Senior Mental Health Practitioner / Clinical Psychologist

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust; Aylesbury; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading mental health service provider in the United Kingdom is seeking a dedicated professional to conduct psychological assessments and deliver evidence-based interventions for young people in residential care. You will work collaboratively with multi-disciplinary teams and support vulnerable children and their families. Excellent career progression, generous leave, and various employee benefits are offered, making it an outstanding workplace.

Benefits

Excellent opportunities for career progression

Access to tailored learning and development

27 days annual leave plus bank holidays

NHS Discount

Competitive pension scheme

Lease car scheme

Cycle to work scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Mental Health First Aiders

Staff accommodation

Support groups for equality and diversity

Qualifications

• Experience in conducting psychological assessments of young people.
• Training and experience in mental health interventions.
• Ability to work collaboratively with multi-disciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Conduct psychological assessments and create care plans.
• Deliver evidence-based interventions and provide training.
• Liaise with CAMHS and contribute to service development.

Skills

Psychological assessments

Evidence-based interventions

Mentalization-based thinking

Liaison with CAMHS

Job description

Responsibilities

• Conduct psychological assessments of young people in residential care, identifying risks, screening for neurodevelopmental conditions and PTSD, and creating holistic, goal-oriented care plans.
• Deliver evidence-based interventions, provide consultation and training to carers and professionals, and support placement decisions to meet children's needs.
• Promote mentalization-based thinking and use the AMBIT framework to support staff in addressing emotional and attachment needs.
• Liaise with CAMHS and escalate to Crisis teams when needed; attend ACE team meetings and contribute to service development, research, audit, supervision, and training.
• Work jointly with CAMHS and Social Care, travel independently between sites, manage exposure to distressed behaviour, follow lone worker policies, and use IT systems effectively across multiple bases.

About ACE and Trust

ACE is a small, specialist and highly valued service within Buckinghamshire CAMHS. Formerly known as the Looked After and Adopted Children\'s Service (LAAC), we are dedicated to supporting some of the most vulnerable young people in our community. We work with children and young people up to the age of 19 (if open to CAMHS before 18), alongside their carers, families and networks.

ACE is unique within CAMHS, offering a breadth of work from direct support for young people to carer support, training and group interventions. Our small multi-disciplinary team is collaborative and compassionate, and a recent Ofsted inspection highlighted the excellent mental health care we provide. Joining us means being part of a service with a clear identity and purpose, where your skills make a visible impact every day.

About Oxford Health

Oxford Health is a great place to work and to be able to showcase the best of yourself. When applying, 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".

• 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