CAMHS SPA Specialist Practitioner

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in Nottinghamshire is seeking a CAMHS SPA Specialist Practitioner to support triage and referral processing within the CAMHS Single Point of Access. You will deliver specialist mental health expertise, perform risk assessment, provide psychoeducation, and guide families and professionals to the right services using THRIVE-informed decision making.

The role requires multi-agency collaboration, safeguarding vigilance, and flexible working patterns to

Qualifications

• Qualified and registered mental health professional with degree-level education.
• Experience in multi-agency working and mental health triage.
• Ability to triage, identify pathways, provide psychoeducation and risk management.

Responsibilities

• Triage, screen referrals, and determine appropriate service pathways within CAMHS SPA.
• Provide psychoeducation, risk management advice, and safeguarding support to CYP, families, and professionals.
• Collaborate with Social Care, Education, Health Services, and community providers to facilitate timely access to services.

Skills

Child and adolescent mental health

Triage and risk assessment

Clinical supervision

Education

Professional qualification (RMN/RN/HV/OT/psychology/Social Worker)

Current professional registration

Degree level education

Therapeutic approaches for children & families (CBT/systemic/solution-focused/play)

Job description

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

CAMHS SPA Specialist Practitioner

The closing date is 18 November 2026

To work within the Nottinghamshire multi-disciplinary Community Child and Adolescent Mental Health Team (CAMHS) to improve outcomes for children and young people experiencing emotional and mental health difficulties.

This predominantly non-patient-facing role sits within the CAMHS Single Point of Access (SPA) and is responsible for the clinical triage of referrals. The post holder screens referrals, gathers information from multiple sources, and applies clinical judgement to assess the nature, severity, urgency, and risk of presenting concerns.

The role includes identifying safeguarding issues, providing consultation, psychoeducation, risk management advice, and signposting children, young people, families, carers, and professionals to appropriate services.

Working within a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency framework, the post holder ensures referrals are directed to the most appropriate internal or external service based on clinical need, risk, safeguarding considerations, and service criteria, supporting timely access to the right care at the right time.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will work within the SPA team, providing specialist mental health expertise in the screening, triage, referral processing, delivering psychoeducation, risk management, safety advice to CYP, families & professionals.

The role requires an experienced practitioner to triage & formulate a broad range of emotional, mental health, behavioural, and neurodevelopmental presentations. Using clinical expertise via telephone & virtual interventions, they triage risk, respond to safeguarding concerns, & identify urgent mental health needs. Working within a formulation-informed, needs-led model, they support timely decision-making, triage, and pathway allocation, guided by the THRIVE Framework to ensure CYP receive the right support at the right time.

Working within a multi-agency framework, collaboration with Social Care, Education, Health Services, hospitals, community & voluntary organisations, & Adult Mental Health Services to facilitate holistic triage & timely access to appropriate support, assessment & intervention.

Knowledge of CAMHS pathways, NICE guidance, research, and evidence-based practice to support clinical decision-making, consultation, and signposting. Promote integrated working, challenge mental health stigma & advocates for compassionate, accessible, child-centred care, while maintaining a strong commitment to safeguarding, professional accountability, service development, continuous improvement & positive outcomes for CYP & families.

About us

#TeamNottsHC comprises over 11,000 dedicated colleagues who #MakeADifference every day. We deliver intellectual disability, mental health, community health, forensic, and offender healthcare services across Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and South Yorkshire. Our care is provided from over 200 sites, spanning community locations, acute settings, and secure environments, including prisons.

We are one of the largest mental health and community Trusts in the East Midlands and one of Nottinghamshire's biggest employers. We also host national and regional services, such as the National High Secure Deaf Service and the Nottingham Centre for Transgender Health.

We offer a variety of employee-led staff networks, including Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) groups, the Green Champions network, the Freedom to Speak Up network, the Health and Wellbeing Champions network, and the Menopause Champions network. These networks play a vital role in supporting our diverse workforce and promoting a culture of inclusivity.

The health and wellbeing of colleagues is a top priority. We invest significantly in this through our in-house occupational health and staff counselling services, supported by a dedicated Health and Wellbeing team.

The Trust is committed to reducing its carbon emissions, with a specialised Energy and Environmental team working to ensure compliance with environmental legislation, enhance our environmental performance, and achieve our net-zero commitment.

Job responsibilities

The CAMHS Specialist Practitioner will work as an integral member of the multidisciplinary Single Point of Access (SPA) Team, providing specialist mental health expertise in the screening, triage, and processing of referrals into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). The post holder will deliver timely and effective consultation, psychoeducation, safety advice, risk management support, and emotional containment to children, young people, their families/carers, and professionals, ensuring that individuals are directed to the most appropriate service based on clinical need and evidence-based decision making.

