Advance Choice Document Facilitator

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust; Greater London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent NHS mental health organization in Greater London is seeking an ACD Facilitator to provide specialized support to young people under the Mental Health Act. This role involves leading the best practices for Advance Choice Documents and working collaboratively with service users and their families. Ideal candidates will have relevant qualifications in social work or mental health and experience with children and adolescents. Join us to help shape the future of mental health services and promote a person-centred approach.

Qualifications

• Prior experience working with children and adolescents in mental health settings is highly desirable.
• Sound knowledge of child-care and mental health legislation is required.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of co-produced best practice for ACDs in mental health services.
• Support the implementation and accessibility of ACDs across CAMHS.
• Deliver staff training to embed ACDs into practice.
• Work directly with service users and carers to centralise their experiences in care planning.

Skills

Working collaboratively with young people

Knowledge of mental health legislation

Experience with children and adolescents

Cultural competence

Education

Degree in social work, nursing, psychology, psychotherapy, occupational therapy or related field

Job description

Overview

The ACD Facilitator will deliver highly specialist interventions to support young people who have previously been detained under the Mental Health Act, working collaboratively with them and their carers to co‑produce Advance Choice Documents. These documents are a vital tool in promoting autonomy, voice, and person‑centred planning in future care.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of evidence‑based, co‑produced best practice for ACDs in mental health services
• Support the implementation, accessibility, and use of ACDs across CAMHS
• Deliver awareness‑raising activities and staff training to embed ACDs into routine practice
• Work directly with CAMHS service users and carers, ensuring their experiences and preferences are central to care planning
• To work as an autonomous professional within our professional registration body guidelines and codes of conduct and guided by principles and policies or procedures of the services, taking responsibility for interpreting relevant Mental Health Legislation policies within defined parameters.
• To develop and maintain community and inpatient links relevant to service users in the Directorate.
• To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish and build trust in the services they use by working to create a culturally appropriate and psychologically safe environment, through the co‑production of ACDs.
• To agree outcomes/results with the ACD Clinical Lead and to decide how they are best achieved, supporting all reporting requirements for the service.

Qualifications

We welcome applications from professionals in social work, nursing, psychology & psychotherapy, occupational therapy, and allied health professions. Prior experience working with children and adolescents in mental health settings, and a sound knowledge of child‑care and mental health legislation is highly desirable.

Our CAMHS services operate across four London boroughs: Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark, and Croydon. The role will require travel between sites, offering a dynamic and varied working environment.

About SLaM

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) provide the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK as well as substance misuse services for people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. We work closely with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London and are part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre. There are very few organisations in the world that have such wide‑ranging capabilities working with mental illness. Our scope is unique because it is built on three major foundations: care and treatment, science and research, and training.

By coming to work at SLaM, you will gain experience of being part of an organisation with a rich history and international reputation in mental health care. You will have access to professional development and learning opportunities, and have the chance to work alongside people who are world leaders in their field. SLaM delivered more than 14,000 training experiences in 2014; providing an extensive range of learning opportunities for staff at all levels. In addition, our working relationship with King's Health Partners allows those working at the Trust to get involved in academic research.

Why you’ll love this role

If you’re committed to collaborative, rights‑based care and want to help shape the future of mental health services for young people, we’d love to hear from you.