to work on Fridays and either Tuesday or Thursday.  Fridays are in person at Anna Freud, London, during termtime.  Usual working hours are Monday to Friday, 09:00-17:00. Flexible working is possible.

Salary: £64,100 FTE per annum, plus 6% contributory pension scheme

Location: Hybrid (a mixture of home/onsite working): staff are working onsite for at least 20% of their working hours at Anna Freud, 4-8 Rodney Street, London N1 9JH.  The postholder will also need to attend in person for any in-person teaching, team meetings as necessary.

Contract type: Permanent

Next steps

Closing date for applications: midday (12pm), Wednesday, 12 August 2026. Please note that due to high application volumes, we may close this advert early. We encourage you to apply promptly and to keep an eye on our future vacancies for more opportunities.

Notification of interview: shortlisted applicants will be notified no later than Friday, 14 August 2026. During shortlisting, applicants are anonymously assessed using the criteria visible in the Job Profile. Please note: due to the high volume of applications received, we will not be able to provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants.

Interviews: will be held week commencing 17 August 2026

How to apply: click on the 'apply now’ button to apply online. We are unable to accept CVs and kindly request no contact from agencies.

Questions?

Please email us with any job enquiries, or if you require assistance or experience difficulties when applying. Please note that successful candidate(s) will be asked to evidence their Right to Work in the UK post-job offer – we do not hold a sponsor license therefore we are unable to provide Visa sponsorship.

Trainee Wellbeing Practitioner for Children and Young People (CWP) - Torbay

Fixed Term contract for 12 months from January 2027 until January 2028

35 hours per week

Salary: £27,485 per annum

Location: Torbay

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 2026Interviews: Interview date 16th September & 23rd 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.

IN1

Youth Impact Advert

Fixed Term for 12 months from January 2027 until January 2028

35 hours per week

£29,855 per annum

Location: Torbay

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 currently looking for a practitioner to train for a qualification under the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Scheme in:

The Psychological Therapies for Children and Young People with an Autism and/or Learning Disability curriculum.

The Graduate or Postgraduate Diploma is a funded role as part of HEEs recruit to train practitioner funding and is open to staff with and without graduate level qualifications. It is intended for practitioners working specifically in the field of Autism and/or learning disabilities, as well as those in the broader CAMHS community who work with CYP with Learning Disability/Autism. All applicants will need to demonstrate a basic level of clinical competence and experience of having worked with children and families within a mental health setting for two years.

Entry Requirements

Students on the programme must meet the following entry requirements:

-A Level 5 or 6 qualification. In some circumstances you may be eligible if you have a Level 4 qualification, in this case you would need to show substantial relevant work experience.

-No core profession is required, though training in a mental-health related profession (e.g. psychology, nursing, social-work, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, special needs teaching, psychiatry, other psychotherapy, counselling) would be beneficial.

-Two years' experience of working within a professional setting concerned with the mental health of children and young people or families, ideally including some experience of learning disabilities or ASD.

-Some experience of working with families.

Closing date: Midnight on Friday 14th August 2026. Interviews: Date to be confirmed.

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.

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 2026Interviews: 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.

IN1

This is a significant and rewarding opportunity to make a real difference in supporting our ambition for nature’s protection and recovery across Birmingham and the Black Country. The post holder will help support the collection, collation, and digitisation of ecological data relating to species, sites and habitats across our landscape. Your work will be critical to the success of EcoRecord – the region’s Environmental Records Centre - and aid in the protection of local wildlife of great value to people, and communities in our region.

As a wildlife charity serving a heavily urbanised area, a major element of our work is to provide ecological evidence and related information, that supports the designation of wildlife sites and informs the protection of nature in the face of urban development.

You will work within EcoRecord to deliver high quality data products and services to a range of customers and users. EcoRecord is part of a network of Local Environmental Records Centres across the UK and provides information services to a wide range of users such as local authorities, statutory agencies, ecological consultants, national and local recording schemes, and others.

The post of Biodiversity Data and Evidence Officer is a central and varied role within EcoRecord, that will include making use of GIS mapping and specialised databases to analyse and digitise ecological data. The role will also include promoting high quality biological recording activities, supporting specialist recording groups, and engaging with volunteers, including through our social media channels. You will assist with key aspects of the day-to-day operation of the records centre, including the maintenance, management, and development of core data sets and analytic processes.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist with the development and growth of EcoRecord’s data infrastructure by supporting the collection, collation and computerisation of ecological and other relevant data (primarily species, sites and habitats data), through the competent use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and, though not exclusively, Recorder 6.
• Contribute to the improvement of data management systems and processes.
• Contribute to the delivery of projects that deliver nature’s recovery across Birmingham and the Black Country.
• Assist with the adoption and development of practices and tools that improve the efficiency of data management and data availability.
• Assist with data analysis and the production of high-quality data products and services.
• Be an advocate for and help to promote high quality biological recording in Birmingham and the Black Country.
• Assist in supporting specialist species interest groups and the wider volunteer recording networks throughout Birmingham and the Black Country and with enabling the development and formation of new interest groups.
• Assist and support surveys and local recording initiatives, including the City Nature Challenge.
• Contribute to EcoRecord’s and the Wildlife Trust’s online presence through producing content for social media and website etc. in collaboration with colleagues including the Trust’s Communication Department.
• Assist in the recruitment and supervision of volunteers in a range of activities, namely surveying and data entry.

 

About You

The successful applicant will be very well organised, highly motivated, collaborative, have a high level of attention to detail, and be used to prioritising a complex workload. You will have good ecological knowledge, and the confidence and ambition to affect conservation outcomes through the provision of high-quality ecological evidence. Above all, you will be driven by a commitment to see nature’s recovery across Birmingham and the Black Country’s urban landscape.

What We Offer

• A chance to make a real impact in local communities and the natural environment 
• A supportive and inclusive team culture 
• Flexible working arrangements 
• Opportunities for professional development