CAMHS Urgent Care Team Specialist Practitioner | Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

CNWL NHS Foundation Trust; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in London is seeking a mental health professional to provide urgent care and outreach for children and young people experiencing mental health crises. Responsibilities include conducting assessments, delivering therapeutic interventions, and collaborating with various teams to ensure safety and effective care delivery. The ideal candidate should have experience in mental health assessments and crisis interventions.

Qualifications

• Experience in conducting mental health assessments for children and young people.
• Ability to implement evidence-based therapeutic interventions.
• Knowledge of working within multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Undertake initial mental health and risk assessments of young people.
• Formulate and implement care packages based on mental health problems.
• Provide follow-up mental health review appointments.

Skills

Mental health assessment skills

Crisis intervention techniques

Collaborative communication

Education

Relevant mental health qualification

Job description

The CAMHS crisis 24 hours urgent care and outreach offer rapid response, prompt global mental health assessment, clinical risk-assessment, safe discharge plan, and where appropriate intensive brief interventions for children and young people up to the age of 18, who are experiencing an acute mental health or emotional crisis.

The service works with children, young people, and their families experiencing mental health crisis in the least restrictive environment, consistent with the need for their own safety, and the safety of others. The team will provide service in a range of settings, and offer an alternative to traditional response of in-patient care or acute hospital admission. The primary location for assessment is in the Emergency Department of our local acute hospitals, and when required the camhs crisis urgent care outreach practitioner is expected to attend the young person home, school, and other community locations to ensure the service reach out to meet the needs of children, young people and their families.

Manage a small caseload.

Offer therapeutic interventions to young people and their families in crisis in A&E, paediatric ward, in clinic and in the community.

Attend A&E for mental health assessment, and safe discharge plan.

Offer review appointments.

Work collaboratively with community camhs, social-services, schools, and other teams in the locality.

CNWL (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust) has almost 7,000 staff providing integrated healthcare to a third of London's population, Milton Keynes and areas beyond. We involve service users, carers, the public, staff and partner organisations in the way that we are run. Our catchment area spans diverse communities, with over 100 first languages spoken. It contains areas of great affluence as well as areas of much deprivation. We are committed to providing services that meet the needs of the people who use them, and we actively encourage involvement from local people who can help make a difference. We’re proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME and people with disabilities to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.

We are recognised locally, nationally and internationally for providing high quality, innovative healthcare. We aim to employ only the best people, and our experts are frequently called upon to contribute to national health strategy and policy, and many models of our care have been adapted for use in other countries.

Assessment

• To undertake initial mental health and risk assessments of young people following acts of deliberate self-harm and/or in an acute mental health crisis. These will take place mainly in the emergency department, on the paediatric wards, at client’s home and other community sites.
• To undertake initial mental health and risk assessments following other risky behaviours and urgent mental health presentations, in the emergency department, crisis hubs, at home, in school, and other community locations.
• To consult with staff in local CAMHS teams to provide further specialist assessment if necessary.
• To follow the assessment protocol for such cases and to complete the clinical record on System One (electronic patient records).

Short term crisis intervention

• To formulate and implement care packages for the treatment and management of the clients’ mental health problems. These should be based on an appropriate conceptual framework and evidence-based models of practice i.e. DBT, CBT, and systemic work.
• To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options in consultation with the multidisciplinary team, considering both theoretical and therapeutic models.
• To act as a co-worker with other members of the multidisciplinary team as appropriate.
• Offer 7 days follow up mental health review appointment to all children, and young people discharged from A&E.
• Organise and plan professional meetings.
• Discharge planning from acute hospital.
• Liaising with acute colleagues, safeguarding team, social services, schools, and other community partner agencies for a joint care planning.
• Transfer of client to local CAMHS on completion of assessment and/or treatment.
• To provide advice, guidance and consultation to professionals working in other agencies and contribute to multi-agency care planning.
• To ensure effective verbal and written communication with all staff and clients in order to maximise user involvement in the delivery of care and treatment on transfer to local CAMHS.
• To maintain clinical records appropriately and in line with the Trust policy.
• To comply with London Child Protection Procedures on the management of child protection issues as well as Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust internal procedures.
• Contribute to and provide training to peers and the network (e.g. acute hospital colleagues).

This advert closes on Monday 8 Dec 2025