CAMHS Practitioner

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust; London Borough of Lambeth; On-site; GBP 58,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a CAMHS Practitioner to lead the coordination of patient flow, ensuring timely access to care for children, young people and families. The role combines specialist clinical work with system navigation, requiring collaboration with multidisciplinary teams and partners to support discharge planning and service improvement.

You will contribute to strategic outcomes, maintain evidence-based practice, and support complex discharge cases within

Qualifications

• Registered nurse with RMN/RSCN/HV qualification or equivalent.
• Experience in multidisciplinary mental health teams.
• Experience in crisis mental health assessments and clinical governance.

Responsibilities

• Lead on coordinating patient flow across CAMHS pathways and discharge planning.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to identify barriers to discharge and implement solutions.
• Provide documents and reports for care pathways and safeguarding as required.
• Monitor caseloads, length of stay, and service capacity to reduce waiting times.
• Liaise with external agencies to facilitate smooth transitions and continuity of care.
• Provide clinical oversight to practitioners managing complex discharge cases.

Skills

Nursing registration

Multidisciplinary collaboration

Education

Art/Play/Drama therapy qualification

Job description

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

CAMHS Practitioner

The closing date is 23 November 2026

This exciting and innovative role sits at the heart of CAMHS, helping to ensure children, young people and families receive the right support, at the right time, in the right place.

As a CAMHS Specialist Practitioner , you will play a pivotal role in enhancing patient flow, reducing delays in care, and supporting smooth transitions across services. Combining specialist clinical expertise with strong coordination and system-navigation skills, you will work collaboratively with children, young people, families, multidisciplinary colleagues and partner agencies to ensure timely access to care, effective discharge planning and positive clinical outcomes.

The role offers a unique opportunity to influence pathways across CAMHS, driving efficient, high-quality and person-centred care while maintaining a strong clinical focus.

Why this role is exciting

Key role in shaping patient flow and reducing waiting times.

Opportunity to influence system-wide pathways across CAMHS and partner agencies.

Balance of service development and direct clinical work.

Collaborative multidisciplinary environment with strong professional support.

Chance to improve access, experience and outcomes for children, young people and families.

Main duties of the job

1. Lead on the coordination of patient flow across the CAMHS community pathways, ensuring timely access and discharge planning.

2. Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to identify barriers to discharge and implement solutions.

3. Support and advice teams on recording care pathways effectively on epjs and monitor recording reports.

4. Monitor caseloads, length of stay, last contacts and service capacity to support effective resource allocation and reduce waiting times.

5. Liaise with external agencies and services to facilitate smooth transitions and continuity of care.

6. Provide clinical oversight and support to practitioners managing complex discharge cases.

7. With senior colleagues, evaluate and review the therapeutic strategic outcomes for the team and set aims and objectives and the monitor practice to assure quality standards of care.

8. Establish and maintain evidence-based practice in the assessment and treatment of young people in crisis or needing intensive and/or crisis intervention.

About us

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust(SLaM) provide the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK as well as substance misuse services for people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. We work closely with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London and are part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre. There are very few organisations in the world that have such wide-ranging capabilities working with mental illness. Our scope is unique because it is built on three major foundations: care and treatment, science and research, and training.

Job responsibilities

1. Assume responsibility for own case list and case management of children, adolescents and families who are determined to be at high risk.

2. Provide primary CAMHS assessments, other specialist assessments and risk assessments to identify and diagnose the cause of emotional and behavioural problems in children and young people.

3. Formulate care plans, based on the primary CAMHS assessment. Design, write and share a copy of the care plan with children, young people and their carers.

4. Carry out the care plan using evidence-based models of psychological and psychotherapeutic interventions.

5. Participate and lead in joint complex assessments with other disciplines and other agencies and provide reports for referrers, families and other agencies as required, including 'witness of fact' court reports where appropriate.

6. Assess safeguarding issues for each case and refer concerns to Child Protection teams.

7. Maintain good relationships and clear lines of communication with other professional agencies and departments, providing specialist advice and support where appropriate.

Person Specification

• First level nursing qualification/registration RMN or RSCN or HV
• First level qualification in art, play, or drama therapy with related experience in the psychological aspects of caring for children and adolescent with mental health problems/needs, developmental/ learning disability problems
• Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team as a specialist practitioner in a mental health setting.
• Experience of undertaking crisis mental health assessments.
• Evidence of experience of clinical governance and audit and the process of clinical supervision

Experience

• Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team as a specialist practitioner in a mental health setting.
• Experience of undertaking crisis mental health assessments.
• Evidence of experience of clinical governance and audit and the process of clinical supervision
• Working with families in a multi-racial urban environment
• Experience of working as a case manager in child and adolescent mental health
• Evidence of providing CAMHS interventions ie group, individual or family work and multidisciplinary work.

Knowledge and skill

• A good working knowledge of the following: Mental health disorders in children and adolescents
• The Children Act 1989, Mental Health Act 1983, Mental capacity Act 2005 and safeguarding children legislation.
• Assessment of risk and management of risk factors
• Excellent time-management and organisational skills to deliver targets and meet deadlines
• Experience of working as a case manager in child and adolescent mental health

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.

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

£58,133 to £65,261 a yearper annum inclusive of HCAS (Inner)