CAMHS Practitioner - Southwark CAMHS referrals team

NHS; Greater London; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

An NHS mental health service provider in Greater London seeks a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) practitioner. The role focuses on assessing and supporting children with mental health difficulties. Applicants should have relevant nursing or therapy qualifications, experience in mental health, and strong skills in clinical assessment and teamwork. Flexible working arrangements are available, offering a salary between £38,682 to £46,580 per annum.

Benefits

Generous pay, pensions, and leave

Flexible working options

Career development programs

NHS staff discounts

Counselling services

Cycle to work scheme

Staff restaurants

Qualifications

• Post-graduation experience in mental health settings.
• Assessed supervised clinical experience with children and adolescents.
• Experience working as a case manager in CAMHS.
• Evidence of effective child and adolescent mental health assessments.
• Working with families in diverse urban environments.

Responsibilities

• Conduct initial psychosocial assessments and establish care plans.
• Collaborate with management and MDT for care assessment.
• Manage care delivery in specific areas, ensuring safety.

Skills

Ability to work under pressure

Reflective therapeutic practice

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Written and verbal presentation skills

Specific therapy application

Education

First level nursing qualification/registration RMN or RSCN or equivalent

Post registration clinical professional development

Job description

Go back South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

CAMHS Practitioner - Southwark CAMHS referrals team

The closing date is 20 October 2025

Do you want to play your part in helping improve the lives of children, young people, and their families? We are seeking an enthusiastic, motivated, and experienced Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) practitioner interested in working with children and adolescents who present with a range of complex mental health difficulties. We have a vacancy for a 0.5 wte equivalent clinician.

The Southwark CAMHS referrals team is a specialist multi-disciplinary mental health team. The role involves processing referrals on behalf of the assessment in treatment teams in the Southwark CAMHS and redirecting those who do not meet the thresholds for specialist CAMHS to appropriate services. The post-holder will undertake initial psychosocial assessments, risk assessments and contingent planning for children and young people referred to the Southwark CAMHS.

Main duties of the job

• Processing new referrals on behalf of the assessment and treatment teams in Southwark CAMHS.
• Making meaningful clinical contacts with children, young people, and their families. These contacts may include brief initial psychosocial assessments, listing referrals for fuller assessments and treatment, brief psychoeducational sessions, and, in some cases, redirecting the referrals to appropriate services outside of CAMHS.
• Liaising with referrers (GPs, schools, social workers, A&Es, etc)
• Working with the referrals team MDT to identify the right care pathways for the children and young people referred.
• Participating in clinical decision meetings, business and other relevant meetings.
• Participating in their own supervision and supervising junior staff.
• Liaising with other agencies as appropriate.

About us

We are committed to ensuring our staff get the most out of their benefits package and understand the importance of a healthy work life balance. There is an extensive range of excellent benefits for you and your family.

Some of our benefits are highlighted here:

• Generous pay, pensions and leave
• Work life balance, flexible working and support a range of flexible options, such as: part-time working and job sharing.
• Career development, There are plenty of opportunities to progress your career and we support your development through a number of programmes such as mentoring, coaching, positive people management, collective leadership and other talent programmes
• Car lease, our staff benefits from competitive deals to lease cars
• Accommodation, our staff benefits from keyworker housing available which is available on selected sites
• NHS discounts, with discounts up to 10% from a variety of well-known retail brands though Health Service Discounts website.
• Counselling services
• Long service awards
• Cycle to work scheme
• Season ticket loan
• Staff restaurants

Job responsibilities

Conducting initial psychosocial assessments, risk assessments and agreeing contingent plans with children and young people and their families.

Working in collaboration with own line management supervisor, service user, carers and MDT in assessing needs, planning and implementing care

Taking responsibility for care delivery in a specific area and maintaining a safe therapeutic environment

A good working knowledge of the following: Mental health disorders in children and adolescents

Difficulties common to Looked After Children e.g. attachment difficulties

Key legislation relevant to CAMHS setting: The Children Act 1989, 2004

Person Specification

Qualifications

• First level nursing qualification/registration RMN OR or RSCN or HV with related CAMHS OR First level qualification in Occupational therapy, Clinical or Counselling Psychology, Social work, or equivalent with related CAMHS experience.
• Post registration clinical professional development. CYP-IAPT post graduate training

Experience

• Sufficient post-graduation experience in working within a mental health setting.
• Assessed supervised clinical experience working with children and adolescents with mental health problems
• Working in collaboration with supervisor, service user, carers and MDT in assessing needs, planning and implementing care
• Taking responsibility for care delivery in a specific area and maintaining a safe therapeutic environment
• Experience of working as a case manager in child and adolescent mental health sector
• Evidence of good practice in child and adolescent mental health assessments, assessments of behaviour and performance, family functioning
• Working with families in a multi-racial urban environment

Skills

• Ability to work under pressure
• Ability to be 'reflective' in therapeutic practice and adapt practice from this reflection
• Demonstrate an ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Good written and verbal presentation skills
• Skill in using a specific therapy in practice

Knowledge

• A good working knowledge of Mental health disorders in children and adolescents
• A good working knowledge of key legislation relevant to CAMHS setting
• Assessment of risk and management of risk factors
• The principles underlying confidentiality and information sharing
• The principles of clinical governance and practice
• Relevant research and its application to assessment, treatment and case management of CAMH disorders
• Research informed and evidence based methods of assessment, treatment and case management

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.

Salary: £38,682 to £46,580 a year per annum inclusive of HCAs