Consultant Clinical Specialist – Children

www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk - Jobboard; Melksham; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in Melksham is seeking a Strategic Consultant Clinical Lead for Children We Care For. You will lead the development of trauma-informed services, require extensive experience with looked after children, and possess strong leadership skills. This role involves working with professionals across healthcare and social services to ensure quality care delivery.

Benefits

27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays

NHS Discounts

Competitive pension scheme

Cycle to work scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Extensive experience working with looked after children and complex trauma.
• Confidence in leading service development at a strategic level.
• Skills in complex methods of assessment and management.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical expertise through assessments and consultations for children.
• Lead service development in priority areas like neurodevelopmental pathways.

Skills

Experience with looked after children

Leadership skills

Collaboration skills

Understanding of trauma-related therapeutic approaches

Education

Masters/Doctoral level training

Current registration with appropriate professional body

Job description

Job overview

This is a pivotal leadership role within our CAMHS service as the Strategic Consultant Clinical Lead for Children We Care For / Children Looked After (CWCF/CLA) across Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire (BSW).

In this role, you will provide clinical leadership in the development and delivery of trauma-informed services for children and young people with care experience. Working across health and social care systems, you’ll use your clinical expertise to influence service delivery and contribute to meaningful system-wide improvements.

We are seeking a senior clinician – such as a Clinical Psychologist, Counselling Psychologist, Family Therapist, or equivalent – with:

• Extensive experience working with looked after children and complex trauma
• Confidence in leading service development at a strategic level
• Strong leadership and collaboration skills across multi-agency systems
• A solid understanding of therapeutic approaches related to trauma, attachment, and child development

Main duties of the job

• Provide clinical expertise through assessments, formulations, and consultations for children and young people with care experience.
• Work in partnership with health, social care, and education professionals to support complex case planning and integrated decision-making.
• Lead service development in priority areas including care transitions, neurodevelopmental pathways, and provision for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
• Deliver supervision and training to CAMHS teams and external partners, promoting trauma-informed and evidence-based practice.
• Contribute to strategic oversight by supporting service evaluation, quality improvement, and representing CAMHS on regional panels and forums.

Working for our organisation

Oxford Health is a great place to work and to be able to showcase the best of yourself when making an application please read the “candidate guide to making an application” and ensure your supporting statement is tailored to the role you are applying for and addresses any essential criteria.

As a Trust we provide physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and Northeast Somerset. Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people’s homes, delivering care as close to home as possible. Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive: “Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team”

Our values are: “Caring, safe and excellent”

We offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include:

• Excellent opportunities for career progression
• Access to tailored individual and Trust wide learning and development
• 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous service
• NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailers
• Competitive pension scheme
• Lease car scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Mental Health First Aiders
• Staff accommodation (please note waiting lists apply)
• Staff networking and support groups hosted by our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

We hope that the advert has given you a clear understanding of the skills we are seeking and the opportunity at hand. You will need to use the “supporting statement” element of your application form to demonstrate your suitability for this role and you should refer to the job description, person specification and the guidance notes attached to this role to help you tailor your application.

The essential and desirable criteria will be used to shortlist for interview and you should ensure that you refer to these within your application to increase your chances of being selected for interview.

Person specification Qualifications Essential criteria

• Trained to Masters/Doctoral level or equivalent training and experience. Highly developed specialist knowledge according to professional background.
• Current registration with the appropriate professional body (RMN, OT, Social Work, Psychotherapy or Clinical Psychology). Training and experience in supervision of qualified staff.

Knowledge Essential criteria

• Skills in the use of complex methods of assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.

Desirable criteria

• Highly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised therapies in children who are looked after.)

Experience Essential criteria

• Assessed substantial experience of working as a qualified clinician within CAMHS.
• Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients’ care and treatment, both as a professionally qualified care co-ordinator and within the context of a multi-disciplinary care plan.
• Experience of teaching, training and/or professional and clinical supervision.

Desirable criteria

• Experience of professional leadership of qualified and pre-qualified staff

Personal Qualities Essential criteria

• Enthusiasm for a broad range of phenomena, an interest in models of service delivery, and an ability to articulate the value added by clinical services within the context of multi-disciplinary mental health services.

Desirable criteria

• A commitment to the evaluation of services, enthusiasm for both multi-professional and uni-professional audit, and a wish to continue to develop expertise in the service area.

Documents to Download

Consultant Clinical Specialist– Children who are Looked After (PDF, 552.3KB)

Guidance Notes for Candidates Applying for a job at OHFT (PDF, 424.6KB)

Recruiter Contact Details

Name: Loren Davy Green

Title: Clinical Lead BSW CAMHS

Email: [e-mail]

Telephone: [phone]