CAMHS Crisis Line Practitioner | South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

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

Job summary

A reputable mental health organization is seeking a professional to provide crisis support through a dedicated Crisis Line. The role involves assessing risks, offering guidance, and liaising with parents and caregivers. Candidates should have relevant qualifications and experience in mental health, particularly with children and adolescents. This position emphasizes teamwork and upholding mental health legislation, contributing to an important service in the community.

Qualifications

• Experience in providing crisis intervention and support.
• Ability to assess risks and develop safety plans.
• Understanding of child and adolescent mental health issues.

Responsibilities

• Provide immediate support to children and young people in crisis.
• Liaise with parents to offer guidance based on best practices.
• Document interactions accurately according to Trust policy.

Skills

Crisis counselling

Communication skills

Knowledge of mental health legislation

Team collaboration

Education

Relevant qualification in mental health

Job description

Overview

The SLP CAMHS Crisis Line aims to provide short-term, targeted telephone interventions to support young people in distress, as well as providing advice and support for parents and carers who have concerns about their child or young person’s mental health. The service aims to de-escalate crises, reducing unnecessary A&E presentations (and potentially admissions) via alternative routes of support.

The post holder will respond to out of hours calls accessed via the Crisis Line, offering advice, support and guidance. They will be aware of, and ensure that, the care team supports the holistic needs of all children and young people, including psychological, social, physical, recreational and spiritual needs.

Key Responsibilities

• Undertake an immediate risk assessment of the young person using your communication skills and clinical knowledge to ensure that any advice or guidance given is appropriate and robust.
• Provide immediate crisis counselling support to children and young people in significant distress, offering a friendly and supportive voice.
• Help the child or young person engage in any safety plan they have formulated with their community teams, to minimise potential risk issues that may arise during the call.
• Communicate with parents and carers to provide child and adolescent mental health expertise and advice in relation to their child or young person, reminding them of any plans put in place by CAMHS. If unknown to services, help them formulate a plan that helps meet the immediate risk issues and supports them in managing at home.
• Liaise with other mental health professionals, as well as emergency services, to provide support and advice regarding children and young people attended out-of-hours.
• Work across the clinical systems used by the South London Partnership to access the clinical notes of children and young people to provide an individualised crisis response.
• After a telephone call, liaise with professionals known to the young person to notify them of any risk issues or outcomes of the call.
• Contribute towards ongoing quality of service and care by identifying risk issues related to the child or young person’s health and social care and responding appropriately to changes, significant factors, or incidents.
• Promoting Recovery: encourage and empower service users to take responsibility for their individual programme of care, involving relatives, carers, education and community provisions where appropriate, following recovery principles and approaches.
• Support service users to adopt recovery strategies that promote wellbeing, healthy lifestyle, independence and self-care.
• Risk Assessment and Risk Management: report any incidents or Serious Untoward Incidents and maintain accurate records; work safely to ensure safe custody of medicines, sharps, and clinical equipment; respond to self-harm and suicide prevention in community settings in line with policies; adhere to Lone Working and Personal Safety guidelines; respond to urgent situations using local protocols.
• Safeguarding and Duty of Candour: implement safeguarding procedures in a community setting, report safeguarding issues, raise safeguarding alerts as needed, and uphold Duty of Candour.
• Communication and Collaboration: prepare and provide reports on caseload, liaise with relevant agencies for integrated care, advise families on prevention of illness and accidents, and work with Health Care Professionals and other agencies to meet service users’ needs.
• Administration and Leadership: ensure electronic patient records are complete; write reports and letters in a community setting; engage in clinical supervision and reflective practice; demonstrate leadership within the clinical context and support junior staff.
• Legislation: demonstrate awareness of relevant mental health law in community settings and knowledge of the Mental Health Act, Care Act, Mental Capacity Act, Deprivation of Liberty, Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults, and Community Treatment Orders; understand admission/discharge procedures; complete referral forms as necessary; collaborate across teams for client transitions.
• Networking/Liaison: coordinate with Transition teams (CAMHS to Working Age Adult, WAA to Older Adult) and other teams to support service users’ needs.
• Documenting: maintain clear, plain-language documentation in line with Trust policy.

Administration and Leadership

Ensure electronic records are complete, write reports and letters, engage in supervision and reflective practice, and provide leadership to staff while considering challenges of community-based work.

Notes

This advert closes on Friday 3 Oct 2025.