Family Therapist (Band 8a)

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Devon Partnership NHS Trust Family Therapist (Band 8a)

The closing date is 30 November 2026

Apply for this job

Job summary

We are looking for a Specialist Family Therapist to join the newly formed Specialist Family Therapy service, supporting complex patients under the care of Specialist services within Devon Partnership NHS Trust. The post will be based in Exeter for 22.5 hours per week.

This post represents an exciting opportunity for a qualified family therapist to be involved in building and growing a new service. The service will aim to support people who are under the care of Specialist services within Devon Partnership NHS Trust, particularly where those individuals have complex emotional needs.

The post involves working alongside the family therapist to deliver family and systemic therapy as part of an overall care plan. The service will also provide consultation and advice to other teams within the Specialist directorate. The post-holder will provide supervision to the band 7 family therapist.

There will also be opportunities to be involved in service design and development as well as training and workforce development to grow our family therapy offering. There are strong links to other family therapists working within Devon Partnership NHS Trust and opportunities for professional development.

Main duties of the job

You will be an experienced family therapist, with an interest in developing services and growing the profile of the profession. Experience in working with people who have complex emotional needs or other significant clinical complexity would be an advantage.

Opportunities for further training in these approaches are available. We also have collaborative links with the IAPT service that has a long-term conditions team.

Family therapists working in Devon Partnership NHS Trust have excellent links with the Family and Systemic Therapy training programme at the Universities of Exeter and we would like to develop opportunities for service-related research and the provision of training placements.

Your base will be in Exeter, and a physical presence with the team is valued, however, alternative arrangements are possible for example an amount of home working. Please be assured that any alternatives will be discussed fully with you and the organisation. Please ask the appointing manager if you have any questions.

About us

About Devon Partnership Trust

We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.

We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess & demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. These include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.

Details

Date posted

05 November 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£57,528 to £64,750 a year pro rata (22.5 hours per week)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Flexible working

Reference number

C9369-26-0576-2

Job locations

Devon Partnership NHS Trust

Church Lane

Heavitree

EXETER

Devon

EX2 5DY

United Kingdom

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification which will provide further information on this role

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification which will provide further information on this role

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Qualified Family Therapist
• Registration with HCPC/ UKCP/ other regulatory/professional body.
• Further training in clinical specialist (personality disorders)
• Further training in related area (Personality Disorders).

Experience

Essential

• Significant experience of work with personality disorders in a range of settings or agencies.
• Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.

Knowledge & Skills

Essential

• Broad knowledge of specialist services and of the services in the NHS where family therapy is commonly applied.
• Extensive knowledge of the skills, practice and knowledge base of family therapy.
• Strong leadership qualities, resilience and ability to handle ambiguity and uncertainty.
• Ability to integrate complex data, make highly skilled evaluations and decisions and take a long term perspective.
• Highly skilled in specialist interventions with the client group.
• Advanced psychological/psychotherapeutic assessment and formulation skills including risk assessment.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Qualified Family Therapist
• Registration with HCPC/ UKCP/ other regulatory/professional body.
• Further training in clinical specialist (personality disorders)
• Further training in related area (Personality Disorders).

Experience

Essential

• Significant experience of work with personality disorders in a range of settings or agencies.
• Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.

Knowledge & Skills

Essential

• Broad knowledge of specialist services and of the services in the NHS where family therapy is commonly applied.
• Extensive knowledge of the skills, practice and knowledge base of family therapy.
• Strong leadership qualities, resilience and ability to handle ambiguity and uncertainty.
• Ability to integrate complex data, make highly skilled evaluations and decisions and take a long term perspective.
• Highly skilled in specialist interventions with the client group.
• Advanced psychological/psychotherapeutic assessment and formulation skills including risk assessment.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Devon Partnership NHS Trust

Address

Devon Partnership NHS Trust

Church Lane

Heavitree

EXETER

Devon

EX2 5DY

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.dpt.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Devon Partnership NHS Trust

Address

Devon Partnership NHS Trust

Church Lane

Heavitree

EXETER

Devon

EX2 5DY

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.dpt.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Consultant Clinical Psychologist

Catherine Coe

[email protected]

Details

Date posted

05 November 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£57,528 to £64,750 a year pro rata (22.5 hours per week)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Flexible working

Reference number

C9369-26-0576-2

Job locations

Devon Partnership NHS Trust

Church Lane

Heavitree

EXETER

Devon

EX2 5DY

United Kingdom

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