The role requires a skilled and experienced practitioner with the ability to identify, triage, and formulate a wide range of emotional, mental health, behavioural, and neurodevelopmental presentations. The post holder will utilise clinical expertise to provide brief evidence-based interventions and advice, predominantly via telephone and virtual communication methods, while identifying and responding appropriately to safeguarding concerns, risk presentations, and urgent mental health needs.

Working within a multi-agency framework, the practitioner will collaborate closely with a range of partner agencies, including Social Care, Educational Settings, Health Services, Acute Hospitals, Community Providers, Voluntary Sector Organisations, and Adult Mental Health Services. Through effective partnership working, the post holder will ensure that referrals are triaged holistically and that children and young people receive timely access to the most appropriate support, intervention, or assessment.

The CAMHS SPA Specialist Practitioner will play a key role in enhancing access to mental health provision for children and young people where there is a clinical indication for CAMHS involvement. Using a formulation-informed and needs-led approach, the post holder will contribute to timely assessment, decision making, and care pathway allocation, ensuring that interventions are delivered within a collaborative, child-centred, and multi-agency framework. Clinical decision making will be informed by the THRIVE Framework, supporting the delivery of the right care, at the right time, by the right service.

The post holder will maintain a comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge of CAMHS treatment pathways, NICE guidance, research, and evidence-based interventions. They will apply this knowledge to support high-quality clinical decision making, consultation, and signposting, ensuring that children, young people, and families receive appropriate support and guidance at the earliest opportunity.

Developing and maintaining positive, collaborative relationships with partner agencies is an essential aspect of the role. The practitioner will actively promote integrated working practices, challenge stigma associated with mental health services, and advocate for a compassionate, inclusive, and accessible approach to care. They will support children, young people, and families to exercise choice and flexibility wherever possible, ensuring that service delivery aligns with individual needs, strengths, and preferences.

The post holder will consistently promote the safety, welfare, and wellbeing of children, young people, and their families, demonstrating professional accountability, sound clinical judgement, and a commitment to safeguarding. They will act as a professional representative of the wider CAMHS service, contributing positively to team functioning, service development, and the continuous improvement of clinical practice across the organisation.

Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. The cost of the DBS application is £20.00 (standard) or £41.00 (enhanced), this cost will be deducted from your salary over the first 2 months of employment.

You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. An annual fee of £15 per year applies.

A full UK driving licence and vehicle for business use is required for this post; however reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled individuals in line with the Equality Act 2010.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Relevant Professional qualification e.g. RMN, RN, HV, OT, clinical psychology, Social Worker at degree level or higher.
• Current Registration with relevant professional body
• Educated to Degree level
• Qualification in therapeutic approaches with children and families e.g. CBT systemic, solution focused, play therapy Proven post qualification experience

Experience

• Experience of Multi-Agency working
• Experience of Mental Health triage
• Providing psychoeducation around a wide range of differing emotional and mental health needs
• Proven ability to undertake accurate risk screening and provide harm reduction advice
• Evidence of the ability to use and provide clinical supervision
• Community experience

Knowledge

• Knowledge of relevant legislation and documents pertaining to children (e.g. Children's Act, Mental Health Act, NSF, Every Child Matters, Future In Mind, THRIVE)
• Ability to maintain accurate case records in line with Trust policies and procedure
• Knowledge and experience of provision of a holistic emotional/mental health assessment
• Knowledge and experience of the provision of different models of therapy and interventions

  Skills

  • Skills and experience of working with children, young people and families around a range of emotional/mental health, behavioural and additional health or developmental needs
  • Ability to triage presentation and acuity of emotional and mental health concerns and identify appropriate treatment pathways
  • Providing clinical supervision and mentorship to staff

  Contractual Requirements

  • To work flexibly with regard location and hours as core SPA hours are 08:00-18:00 and work outside this may at times be needed
  • A full UK driving licence and vehicle for business use is required for this post; however reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled individuals in line with the Equality Act 2010.

  Safeguarding

  • Be able to take reasonable measures to ensure that the risks of harm to children and vulnerable adults are minimised.
  • Be able to take reasonable measures to ensure that the risks of harm to children and vulnerable adults are minimised.

  Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

  • All colleagues are expected to demonstrate that they act in line with Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Values: Trust Honesty Respect Compassion Teamwork
  • All colleagues are expected to demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and how it applies to their role. The Trust's expectations are highlighted within our EDI Policy, and associated EDI and Human Rights legislation
  • Knowledge and understanding of the Trust Values

  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.

  Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

  £39,959 to £48,117 a yearper annum (pro rata for part time)