Mental Health Practitioner

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

A NHS Trust located in Sheffield is seeking a Band 6 Mental Health Practitioner for the secure CAMHS team. The role involves assessing mental health needs of young people, providing treatment and building therapeutic relationships. Candidates should have relevant qualifications and substantial experience working with children and young people in mental health settings. This position offers an opportunity to work within a supportive multidisciplinary team.

Qualifications

• Substantial post-qualification experience in mental health settings.
• Experience supervising/mentoring junior staff.
• Clinical knowledge and skills in mental health assessment.

Responsibilities

• Provide assessment and treatment to children and young people.
• Work collaboratively within the multidisciplinary team.
• Promote the safeguarding and welfare of children and young people.

Skills

Good verbal and written communication

Negotiation and problem-solving

Teamworking across disciplines

Education

Relevant professional qualification (e.g., Mental health nursing)

Postgraduate qualification in mental health

Job description

Overview

The closing date is 23 September 2025

We are seeking a Band 6 Mental Health Practitioner to join the secure CAMHS team at Aldine House Secure Children's Home. The role offers opportunities to build therapeutic relationships with young people to assess risk and mental health needs, liaise with other professionals and partner agencies, and establish robust and holistic care plans. There are opportunities to develop and run therapeutic groups and provide 1:1 interventions as needed. You will work within an experienced multidisciplinary team under supportive operational and clinical leadership.

Secure CAMHS operates Monday–Friday, 8am–5pm (9-hour period). Weekend crisis service will be provided by clinicians within the secure estate (via telephone, video or face to face as clinically indicated).

At the time of advertising, this role meets the minimum requirements set by UK Visas and Immigration to sponsor candidates to work in the UK.

Main duties of the job

Aldine House is a 10-bedded secure children’s home for young people aged 10–18 who are remanded or sentenced by the criminal courts, or accommodated for their welfare. The role requires a values-led practitioner who is curious and motivated to work across systemic barriers through inter-agency collaboration.

Part of your role will be to offer screening assessments for newly arrived young people, attend home meetings (e.g., to review young people’s risk to self or others), and provide person-centred assessment of mental health needs and risk, including screening for neurodevelopmental needs. You will be part of a supportive multidisciplinary team to establish a plan of care and intervention.

All employees of the Trust are strongly encouraged to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to protect patients.

About us

We are a specialist NHS Foundation Trust providing community, mental health and learning disability services in Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield, including low and medium secure services. We lead the West Yorkshire secure provider collaborative. Our mission is to help people reach their potential and live well in their communities by providing high-quality care in the right place at the right time. We employ staff in clinical and non-clinical roles who work to make a difference for service users, families and carers.

We encourage and welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups. We value diversity and want our workforce to reflect our communities.

Being a foundation Trust means we are accountable to our members, who can have a say in how we are run. Around 14,300 local people (including staff) are members of our Trust. Join us and you will be one of over 4,500 staff committed to supporting and improving the mental, physical and social needs of the people we meet each year. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expect all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment.

We reserve the right to close vacancies before the advertised closing date if necessary, so please apply as soon as possible.

Job responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY

The post-holder will:

• Provide assessment and treatment to children and young people with mental health needs.
• Work autonomously and collaboratively within the MDT, providing consultation for other agencies/professionals.
• Work as part of CAMHS first on-call rota.
• Promote the safeguarding and welfare of children and young people.
• Provide routine and urgent assessment and interventions for a wide range of emotional and psychological problems referred to specialist CAMHS, with supervision from a senior clinician within professional guidelines and the team’s policies and procedures.

KEY RESULT AREAS:

1. To support the ongoing process of delivering a comprehensive CAMHS system.
2. To provide assessment, interventions and therapy to children and young people with the most severe, complex and persistent mental health problems, including those at risk, and where appropriate, work with families as part of a multidisciplinary team and using the CAPA model.
3. To apply safeguarding knowledge in clinical work.
4. To be committed to a quality approach for patient care.
5. To demonstrate high levels of concentration and sustained effort in assessing complex family issues.
6. To manage own caseload with appropriate support and guidance.
7. To operate within the clinical and case management supervision framework.
8. To provide training, consultation and supervision to other service providers, partner agencies and junior staff regarding intensive interventions with children, young people and families.
9. To participate in development, audit and review of the service.
10. To work on CAMHS on-call rota when required and to work flexibly (24/7).
11. To undertake extended hours with fellows specialist CAMHS practitioners.
12. To work collaboratively with all services to provide coherent and coordinated mental health services for children and young people and other partners, ensuring timely transition and relevant consultation, training and support to universal services and targeted groups.
13. To use information technology systems (including Rio) ensuring high-quality data is collected securely and confidentially.
14. To participate in an agreed clinical audit programme and report lessons from audits and incidents.
15. To comply with clinical and corporate governance frameworks.
16. To engage stakeholders and users in service development and monitoring and identify opportunities for improvement.
17. To promote user/carer involvement in care planning and delivery.
18. To work in an innovative, child-, young person- and family-centered way, with a culture of continuous improvement and learning.
19. To apply Trust policies in instances of aggression, distress and acute presentations.
20. To maintain professional registration and communicate concerns through management processes.
21. To participate in annual appraisal and ongoing practice development.
22. To record data and access email and internet as required.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Relevant professional qualification (e.g., Mental health or Learning Disability nursing).
• Membership of professional body.
• Postgraduate qualification in mental health (e.g., CBT, Family Therapy, Counselling).
• A teaching and assessing qualification.

Experience

• Substantial post-qualification experience, including work with children and young people and carers in mental health or complex care settings.
• Multidisciplinary team working, inter-agency liaison and consultation.
• Experience supervising/mentoring junior staff.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation and guidance (NHS Plan, Mental Health Act, Children’s Act, Working Together, etc.).
• Clinical/therapeutic knowledge and skills in mental health; experience in assessment and risk management and evidence-based practice.
• Experience working with other agencies and in partnership with other organisations.
• Experience safeguarding children and young people; experience in community settings and cross-cultural work; knowledge of equality and diversity.

Special Knowledge/Skills

• Good verbal and written communication and ability to manage a caseload.
• Negotiation, problem-solving, and excellent record keeping and reporting (care planning and risk assessments).
• Teamworking across disciplines and ability to handle inter-disciplinary tensions.

Training

• Training and experience relating to specialist CAMHS.
• Experience delivering training to others.

Personal Attributes

• Autonomous and team worker; committed to a multi-agency approach.
• Ability to work under pressure, be calm, confident, innovative and assertive.
• Clear decision-making; flexible and adaptable to changing priorities.
• Commitment to challenging discrimination and improving accessibility.
• Ability to cope calmly in a crisis and practice self-care; driving license and car access during working day (reasonable adjustments considered).
• Training to participate in CAMHS 24/7 on-call rota.

Physical Attributes

• Ability to perform duties; acceptable sickness record as required by policy.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975 and requires a Disclosure to be submitted to the DBS.

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust