About the Role
This is a rewarding opportunity to work as a freelancer within a nurturing, therapeutic environment alongside a dedicated team who genuinely care about the people they support. The role offers a comfortable working environment with your own therapeutic space, as well as administrative, safeguarding and mentoring support from the Counselling and Complementary Therapy Lead and wider Services Team. Another benefit is the opportunity to work alongside the different departments in the Charity, enabling you to signpost clients to our range of services, support groups and courses.
We are recruiting experienced Children and Young People’s Therapists. Specifically, Art Therapists, Play Therapists and Creative Therapists to join our freelance team. You will provide short-term therapeutic support to children and young people affected by a diagnosis of cancer within their family. This may include children experiencing loss, anticipatory grief, anxiety, emotional distress, changes in family relationships, or adjustment to the impact of cancer on family life.
Our service is child-centred, trauma-informed and developmentally sensitive, ensuring children are supported through approaches that reflect their age, stage of development and individual needs. Many children communicate and process experiences through creativity, play, movement, metaphor and symbolic expression rather than verbal discussion. Therapists are therefore expected to work flexibly and creatively, using approaches that enable children and young people to express themselves safely and authentically. You will work as part of a wider multidisciplinary team of therapists, healthcare professionals and charity staff supporting local families affected by cancer.
What We Expect From You
- Deliver high-quality therapeutic interventions for children and young people affected by cancer in the family.
- Work in a child-centred, non-directive and relational manner, allowing children to determine the pace and content of their therapeutic work where appropriate.
- Use creative, play-based and expressive approaches to facilitate emotional expression, processing and regulation.
- Demonstrate an understanding of child development, attachment, trauma, grief and loss.
- Work systemically with parents, carers and other important adults to support positive outcomes for children and young people.
- Conduct assessments and reviews in accordance with service procedures.
- Maintain accurate, timely and appropriate clinical records.
- Manage risk appropriately and raise safeguarding concerns in line with organisational policies and procedures.
- Work collaboratively with schools, healthcare professionals and other agencies where appropriate and consent has been obtained.
- Confidentiality and ethical practice at all times.
- Work within your competence and seek consultation or refer onward where a child’s needs exceed the scope of the service.
Essential Requirements
- Recognised qualification in Art Therapy, Play Therapy, Creative Arts Therapy, Dramatherapy, Creative Psychotherapy, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy or another relevant therapeutic modality for working with children and young people.
- Minimum of two years’ post-qualification experience working therapeutically with children and young people.
- Demonstrable experience supporting children experiencing loss, bereavement, trauma, adjustment difficulties, emotional distress or significant life changes.
- Current membership and/or registration with an appropriate professional body relevant to your profession, for example:
- HCPC (Art Therapists/Drama therapists)
- British Association of Play Therapists (BAPT)
- Play Therapy UK (PTUK)
- British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
- UKCP or equivalent professional body
- Current professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
- Enhanced DBS certificate or willingness to undertake one.
- Access to regular clinical supervision.
- Level 3 Children’s Safeguarding Training
- Commitment to safeguarding, diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, accessibility
Desirable Requirements
- Experience working with children and young people affected by physical illness, cancer, bereavement or palliative care.
- Training in trauma-informed practice.
- Experience of working collaboratively with parents and families.
- Experience of multi-agency working.
- Knowledge of attachment-informed practice.
- Experience delivering short-term therapeutic interventions.
| How to apply
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Closing date: 15th September 2026
First Interviews: 22nd September 2026
Application format: Please send a CV and covering letter demonstrating that you have read the job description and how you meet the essential and (where relevant) desirable criteria for this role. This can include skills, training, membership of professional bodies and experience. The covering letter will form a key part of the recruitment process, and you should demonstrate your suitability for the role in no more than two pages.
Weston Park Cancer Charity is committed to promoting equality of opportunity and values diversity of culture among our staff. All applications are anonymised as part of the selection process, so please do not forward any documents in PDF format.
Apply to: HR@wpcancercharity.org.uk
