Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Specialty Training

Our Child & Adolescent Psychiatry programme is well established in the region, with a reputation for providing a friendly and nurturing environment for higher residents to develop their skills and work towards CCT.

General overview:

We expect residents to develop high clinical standards through their clinical posts, with a strong academic and therapeutic grounding alongside this with a weekly psychodynamic focussed supervision group, joint academic programme with the north London training schemes, opportunities for short and long cases (CBT, psychodynamic psychotherapy, or family therapy depending on the team), and support from the local child psychiatry academic department  (through termly research supervisions) to complete the literature review required by the curriculum.

The training programme can accommodate 13 full time equivalent residents, with a surplus of training posts available to allow choice for the residents depending on their experience and development needs.

We have a well-established group of motivated and experienced supervisors overseeing the placements, providing a solid clinical foundation for our residents. These are provided by 3 different trusts (Oxford Health Foundation Trust covering multiple sites in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, Oxford University Hospitals covering the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, and Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust covering multiple sites in Berkshire). Details of the sites are included at the end.

We support and facilitate residents who wish to train flexibly and those who wish to take time out of programme for research. This is a small and popular programme. Our small size enables us to know all our residents well and support them, and we are lucky to be able to offer a range of diverse opportunities for development.                                                       

Posts available in the scheme and structure of training:

We aim for ST4s to complete a generic community CAMHS post whenever possible, with a subsequent focus on specialist and Tier 4 placements. The first post is allocated by the Training Programme director according to post availability and general ST4 requirements, after which posts are allocated on an annual basis based on resident preferences and training needs.

The posts are subject to change at times, but at present they include:

  • 6 Generic community CAMHS posts (High Wycombe, Aylesbury, Banbury, Reading, Newbury and Slough)
  • 2 community Eating Disorders posts (based in Maidenhead and Aylesbury)
  • 1 Psychological medicine post (Oxford University Hospitals, Oxford)
  • 3 specialist neurodevelopmental posts (2 in Oxfordshire and 1 in Buckinghamshire)
  • 4 Crisis & Outreach posts (2 in Oxfordshire, 1 in Berkshire and 1 in Buckinghamshire)
  • 2 Adolescent inpatient posts (based at the Highfield Adolescent Unit in Oxford), with occasional alternative Tier 4 options as they arise depending on the needs of our neighbouring training programmes.

Residents are expected to work across at least two trusts and/or counties over the course of their training to ensure experience of different management structures and populations, with at least a year in Oxford Health to meet on call requirements. Placements are usually for 6 or 12 months depending on demand for Tier 4 or specialist posts at the time. There is a curriculum requirement for a minimum of 6 months full time equivalent in a Tier 4 placement.

We try our best to accommodate resident interests and preferences, but cannot guarantee banding or location of choice for every post and have a fair system of allocating posts in line with the other higher training specialties within the School of Psychiatry.

In addition to the clinical placement requirements, residents are expected to actively engage with the weekly academic programme that runs during term time. This consists of the virtual academic programme as well as local psychotherapy supervision and additional ad hoc sessions such as research  supervision, on call supervision, business meetings with the reps, meetings with the TPD and other locally arranged relevant sessions like recent graduates coming back to talk about their transition to being a consultant, etc.

The virtual academic programme consists of 30 sessions per academic year with a 3 year rolling programme, covering a broad range of topics relevant to the curriculum as well as current practice and research. This is held jointly with three of the North London training schemes (Tavistock, Great Ormond Street and Royal London, and St Mary’s), and the speaker sessions are mostly delivered by eminent clinicians and academics.

At least 80% attendance is expected at the programme, and active participation in the resident sessions. The programme includes psychotherapy supervisions weekly during term time, but these are held in person on alternate weeks at the Warneford site, with the expectation that residents join this in person unless on leave.

Professional development sessions

Each resident is entitled to 2 sessions per week for professional development (allocated pro rata for less than full time residents). The Silver Guide mandates this is initially used by the resident to complete a literature review, and we have put together resources to guide residents to do this with termly supervisions from Professor Mina Fazel. If residents wish to find a research supervisor for this as an extra support, they can get guidance from Professor Fazel, the TPD or their supervisors.

In addition to meeting the minimum curriculum requirements, we encourage each resident to consider their additional interest areas whether this is leadership/ management, teaching, developing additional therapeutic skills, further academia or a specialist interest area and they can use their professional development sessions for this once they have completed their required literature review. There are opportunities to engage with the trust quality improvement teams, shadow our medical leaders within the trusts, teach medical students or core trainees, take part in research projects or arrange special interest sessions with specialist teams such as forensic CAMHS, CAMHS Intellectual Disabilities, community paediatrics clinics locally, early intervention in psychosis, or one of the core posts to gain more experience. We expect residents to be able to take charge of their own learning and development, but ensure they are supported through this by an educational supervisor (allocated on joining the scheme) who oversees the course of their higher training, alongside the Training Programme Director with clinical supervisors overseeing the course of each placement.

