Principal CAMHS Practitioner

NHS; London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

An exciting opportunity for a Principal CAMHS Practitioner at The Lighthouse. This role focuses on providing expert mental health care to children and adolescents through assessments and therapeutic interventions, part of a dynamic team dedicated to supporting vulnerable young people. Candidates from various mental health disciplines are encouraged to apply, contributing to an inclusive and diverse working environment.

Qualifications

• Qualified and professionally registered clinician in relevant disciplines.
• Experience in working with children and adolescents facing trauma.
• Ability to manage a caseload and provide clinical supervision.

Responsibilities

• Conduct multi-disciplinary assessments of young people and families.
• Deliver group-based and individual therapeutic interventions.
• Contribute to policy development and service improvements.

Skills

Teamwork

Clinical assessment

Leadership

Intervention Planning

Education

Doctoral-level training in clinical psychology

Relevant HCPC registration

Further post-graduate training in a specialist therapeutic modality

Job description

Go back University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Principal CAMHS Practitioner

The closing date is 13 July 2025

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a mental health clinician with specialist training and experience, and an interest in trauma and multi-agency working, to join the CAMHS Team at The Lighthouse. The post is open to qualified and professionally registered clinicians from a range of professional backgrounds, including (but not limited to) Clinical Psychology, Child Psychotherapy, Family Therapy, Art Therapy, and Occupational Therapy. This post is fixed-term until 31st March 2026, due to current funding, and could be an ideal secondment opportunity. It will focus on supporting the delivery of multi-disciplinary assessments, individual and group therapeutic interventions for children and carers, and wider network engagement through consultations and training to professionals. The post holder will be supported throughout their induction and professional development. Regular clinical supervision in your discipline will be provided, as well as reflective group practice. There will be opportunities to make professional links with the UCLH Department of Child and Adolescent Psychological Medicine and local CAMHS teams. The Lighthouse is also part of the PROMISE network of Barnahus services, with unique opportunities for national and international engagements with peer services.

Main duties of the job

The post holder must be a good team worker and be able to lead in areas of clinical practice and development; will be responsible for working independently and managing a caseload of clients, ensuring safe and effective clinical practices. The post holder will provide community-based care for children and adolescents through the provision of multi-disciplinary assessments of need, individual therapeutic interventions, parent work, and group-based interventions. In addition to direct therapeutic work, the post-holder will be expected to take a lead on wider service developments, such as the development and delivery of group programmes, training packages, and multi-disciplinary consultations to young people's caring networks. The post holder will also contribute to audits, policy, service development, and research within the area served by the Lighthouse and related services nationally and internationally, supporting children who have experienced sexual abuse. The post holder may also provide clinical supervision to clinical trainees and qualified staff as needed.

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity, and we particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic candidates as they are underrepresented within the service.

In line with an increase in funding, we are recruiting to these positions on a fixed-term basis. Contracts are currently ending on 31st March 2026.

About us

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) is one of the most complex NHS trusts in the UK, serving a large and diverse population. We provide academically led acute and specialist services to people from the local area, throughout the UK, and overseas. Our vision is to deliver top-quality patient care, excellent education, and world-class research.

We provide first-class acute and specialist services across eight sites:

• University College Hospital (incorporating the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing)
• National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
• Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals
• University College Hospital Grafton Way Building
• Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine
• University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre
• The Hospital for Tropical Diseases
• University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street

We are dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of many complex illnesses. UCLH specializes in women's health and the treatment of cancer, infection, neurological, gastrointestinal, and oral diseases. It has world-class support services including critical care, imaging, nuclear medicine, and pathology.

We are committed to sustainability and have pledged to become a carbon net zero health service, embedding sustainable practices throughout UCLH. We have set an ambitious target of net zero for our direct emissions by 2031 and indirect emissions by 2040.

Job responsibilities

For the full Person Specification and more information regarding the main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description.

Key tasks and responsibilities:

• To contribute to multi-disciplinary assessments of children, young people, and families referred to The Lighthouse.
• To coordinate and deliver individual and group-based specialist therapeutic intervention care packages for children, adolescents, and their carers, and evaluate these, ensuring high standards of practice in accordance with national guidelines and trust policy.
• To manage a defined caseload of young people and their families and carers.
• To provide clinical consultation to children and young people's professional networks, enhancing the quality of care provided to young people by the whole system, and providing specialist expertise, both to colleagues in the Lighthouse and to partners across North Central London; typically within social care, education, and CAMHS services.
• To support the development and delivery of training packages and information for professionals within the Lighthouse and to outside agencies to promote effective practice in the specialist area.
• To undertake Video Recorded Interviews with children and young people, in collaboration with police officers, in order to achieve best evidence and improve children's experience of the criminal justice system. Training and support will be provided to the successful candidate.
• To supervise trainee clinicians and offer clinical supervision and line management to other staff at the Lighthouse.

