CAMHS Clinical Lead (First Response Service)

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust; Huntingdon; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a CAMHS Clinical Lead for the First Response Service based in Huntingdon. The role leads a multidisciplinary team delivering 24/7 crisis support across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough for people of all ages in crisis.

The post combines clinical and operational leadership, requires CAMHS expertise, and a collaborative approach with partner agencies such as Police, Ambulance, Local Authorities and Emergency Departments.

Qualifications

• Registered mental health professional with CAMHS crisis intervention experience.
• Experience in risk assessment and management.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical and operational leadership within the First Response Service, coordinating shifts and managing referrals and assessments across the multidisciplinary team.
• Deliver specialist support, guidance, and decision-making for complex and high-risk cases involving children, young people, adults, and families experiencing mental health crises.
• Undertake telephone triage, crisis assessments, risk assessments, mental health formulations, and short-term contingency planning for all ages with timely, person-centred interventions.
• Lead on CAMHS crisis assessments and support colleagues in navigating CAMHS pathways, interventions, and risk management.
• Work with CAMHS, secondary mental health services, crisis teams, emergency services, GPs, schools, social care and local authorities to coordinate care and resources.

Skills

Clinical leadership

Risk assessment

Communication

Multi-agency collaboration

Teaching/supervision

Education

Mental Health Nurse/ Social work qualification

CPD demonstrated

Advanced Nurse Prescriber qualification

AMPH qualification

Family work or psychological approaches training

Teaching (clinical practice) qualification/cert

Job description

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

CAMHS Clinical Lead (First Response Service)

The closing date is 25 November 2026

Are you a passionate and motivated mental health professional looking for your next leadership challenge? We are seeking an experienced CAMHS Clinical Lead to join our award-winning First Response Service (FRS).

Based in Huntingdon, FRS provides 24/7 mental health crisis support across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough for people of all ages. As a key member of the leadership team, you will help deliver high-quality, compassionate care to children, young people, adults, and families experiencing mental health crises.

Working closely with partner agencies, including Police, Ambulance Services, Local Authorities, Emergency Departments, and Community Mental Health Services, you will support timely, effective, and person-centred responses for individuals in crisis.

The role combines clinical and operational leadership of a multidisciplinary team providing crisis interventions across the county. You will bring specialist CAMHS expertise, supporting best practice and positive outcomes for children, young people, and families while contributing to the wider service.

We are looking for a registered mental health professional with CAMHS, crisis intervention, and risk assessment experience. You will be a confident communicator, collaborative leader, and compassionate practitioner committed to delivering excellent care.

In return, you will join a supportive, innovative team, develop your leadership skills, and help shape the future of mental health crisis care.

Main duties of the job

Provide clinical and operational leadership within the First Response Service, coordinating shifts and managing the allocation of referrals and assessments across the multidisciplinary team. Deliver specialist support, guidance, and decision-making for complex and high-risk cases involving children, young people, adults, and families experiencing mental health crises.

Undertake telephone triage, crisis assessments, risk assessments, mental health formulations, and short-term contingency planning for all ages whilst ensuring timely, person-centred interventions and safe care pathways.

Lead on CAMHS crisis assessments and support colleagues in navigating CAMHS pathways, interventions, and risk management.

Work collaboratively with CAMHS, secondary mental health services, crisis teams, emergency services, GPs, schools, social care, local authorities, and voluntary sector partners to ensure effective care coordination and crisis resolution. Develop comprehensive safety plans, utilise solution-focused interventions, and support patients, carers, and families to access appropriate services and resources.

Contribute to service development, quality improvement initiatives, and the ongoing delivery of responsive, high-quality crisis care. This role combines specialist CAMHS expertise with strong clinical and operational leadership to support the delivery of compassionate, effective crisis services across the county.

About us

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high quality care with compassion to improve the health and wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting and empowering them to lead fulfilling lives.

Our clinical teams deliver a wide range of NHS services across inpatient, primary care and community settings, including children's, adult and older people's mental health, forensic and specialist mental health, learning disabilities, primary care and liaison psychiatry, substance misuse, social care, and research and development.

To achieve our goals, we recruit high calibre candidates who share our vision and values. As an equal opportunities' employer, we welcome applications from all sections of the community, particularly under represented groups including people with long term conditions and members of our ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities.

All appointments are subject to the successful completion of a probationary period.

Please note we reserve the right to close adverts early should we receive sufficient applications.

Regrettably, we cannot offer sponsorship for all roles. If you apply for a post that does not attract sponsorship, your application will be withdrawn from the process.

For further information on CPFT, please visit our website at https://www.cpft.nhs.uk

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities.

• Undertake comprehensive assessments, safety plans and and brief interventions for patients accessing First Response.
• Ensure individual episodes of care are delivered in a timely, effective and integrated manner.
• Co-ordinate shifts, support colleagues, delegate duties and prioritise the urgency of assessments to ensure safe and effective service delivery.
• Act as a professional and clinical role model for staff, service users, carers, partner agencies and the wider public.
• Promote a recovery-focused approach that empowers patients, carers and relatives to be actively involved in decision-making and ownership of care and treatment plans.
• Undertake clinical risk assessments in line with current evidence, local policies and procedures.
• Advocate for patients and their relatives, ensuring their views and needs are represented.
• Champion patient rights, including dignity, equality, diversity, choice and respect.
• Maintain accurate, timely and high-quality clinical documentation within appropriate record systems.

Please note for this role you will be required to travel independently around the county meeting strict time deadlines. You will need to hold a full UK driving licence* and have use of a vehicle. You cannot use public transport for this role as this is not a reliable form of transport and will not allow you to meet service needs. Please confirm in your application that you meet the specified criteria.

*DVLA have a number of reciprocal arrangements with overseas countries, for further information please visit the DVLA website

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

• Mental Health Nurse/Social work Qualification OR Registered Nurse with CAMHS Experience Or other HCPC-registered profession
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Advanced Nurse Prescriber Qualification / or AMPH qualification
• Specific training in either family work or psychological approaches to helping young people
• Teaching (clinical practice) qualification/certificate or equivalent experience

Experience

• Willingness to engage in work with children, young people and families who require or who are accessing mental health services.
• Experience of working with children and young people presenting in mental health crisis.
• Experience of working in a setting relevant to CAMHS.
• Experience of risk assessment and management.
• Multi-agency working/working across service interfaces
• Working within a multicultural framework.
• Teaching, training and/or supervision of junior staff
• Clinical leadership experience
• Experience working with adults presenting in mental health crisis.

Skills & Abilities

• Assessing, formulating and working with children and young people (& their families) presenting in heightened state of distress.
• Communicating (oral and written) complex/highly technical and clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
• Clinical risk assessment and contingency planning/ management plans.
• Knowledge of current research and evidence based practice in clinical work relevant to the job role/ Service
• Sound knowledge of Mental Health Act, Care Act, Mental Capacity Act
• Sound knowledge of Safeguarding responsibilities and procedures
• Brief psychological interventions/strategies for managing crisis
• Knowledge or awareness of operational systems of service delivery in Community CAMHS.
• Relevant specialist clinical courses/training.
• An understanding of the current integrated multi-agency models Used by agencies working with children, young people and their families, e.g. I-Thrive, Think Family, etc.

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.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust