Crisis Clinical Specialist

NHS; Greater London; On-site; GBP 56,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in Greater London is seeking a Clinical Specialist for 6 months to support children and young people with complex mental health issues, covering paternity leave. The position involves intensive community-based support, with some responsibilities in a clinic setting. Candidates must have professional registration and relevant qualifications. This full-time role offers a salary of £56,276 to £63,176 per year.

Qualifications

• Essential: Professional registration with CAMHS experience and relevant qualifications.
• Experience: Working with young people in a community CAMHS setting.

Responsibilities

• Provide community-based support with clinic duties and home visits.
• Ensure high-quality care through operational standards in clinical systems.
• Manage a caseload of short, medium, and long-term cases.

Skills

Ability to tolerate distress in crisis

Apply a range of therapeutic interventions

Knowledge of childhood/adolescent mental health disorders

Education

Professional registration with NMC, HPC, ACP, or UKCP

Relevant training in nursing, occupational therapy, psychology, social work, or equivalent

Job description

Overview

The Lambeth Child and Adolescent Mental Health Rapids Team (CAMHS) is seeking a Clinical Specialist for a 6‑month period to cover paternity leave. The team works with children and young people (CYP) and families experiencing complex mental health difficulties, including anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicidal ideation, psychosis, and high-risk presentations. The role provides intensive community-based support with clinic-based duties and some home visits; there is limited opportunity to work from home.

Details

Date posted: 28 January 2026

Pay scheme: Agenda for Change

Band: Band 7

Salary: £56,276 to £63,176 a year (inclusive of HCAs)

Contract: Fixed term

Duration: 6 months

Working pattern: Full-time

Reference: 334-CLI-7669258

Location: Lambeth CAMHS, William Geoffrey House, 35 Black Prince Road, Kennington, SE11 6JJ

Job responsibilities

4. Key Responsibilities

• 4.1 Service and Team responsibilities
• 4.1.1 Participate as a multi-disciplinary team member in setting and reviewing therapeutic aims, objectives, standards and strategies to provide a high standard of care to clients and their families.
• 4.1.2 Ensure recording and reporting of client contact is timely, accurate, up to date and of good quality, and collect & collate information about individual clinical activity on ePJS.
• 4.1.3 Maintain a safe therapeutic environment with the team and clients.
• 4.1.4 Aim to assure the quality of care through high operational standards in clinical systems.
• 4.1.5 Maintain good professional standards and attitudes towards the care and treatment of children, young people and their families.
• 4.1.6 Link with statutory and voluntary agencies and other CAMHS teams for referrals and joint work; maintain confidentiality and provide specialist advice and support where appropriate.
• 4.1.7 Contribute to the effective functioning of the team and service through attendance at relevant meetings and responsibilities negotiated with the line manager.
• 4.1.8 Supervise junior team members or trainees from any discipline.
• 5.1 Clinical – Individual
• 5.1.1 Manage the daily duty system, assess risk levels and agree safety plans as required.
• 5.1.2 Use individual, group, family work, advice and supervision to plan packages of care for CYP with flexible and innovative approaches.
• 5.1.3 Maintain good relationships and communication with other professional agencies, providing specialist advice and support where appropriate.
• 5.1.4 Deliver evidence-based treatment and use outcome measures to monitor progress.
• 5.1.5 Participate in team meetings, sharing professional experience and consulting on complex cases as required.
• 5.1.6 Take on a caseload of a mix of short, medium and long-term cases.

Professional Conduct, Teaching, Training and Research

• 5.2.1 Undertake duties in line with professional codes and maintain registration requirements for the post.
• 5.2.2 Work within clinical governance policies and guidelines.
• 5.2.3 Attend monthly supervision and quarterly appraisal meetings; participate in peer supervision as required.
• 5.2.4 Plan and maintain mandatory training requirements.
• 5.2.5 Identify development needs with the manager and stay up to date with changing practices.
• 5.2.6 Engage in specialist teaching, consultation/support for other professionals, and supervise trainees.
• 5.2.7 Participate in monitoring, evaluation and audit of the service.
• 5.2.8 Promote research-based practice and share knowledge within the team.

Freedom to Act

You will manage your own caseload within the service framework and Trust policies. You will be accountable for your professional actions; day-to-day work will be managed rather than supervised, with the ability to initiate new clinical and service actions guided by Trust policies. You will also be responsible for managing personal resources.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Essential: Professional registration with one of the following bodies (NMC, HPC, ACP, UKCP) and CAMHS experience; relevant training such as a nursing qualification, occupational therapy, psychology, social work, systemic psychotherapy, or equivalent with CAMHS experience; or equivalent experience in CAMHS settings.
• Experience: Working with young people in a community CAMHS setting.

Desirable

• Training in clinical supervision.
• Experience adapting therapy for complex neurodevelopmental profiles; nursing ENB 998 or equivalent experience.
• Experience working with families in multi-racial urban environments and with Looked After Children or foster carers.

Experience

• Essential: Assessed supervised clinical experience with CYPs; experience with suicidal ideation/self-harm; managing complex risk; collaboration with supervisor, service users, carers and MDT; care delivery and coordination; maintaining a safe therapeutic environment.
• Desirable: Working with families in a multi-racial urban environment; Looked After Children/foster carers.

Knowledge

• Essential: Knowledge of childhood/adolescent mental health disorders, risks and care planning; relevant legislation (Children Act 1989/2004, Mental Health Act, Human Rights Act, Mental Capacity Act, London Child Protection procedures); risk assessment and governance principles; confidentiality and information sharing.
• Desirable: Research literacy and application to CAMHS; evidence-based assessment and treatment approaches.

Skills and abilities

• Essential: Ability to tolerate distress in crisis; work with emotive material; apply a range of therapeutic interventions; open to new concepts.
• Desirable: Specific therapy skills in practice.

Disclosures

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check: This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions Order) 1975; a DBS submission is required to check for previous convictions.

Sponsorship and registration

Certificate of Sponsorship: Applications from job seekers who require Skilled Worker sponsorship will be considered. For details visit the UK Visas and Immigration website. UK registration: Applicants must have current UK professional registration.

Employer details

Employer: South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Address: Lambeth CAMHS, William Geoffrey House, 35 Black Prince Road, Kennington, SE11 6JJ

Employer website: https://www.slam.nhs.uk/