The Lighthouse Model

The Lighthouse is the first UK Child House, a multi-professional, child-centred, and trauma-informed service for CYP who have experienced child sexual abuse and a national leader in the field. The Lighthouse provides holistic assessment and medical support, therapeutic interventions, social work, and ChISVA. This child-centred concept has had proven success abroad, in particular Iceland, where there is evidence of increased convictions and improved health and well-being of the child/young person.

After a successful pilot, funded by the Home Office, NHS England, Mayors office for Police and Crime (MOPAC), and Department for Education from 2018 - 2022, the Lighthouse secured statutory funding from April 2022. NHS England commissions the service, which is provided by UCLH in partnership with NSPCC and Metropolitan Police Service. CYP who live in the five boroughs in North Central London: Camden, Islington, Enfield, Haringey, and Barnet can be referred or can self-refer to the service.

The Lighthouse Team

The service is jointly managed by the Lighthouse Operational Manager and the Clinical Lead. The Lighthouse team includes therapists (including Clinical Psychologists, Child Psychotherapists, Psychiatrists, CAMHS practitioners), Lived Experience Consultants, Paediatricians, Clinical Nurse Specialists for sexual health, Play Specialists, Child and Family Practitioners, and access to Letting the Future In practitioners (NSPCC) in the Lighthouse.

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity, and we particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic candidates as they are underrepresented within the service.

Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff*

UCLH top trust to work at in England for the second year running! : University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

*In the most recent NHS staff survey, UCLH had the highest percentage of staff who said they would recommend us as a place to work, out of all general acute or acute/community NHS trusts in England for the second year in a row.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Qualifications- For Psychological Therapies colleagues:

• Doctoral-level training in clinical psychology, including models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics, neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies, and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the BPS.
• Relevant HCPC registration or Child Psychotherapy training and BACP registration or Family Therapy training (masters level) and UKCP registration or equivalent psychological therapies qualification and professional registration.
• Post-graduate training in a specialist therapeutic modality/approach relevant to supporting children therapeutically with trauma or following sexual abuse.

Knowledge and Qualifications- For Nurse/OT and Social worker colleagues :

• Relevant NMC/HCPC professional registration.
• CYP IAPT Dip in CBT/SFP/IPT-A and/or relevant post-graduate study in child and adolescent mental health and/or training in a specialist therapy relevant to supporting children therapeutically following sexual abuse.
• Further post-graduate training in a specialist therapeutic modality/approach relevant to supporting children therapeutically with trauma or following sexual abuse.

Experience For Psychological Therapist colleagues

• Significant post-qualifying experience in a setting where children's mental health is the primary focus, or equivalent development of competencies via relevant experience gained.
• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care, and inpatient settings. Some experience working with clients with severe and enduring mental health problems.
• Experience working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems reflecting the full range of clinical severity, maintaining professionalism in highly emotive and distressing situations.
• Experience working with children and young people with mental health difficulties.

Skills and Abilities

• Advanced knowledge of work procedures and practices, and over more than one discipline/function acquired over time.
• Ability to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate care plans based on clinical assessment and formulation.
• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary team and demonstrate MDT awareness.
• Ability to manage own caseload and work autonomously within the specialist area.
• Knowledge of relevant psychological theory and evidence-based practice.
• Leadership skills in clinical practice and service development.
• Ability to recognize own limits & seek support re supervision as needed.
• Developed computer skills for data input and report writing.
• Ability to supervise, teach, and develop clinical trainees and junior staff.
• Ability to analyze risk and respond appropriately, seeking support as necessary.

Values

• Ability to meet Trust Values of safety, kindness, teamwork, and improvement.

Communication

• Good interpersonal skills & ability to work with others.
• Experience delivering training and presentations.

Personal and People Development

• Experience managing or supervising trainees or staff.

Responsibilities towards promoting Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

• Understanding of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion principles and NHS obligations under the Equality Act 2010.

Infection Control

• Adherence to Trust policies on infection prevention and control.
• Completion of required training on infection prevention and control.
• Incorporate infection control into personal/professional development.
• Ensure effective infection prevention practices are embedded in daily work.

Note: The duplicated sections and some formatting issues have been cleaned up for clarity and professionalism. The job is still active and not expired.