Therapist

Accolade Families – West Midlands (Associate / Session-Based Roles) Company Description Accolade Families West Midlands is a specialist social care and therapeutic service supporting looked after children, adopted children, special guardianship families, and those subject to permanence planning. We are committed to providing trauma-informed, attachment-focused, and neurodevelopmentally sensitive interventions that promote healing, stability, and long-term outcomes for children and families. Our multidisciplinary model brings together social workers, therapists, assessors, and family support practitioners to deliver high-quality, relationship-based services to Local Authorities, courts, and private clients. We value integrity, reflective practice, collaboration, and professional autonomy, ensuring our associates feel supported while delivering meaningful, life-changing work. ⸻ Role Description We are expanding our associate network and are seeking experienced, self-employed therapeutic practitioners to work with: • Looked After Children • Adopted children and adoptive families • Special Guardianship families • Children subject to Child in Need / Child Protection plans • Care-experienced young people This is a flexible, associate-based role (sessional / part-time), delivering therapeutic services across the West Midlands (with some remote elements where appropriate). You will: • Provide specialist therapeutic interventions tailored to children with developmental trauma and attachment difficulties • Undertake assessments and formulate trauma-informed care plans • Deliver direct therapy (individual, dyadic, family or group work) • Contribute to multi-agency meetings and professional reports where required • Maintain accurate, GDPR-compliant case records • Work collaboratively with social workers, carers, and Local Authority professionals • Practice within professional and ethical frameworks ⸻ We Are Particularly Interested In Professionals trained or experienced in: • Life Story Work • Play Therapy • DDP (Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy) • Sensory Integration Therapy • Art Therapy • Mentalisation-Based Therapy • Music Therapy • EMDR • Trauma-Focused CBT • Integrative or Attachment-Based Psychotherapy Practitioners with experience supporting children affected by: • Developmental trauma • Abuse and neglect • Placement breakdown • Adoption disruption risk • Emotional regulation difficulties • Neurodiversity (ASC / ADHD) ⸻ Essential Requirements • Relevant postgraduate qualification (Psychotherapy, Psychology, Social Work, Play Therapy, Arts Therapy or related field) • Registration or accreditation with appropriate professional body (e.g. HCPC, UKCP, BACP, BABCP, PTUK, ACP, etc.) • Experience working with looked after or adopted children • Knowledge of attachment theory and trauma-informed practice • Enhanced DBS (or willingness to obtain) • Professional indemnity insurance • Ability to produce high-quality written reports where required ⸻ Desirable • DDP Level 1 or above • EMDR accredited or working towards • Experience working within adoption support fund (ASF) frameworks • Experience contributing to court-directed assessments • Experience working within multidisciplinary teams ⸻ What We Offer • Flexible associate working arrangements • Competitive sessional rates • Professional autonomy • Clinical reflection and peer support opportunities • Opportunity to be part of a growing specialist therapeutic network • Meaningful work that genuinely impacts children’s life trajectories If you are passionate about working with care-experienced children and believe in relational, trauma-informed, child-centred practice, we would love to hear from you.