Cahms Practitioner - Band 6

East London Nhs Foundation Trust; Bedford; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

East London NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a CAMHS Practitioner to join the Community Access Service in Bedford. The post focuses on delivering evidence-based interventions to children and young people with mild-to-moderate mental health needs within school and community settings.

You will work across education settings and GP practices, with a hybrid model of direct and remote care where appropriate. The role involves assessing risk, coordinating with families, and collaborating with schools

Qualifications

• Qualified mental health/social welfare professional (e.g., psychologist, social worker).
• Registered with a professional body or eligible within 6 months.
• Experience in CAMHS or related settings is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Assess and deliver outcome-focused, evidence-based interventions for CYP and families.
• Work in partnership with children, young people and families to develop plans and outcomes.
• Support and empower children, young people and families to make informed choices.
• Maintain records and work within inclusive values and safeguarding.

Education

Professional qualification

Registered with professional body

Job description

Job summary

Are you an enthusiastic, flexible and self-motivated individual who is willing to make a real difference in young people's mental health? Are you passionate about providing excellent quality care, team working and ready for a new challenge? Are you motivated, possess excellent communication and organisational skills? Then you are the person we are looking for!
The Community Access Service (CAS) are excited to offer the opportunity for an experienced CAMHS Practitioner to join our team. The CAS is an established team that has a strong ethos of improving the mental health and well-being of children and young people in schools and in the community. The post provides an exciting opportunity to deliver evidence-based interventions for children and young people working across multiple education settings and aims to increase early access and availability to services.
The Community Access Service have the aim of improving the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in the community. There is a specific focus on developing more access to helping and improving the general culture of emotional support within all primary and secondary schools. Working alongside community partners the CAS will be fully integrated with the community which includes educational settings and GP Surgeries.

Main duties of the job

• Assess and deliver outcome-focused, evidence-based interventions to children, young people and parents experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties.
• Working in partnership, support children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties and their families.
• Work in partnership with children, young people and families in the development of plans for the intervention and agreed outcomes.
• Support and empower children, young people and families to make informed choices about intervention.
• Operate at all times from an inclusive values base, which recognises and respects diversity.
• Undertake assessment of risk to self and others, where appropriate.
• Adhere to the service referral protocols and signpost unsuitable referrals to the relevant service as necessary.
• Provide a range of information and support for evidence based psychological treatments, Low Intensity CBT and guided self-help in approach. This work may be face-to-face, by telephone or via other media.
• Adhere to an agreed activity contract relating to the overall number of children and young people contacts offered, and sessions carried out per week in order to improve timely access and minimise waiting times.
• Attend multi-disciplinary meetings relating to referrals or CYP in treatment, where appropriate.
• Keep coherent records of all activity in line with service.

About us

Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.
In line with Trust policy, the service has adopted a hybrid clinical working model of direct face to face and remote working as appropriate.
The service embraces continual improvement and wellbeing of the staff and has a high degree of enthusiasm for quality improvement and working together with partner agencies to provide the highest quality service to the population we serve.

Details

Date posted: 16 October 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 6
Salary: £39,959 to £48,117 a year per annum
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 363-SSLB8053622-B
Job locations: Bedford CAMHS, 9 Rush Court, Bedford, MK40 3JT, United Kingdom

Person Specification

Education / Qualification / Training

• Essential: Qualification in appropriate mental health/social welfare profession such as Family and Systemic Psychotherapist, Clinical Psychologist, Counselling Psychologist, Educational Psychologist, Occupational Therapist, Clinical Nurse Specialist (Mental Health), Social Worker, Senior CWP or EMHP, Art therapist, Senior EMHPs/CWPs with advanced post qualification experience. All applicants must be registered with a professional body or eligible to apply for accreditation within 6 months. Appropriate level of qualification for your profession e.g. PG Diploma, BSc, Masters.
• Desirable: Post Grad training or experience to support the needs of different children, young people and their families; Mentor/Practice educator qualification; Clinical supervision and training.

Experience

• Essential: Experience of working with CYP across the full age-range (5-18); Experience of working with parents/caregivers; Experience of delivering low-intensity interventions for social anxiety; Experience of risk formulation, monitoring, and management for mild-moderate self-harm; Experience in delivering low-intensity emotion regulation interventions; Experience of working with CYP with increased complexity (e.g. physical, social care, educational needs), within the remit of low-intensity mild-moderate services and the evidence-base, and adapting interventions accordingly, with and/or under the guidance of appropriately experienced supervisor; Experience of engaging and delivering interventions to CYP with protected characteristics; Experience of delivering psychoeducation workshops remotely and in person; Experience of leading elements of Whole School Approach or Systemic Change; Experience of working directly with senior leadership teams in service context (e.g. education, health, VCSE) to support design and delivery of programmes, policy, pathways, support offers etc.; Experience of negotiating, problem solving and relationship management where there are disagreements or resistance within systems; Experience of offering consultation (under guidance of supervisor) to schools/other professionals within bounds of knowledge and competence; Experience of mentoring/coaching other trainees.
• Desirable: Recognising when core interventions are appropriate for neurodiverse CYP and being able to make necessary adaptations; Experience of delivering low intensity interventions for OCD; Experience of trauma-informed practice; Experience in identifying when CYP with increased complexity are beyond a low intensity or early intervention service remit/competence, and of making appropriate onward referrals in line with local pathways and protocols; Experience of providing interventions for emotionally based school non attendance; Experience of delivering aspects of in-house training events in service context (team, school etc.); Previous experience of working in CAMHS; Experience of working in a culturally diverse inner city area.

Knowledge and Skills

• Essential: Knowledge of current guidelines and recent developments in evidence-based assessments and interventions for children and young people with mild to moderate mental health problems; Knowledge of legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management and mental health in relation to children, young people and their families; Knowledge, understanding and experience with diverse racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds and families with a high level of deprivation; Knowledge of current guidelines in terms of the implementation of the whole-school approach in education; Keyboard and computer skills; A high degree of self-awareness and an ability to reflect on personal and professional attitudes and accept feedback; Experience and skills of giving appropriate constructive feedback to professional colleagues at a range of levels in the system, and of following necessary procedures when required.
• Desirable: Specific knowledge of pertinent issues for CAMHS including assessment and interventions; Teaching skills, both in clinical setting and education centres; Knowledge and understanding of the Mental Health and Mental Capacity Acts; Knowledge of development in inter agency partnership.

Other

• Essential: To offer supervision to junior staff; Commitment to equal opportunities; Self-motivated, assertive and flexible; Must be able to attend numerous educational settings in Bedford borough; Freedom to act: Physical effort: Confined sitting position (therapy); travelling within community; keyboard skills. Mental effort: writing reports; planning training; concentrating for therapy sessions/clinical supervision. Emotional effort: Dealing with families in breakdown; experiencing trauma and abuse; occasional patient complaints; Car driver essential.
• Desirable: Experience of engaging and delivering interventions to CYP with protected characteristics; Experience of delivering psychoeducation workshops remotely.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here: Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer contact details

Operational Lead: Janine McNally, [e-mail], 07551675926

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