Mental Health Practitioner

Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust; Redhill; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in the United Kingdom is seeking a Mental Health Practitioner for their CAMHS Crisis Line. This position involves providing critical telephone crisis support to children and young people, facilitating safe discharges from emergency services, and ensuring compliance with standards. Candidates should possess experience in crisis assessment and risk management, along with strong communication skills. The role includes shifts across various times and presents opportunities for professional development within a supportive environment, following the organization's core values.

Benefits

Comprehensive health and wellbeing program

Commitment to career development

Investments in working environment and equipment

Qualifications

• Experience in mental health crisis intervention is required.
• Ability to perform risk and safeguarding assessments.
• Strong communication skills necessary for liaising with various services.

Responsibilities

• Provide senior‑level telephone crisis assessment.
• Lead and coordinate crisis line activities.
• Ensure safe and timely access to appropriate care.
• Maintain professional accountability and uphold Trust standards.

Skills

Crisis assessment

Telephone support

Risk assessment

Cultural sensitivity

Communication skills

Education

Relevant clinical qualification

Job description

Job Overview

Surrey and Borders is looking for a Mental Health Practitioner for CAMHS Crisis Line who will provide telephone crisis support to children, young people, and their families, including out-of-hours advice and support to acute hospital colleagues. You will act as the front door for CYP in crisis, carrying out brief crisis assessments, de-escalation, safety planning, and signposting to appropriate services. The role includes facilitating safe discharge from A&E where appropriate, with follow-up by the Crisis Intervention Service the next day. You will work within a co-located, multi-disciplinary team and have opportunities for some face-to-face work across the wider CYPS Crisis Pathway. Shifts include a mix of days and nights, with job planning agreed through supervision. The post upholds organisational values of treating people well, involving families, creating respectful spaces, and working openly and accountably.

Shift Patterns

• Early: 8:00-16:00
• Late: 15:00-23:00
• Night: 22:00-08:30

Responsibilities

• Provide senior‑level telephone crisis assessment, advice and support to children, young people, families, carers and professionals.
• Lead and coordinate crisis line activity during shifts, ensuring safe, timely access to appropriate levels of care.
• Undertake and oversee risk and safeguarding assessments, ensuring compliance with professional, legal and Trust standards.
• Support continuity of care through effective communication, documentation and liaison with internal and external services.
• Contribute to service quality, staff development and continuous improvement through leadership, audit and training participation.
• Act in accordance with the vision and values of Surrey & Borders Partnership Foundation NHS Trust and uphold the NMC Code of Conduct at all times.
• Maintain professional accountability for clinical decision‑making, personal practice and leadership responsibilities during shifts.
• Lead the team on shift in delivering high‑quality telephone crisis assessments, advice, de‑escalation and care planning.
• Complete comprehensive risk assessments for all service users, with particular focus on self‑harm, safeguarding and vulnerability.
• Ensure safe and appropriate onward referral, escalation, or connection to more intensive services when clinically indicated.
• Adhere strictly to confidentiality, information governance, safeguarding policies and relevant legislation for CYP and families.
• Use advanced clinical expertise to assess, support and manage complex crisis presentations sensitively and inclusively.
• Respect and support individuals’ cultural background, identity, values, sexuality and spiritual beliefs in all interactions.
• Maintain accurate, timely and detailed electronic care records to reflect assessments, interventions and outcomes.
• Communicate effectively and promptly with other teams, services, GPs and professionals to support continuity of care.
• Escalate concerns appropriately to the General Manager and relevant clinical leads when risks or service issues arise.
• Support service development by contributing to data collection, audits, benchmarking and identifying areas for improvement.
• Co‑lead the induction, orientation and support of new staff joining the team.
• Participate in learning sets and professional forums related to CYP Crisis Pathways across Surrey.
• Maintain up‑to‑date statutory, mandatory and role‑specific training requirements.
• Implement and contribute to outcome measures and audits to monitor service effectiveness and quality.

Working for our organisation

Royal Surrey is a compassionate and collaborative acute and community Trust. Recognising that our 5,000 colleagues are our greatest strength, we offer a comprehensive health and wellbeing programme along with a commitment to developing and advancing your career. Our diverse and welcoming Royal Surrey family will ensure you feel valued from your initial interview through your entire tenure.

We are clinically led and provide joined up care by bridging the gap between hospital and community services alongside regional specialist cancer care. Our main acute hospital site is in Guildford with community hospital sites at Milford, Haslemere and Cranleigh. We provide adult community health services in homes across Guildford and Waverley.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) have given us an overall rating of Outstanding.

Royal Surrey has a strong reputation and history to build on. We are proud of our achievements and are investing in our colleagues through our commitment to supporting professional development as well as investing more than £45 million in our physical environment and new equipment in the next few years. There has never been a better time to join us.

Although it isn’t the Trusts normal practice, adverts may close early, so you are encouraged to submit an application as soon as possible.

A video about the Royal Surrey - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R96pMboIYdo