CAMHS Practitioner

NHS; Greater London; On-site; GBP 53,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading mental health service provider in the United Kingdom is seeking an experienced CAMHS Clinician. The successful candidate will work within a multidisciplinary team to conduct assessments and provide therapeutic interventions to children and adolescents. Responsibilities include managing a caseload, participating in urgent case responses, and consulting with families and professionals. Applicants should possess relevant degree-level qualifications and experience in CAMHS settings. Competitive salary and benefits offered, including NHS pension.

Benefits

NHS Discounts

Generous annual leave

NHS pension scheme

Health and wellbeing initiatives

Qualifications

• Degree level qualification in psychology, psychotherapy, or a related field.
• Relevant training or qualification in child and adolescent mental health.
• Experience with clinical and risk assessment in mental health.

Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive assessments of adolescents with mental health needs.
• Manage a caseload within a multidisciplinary team.
• Provide direct therapeutic interventions to young people.
• Participate in duty system, assessing risks and developing care plans.

Skills

Well-developed clinical skills in CAMHS

Knowledge of therapeutic models such as CBT and Systemic

Ability to manage multiple demands in clinical environment

Experience in Family Therapy processes

Interagency working knowledge

Education

Degree qualification and registration with a professional body

Relevant training in child and adolescent mental health

Training in main therapeutic modalities

Job description

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced CAMHS Clinician to join the NCL Home Treatment Team in CYPMHS as CAMHS Practitioner. NCEL CAMHS Home Treatment Team (HTT) provides a community based intensive provision as an alternative to in-patient care for children and young people. HTT service operates within the NHS Long Term Plan and NCEL objectives, focusing on improving access, reducing hospital admissions, and ensuring timely, community-based support for mental health needs. This specification is aligned with the recommendations outlined in the NHS England Guidance (2024) "Urgent and Emergency Mental Health Care for Children and Young People: National Implementation Guidance."

HTT offers intensive, short-term interventions designed to stabilise the individual and their family environment, promoting recovery and preventing the need for inpatient care. The service ensures that care is delivered close to home, reducing unnecessary hospital admissions, and promoting recovery through tailored evidence-based interventions. The service operates under the governance of the NCEL Provider Collaborative.

Main duties of the job

To participate in the NCL HTT rapid response to urgent cases including assessment, outreach work, monitoring of risk, mental state and medication side effects, and liaising closely with clinicians involved with the case. To be able to utilise skills flexibly so that interventions can be planned and implemented for clients at home and in other settings.

To offer clinical support to staff to enable specialist assessment and treatment to children and young people and their families including those with complex and severe mental health problems in line with the iThrive model.

To take part in case conferences, review meetings and planning meetings as appropriate.

To offer advice to other professionals within CAMHS and externally, as well as share their expertise in the management of complex cases in a variety of settings.

To provide specialist consultation to the families and others involved in the care of the young person.

To communicate in a clear and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans for service users and to monitor progress.

To work in partnership with key agencies to ensure easy access for children and families into CAMHS.

About us

North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT) is committed to improving mental health care across North London to deliver excellent services to our local people.

• We will provide consistently high-quality care closer to home.
• With our partners in North London and each borough we will ensure equity of outcome for all
• We will offer great places to work, providing staff with supportive environment to deliver outstanding care.

Why NLFT?

• We develop and retain our staff through leadership behaviours and managers programme and many more opportunities.
• We promote flexible working and support staff with a range of health and wellbeing initiatives.
• NHS Discounts, generous annual leave and NHS pension scheme
• Excellent internal staff network

In order to meet the needs of the Trust you may be required from time to time to work at different locations to your normal place of work. This may mean that you are required to work at any location that fall under Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey or Islington. The Trust reserves the right to require staff to work at such other places or locations as it considers reasonable and necessary on a temporary or permanent basis.

Job responsibilities

To provide comprehensive specialist assessments including risk assessments of adolescents and their families/carers with complex mental health needs based on having an in-depth knowledge of child development, and adolescent mental health disorders.

To manage a caseload and to care coordinate within a multidisciplinary team approach and to be responsible for contributing to the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of programmes of care.

To assess and offer direct therapeutic intervention to young people and their parents/care system in the short/medium term.

To participate in the NCL HTT duty system on a rotational basis; including independently being able to assess risk, develop discharge safety plans and provide follow up in the community, acting as a Key Worker/Care Co-ordinator to ensure continuity of care.

To write confidential reports for case conferences and education that may have wide ranging implications for adolescents and their families.

To be aware of and adhere to the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) Guidelines and to be aware of the implications of current legislation relating to the care and protection of children and young people, with particular emphasis on safeguarding.

To be committed to ensure equality of opportunity/access to the service so that the needs of young people from diverse backgrounds are met.

To offer consultation and advice to colleagues in Tier 2 and 3 as to the mental health needs of adolescents in the community.

To undertake all the administrative tasks related to the clinical work and maintain accurate and up to date clinical records regarding own caseload in accordance with the Trusts policies.

To provide intensive in-reach for those young people admitted to in-patient care, both within the Trust and to specialist out of area facilities, to ensure continuity and coordination of care.

To be involved in audit and research projects undertaken by the service

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Qualification at degree level or equivalent and registration with a relevant professional body with a core profession (Clinical/Counselling psychology, Psychotherapy, Systemic Family Therapy, Nursing, Occupational therapy, Social Work - NMC/ HCPC/UKCP/ACP)
• Relevant training or qualification in child and adolescent mental health.
• Training in one of the main therapeutic modalities.

Skills

• Evidence of well-developed clinical skills and knowledge in CAMHS.
• Working knowledge in at least one model of therapeutic work (e.g. Systemic, CBT, SFT, Psychodynamic).
• Ability to manage the multiple demands within complex clinical environment.
• Awareness of current national guidelines and policies in CAMHS and of Mental Health Legislation
• Experience of Family Therapy processes, experience with CBT Techniques
• Experience in setting up and facilitating groups
• Knowledge of interagency working

Experience

• Experience of clinical and risk assessment and formulation of treatment of children and young people across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and in-patient settings.
• Previous experience of working in CAMHS, working with Young People and families and offering risk assessment and stabilisation during periods of high risk.
• Experience of managing own caseload and MDT working
• Experience of working with CAMHS crisis acute services in the community
• Experience of working in a culturally diverse area.

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.

£53,751 to £60,651 a yearPer annum Inclu HCAS