Strengths of the programme:

Recent feedback from our supervisors and residents have highlighted several areas of strength:

  • High quality placements and supervisors
  • The variety of posts available
  • The quality of the joint academic programme
  • The small, close nature of the programme with opportunity to build relationships with peers and local consultants.
  • The friendly and supportive peer cohorts
  • A collaborative approach with residents
  • The psychotherapy supervisions

We are really proud of the well-rounded training our scheme provides, and have always appreciated the friendly, supportive and engaging environment our residents create for each other. We welcome any enquiries if you are interested in our scheme and are motivated to pursue a career in this rewarding and increasingly important specialty. Recruitment is through the national process, with posts available at intervals depending on progression of our current cohort with 13 full time equivalent residents in the cohort at a time.

Details of the sites:

Berkshire sites:

Erleigh House, University of Reading, RG1 5LF (Generic CAMHS and Crisis)

Lower Henwick Farm, Turnpike Road, Thatcham, RG18 3AP (Generic CAMHS)

Fir Tree House, Upton Hospital, Albert Street, Slough, SL1 2BJ (Generic CAMHS)

Nicholsons House, Nicholsons Walk, Maidenhead, SL6 1LD (Eating Disorders)

Buckinghamshire sites:

Saffron House, Easton Street, High Wycombe, HP11 1NH (Generic CAMHS)

Sue Nicholls Centre, Bierton Road, Aylesbury, HP20 1EG (Generic CAMHS and Eating Disorders)

(The neurodevelopmental and crisis and outreach jobs are cross county with team meetings in Aylesbury)

Oxfordshire sites:

Slade House, Horspath Driftway, Headington, Oxford OX3 7JH (Neurodevelopmental and Crisis)

The Orchard Health Centre, Cope Road, Banbury, OX16 2EZ (Generic CAMHS)

Raglan House, 23 Between-Towns-Road, Cowley, OX4 3LX (Outreach)

Highfield Adolescent Unit, Warneford Hospital, Warneford, Oxford OX3 7JX (Tier 4)

Oxford Children’s Hospital, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headley Way, Oxford OX3 9DU (CAMHS Liaison)

Contacts:

Training programme Director: Kakali.pal@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk

Trainee representatives: Donna.carey@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk

Relevant Links:

Child & Adolescent Psychiatry curriculum

Silver Guide

Oxford Health Foundation Trust

Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Oxford University Hospitals Foundation Trust

What our recent trainees are saying about the programme?

“I am Holly Wolton, and ST8 dual trainee in both Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Forensic Psychiatry. I studied medicine at the University of Manchester and completed my core psychiatry training in London, before gaining my specialty training number, and chose Thames Valley specifically for the dual training opportunity.

I have found the clinical and administrative teams extremely welcoming when I came to the trust. 

I have completed two years of specialty training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and found that the programme has lots of variety and flexibility in the posts and other opportunities that are available. I am now undertaking my ‘hybrid’ year where I work with the Forensic CAMHS service, both inpatient and community based.

Thames Valley deanery values it’s trainees and the smallness of the trainee group size allowed me to form a supportive and caring group of peers.

I have found the weekly supervision with a Child and Adolescent Psychodynamic Psychotherapist not only valuable as a learning experience for providing psychotherapy to a child, but also a safe space to discuss training and on-call issues.

The TPD listens to trainees’ requests on where they would like to be placed and tries their best to accommodate them. My clinical and educational supervisors have always ensured that supervision is a priority and have always ensured I am fully prepared for ARCP and eventually my CCT. I have found it a very pro-active training programme and dedicated in preparing their trainees to become consultants and the organisation is keen to retain their trainees as consultants.”

“I am Muhammad Taha Noor, ST6 in Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services (CYPMHS). 

I am an IMG (International Medical Graduate) and chose to train in Thames Valley, as Oxford is well known throughout the world for excellence in all fields. The worldwide popularity is not without reason, and I have experienced some of the best years of my life training in the region. 

The Thames Valley Deanery has provided me an excellent opportunity to train as Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist. All the supervisors and Training Programme Director (TPD) are very supportive and look out for the trainees needs. I always felt listened to. I had regular meetings with TPD to plan rotations tailored according to my interests and needs. Especially split in my final year rotation to 6 months each, so I could get to experience more subspecialties. The research opportunities are abundant, and it is always encouraged.  

All in all, a great place to live, train, and raise a family. ”