Band 7 Advance Mental Health Practitioner | Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust; City Of London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in the UK seeks a qualified professional for a mental health crisis service role. The position involves managing a 7-day service, conducting assessments for youth mental health crises, and training healthcare staff. This role requires autonomous work and collaboration with multi-disciplinary teams. Ideal candidates should have a relevant mental health qualification and experience in crisis intervention.

Benefits

Continuous professional development

Diversity and equality initiatives

Qualifications

• Qualified professional in mental health with relevant experience.
• Ability to work autonomously within professional guidelines.
• Experience in assessing and managing youth mental health crises.

Responsibilities

• Manage a 7-day crisis service for children and young people.
• Conduct mental health assessments and intervene in emergencies.
• Provide training to A&E and paediatric staff.

Skills

Crisis intervention

Mental health assessment

Training and supervision

Team collaboration

Education

Relevant mental health qualification

Job description

Post Summary

These positions have been set up to meet the mental health crisis needs of NCL (North Central London) population – those people under the age of 18 who present to A&E departments, paediatric wards, Crisis Hubs and NCL CAMHs clinicians if required.

The post holder will contribute to providing a 7‑day crisis service for children and young people experiencing mental health problems. The service will operate 12:00 noon to 12:00 midnight, with possible extension to 24‑hour service in the near future, and will include weekends and bank holidays.

Working autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the CAMHS Services, the post holder will undertake a range of therapeutic tasks individually and jointly with members of the multi‑disciplinary NCL CAMHS Crisis Team.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide the 7‑day crisis service and manage shift operations from 12:00 to 12:00 (possible 24‑hour extension).
• Assess deliberate self‑harm (DSH) cases in A&E or paediatric wards, offering crisis support, intervention and consultation to community‑based CAMHS colleagues across NCL and assessments in Crisis Hubs.
• Triage young people in A&E, identifying mental‑health concerns and determining when a psychiatric assessment is not required.
• Provide training to A&E staff and paediatric ward staff.
• Provide operational management and clinical supervision to Band 6 practitioners across NCL when required.
• Conduct initial mental‑health and risk assessments of young people following acts of deliberate self‑harm in A&E, Crisis Hubs and paediatric wards using the Biopsychosocial model to inform care plans.
• Conduct initial mental‑health and risk assessments following other risky behaviours and urgent mental‑health presentations in A&E departments and hubs.
• Consult with staff at Tier 3 CAMHS teams to provide further specialist assessment if necessary.
• Follow assessment protocol, complete clinical records in the electronic patient record system.
• Identify and respond appropriately to child protection issues within local authority, Pan‑London and national safeguarding guidelines.
• Provide training to the mental‑health leads of children’s wards, A&E staff and others as appropriate.
• Formulate and implement care packages for the treatment and management of clients’ mental‑health problems based on evidence‑based models of practice.
• Evaluate and make decisions about treatment options in consultation with the multi‑disciplinary team, taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models.
• Act as a co‑worker with other members of the multi‑disciplinary team, providing advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals and contributing to multi‑agency care planning.
• Maintain clinical records in line with Trust policy; ensure effective verbal and written communication with all staff and clients, maximising user involvement in care and treatment; comply with London Child Protection Procedures and the NCL NHS Foundation Trust internal procedure.
• Keep clinical notes up‑to‑date, prepare formal documents such as letters, discharge summaries and reports, complete handover documentation at the end of each shift, maintain and record client contact statistics, and ensure administrative tasks are completed within the prescribed time‑frames.
• Attend team meetings, huddles, supervision support sessions and reviews as agreed; contribute to the formulation and evaluation of policies and the development of ideas for changing policies.
• Undertake mandatory, statutory and continuous professional development training, participate in an annual development review/appraisal, work through a Personal Development Plan, seek suitable models of service delivery, receive professional, clinical and managerial supervision from the Lead Clinician for the CAMHS crisis team, and take part in annual performance appraisal and review in line with Agenda for Change and the Knowledge and Skills Framework.
• Collaborate with the NCL CAMHS OOHCS Team Manager to develop the Crisis Service within CAMHS, collate, analyse and disseminate service activity statistics, and promote flexibility and integration between the crisis team and other CAMHS teams.

Our trust has around 10,000 staff serving 1.6 million patients. It comprises Barnet Hospital, Chase Farm Hospital, the Royal Free Hospital and more than 30 community services. This larger scale organisation provides an unprecedented opportunity for pioneering work in delivering ever‑better care.

Everyone is welcome at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. We celebrate diversity and continue to develop initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME, gender equality, staff carers and people with disabilities and lived experiences. All staff are encouraged to promote good relations and understanding.

Click here to view our video Welcome to the Royal Free.

This advert closes on Sunday 14 Dec 2025.