Specialist CAMHS Practitioner

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust; Greater London; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust is recruiting for a Bromley CAMHS Learning Disabilities and Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDLD) specialist. You will assess and treat children and young people with neurodiverse needs, delivering evidence-based interventions within a supportive multi-disciplinary team.

The role involves risk assessment, family consultation, and collaboration with partner agencies. Training opportunities and service development are also highlighted.

Qualifications

• Post-graduate qualification in relevant mental health/social welfare profession and minimum of three years’ practice.
• Experience of additional training or teaching.
• Experience of working in CAMHS or with families in mental health settings.
• Ability to work with racially and culturally diverse communities.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist assessment of referrals to formulate and implement plans for neurodiverse CYP treatment.
• Assess children, adolescents and families as part of risk assessment.
• Consult to parents/carers as part of a treatment plan.
• Work with diverse families and use interpreters when needed to aid therapy.
• Coordinate care and organise complex professional network meetings.

Skills

Risk assessment

Child development knowledge

Supervision experience

CAMHS experience

Education

Post-graduate qualification in mental health/social welfare

Job description

Bromley Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)

A very exciting opportunity has arisen to join our enthusiastic and supportive Bromley CAMHS Learning Disabilities and Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDLD) Team.

The NDLD team is the base for a variety of professional disciplines with a wide range of professional experience, of which the post holder will contribute. The post holder will offer assessment, formulation and evidence-based intervention for children and young people (CYP) within the NDLD pathway and the successful applicant will have experience working with young people who have a diagnosis of Autism (ASD) or Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), families and partner agencies.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be required to utilise specialist skills to deliver both individual and group interventions, adapted flexibly and creatively for CYP with mental needs. The NDLD Team consists of a diverse client group as well as the opportunity to work with a range of clinical presentations.

This post offers great potential for the candidate to pursue specialist interests and develop skills, including opportunities for trainings relevant to their field and to contribute to further development of evidence-based pathways for CYP within Bromley CAMHS.

Bromley CAMHS is developing its service, with focus on improving services and the collective wellbeing for our Children, Young People, Families and Staff.

Bromley CAMHS is working towards incorporating the Thrive framework, a nationally recognised approach, to help us deliver timely, responsive and needs based mental health interventions for the children and young people in Bromley. Bromley is a place where every child and young person can achieve their full potential. We all recognise and value the importance of promoting good mental health and building resilience in children,& young people.

Working for our organisation

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children’s centres, schools and people’s homes.

We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

• We Listen
• We Care

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To provide a specialist assessment of referrals of a significant and complex nature in order to formulate and implement plans for the treatment and/or management of a child’s or adolescent’s mental health problems who are neurodiverse, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework and employing methods based upon evidence. To use routine outcome measures as laid down by the Trust.
• To assess children, adolescents and their families as part of a risk assessment.
• To consult to parents/carers (including foster parents) as part of a treatment plan.
• To work in ways which are sensitive to and appropriate for the needs of families from a wide range of racial, cultural and religious backgrounds. This includes abilities to understand and offer therapeutic interventions to a variety of family forms including single parents, same sex couples and their wider family networks, accommodated children and their network of care, children with learning difficulties, and children who are on the ‘Child Protection Register’, and parents with mental health difficulties. Competence is required in undertaking systemic therapy with families through the use of an interpreter where families do not yet have sufficient understanding of the English language.
• To practice in a way which is inclusive and considerate of the needs of each individual in the system including family members in their varying developmental stages and current emotional state.
• To make highly skilled evaluations and decisions about treatment options taking into account highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the child, family or group, and their difficulties.
• To exercise full autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients, and formulate effective care plans in collaboration with the client and family. To undertake risk assessment and risk management relevant to individual patients, including protective and risk factors present in the network of significant relationships, and to do this using the knowledge of the multi professional context that is a mental health service for the locality.
• To work jointly and collaboratively with other team members in order to enhance and develop work with families by providing specialist knowledge and skills.
• To provide specialist consultation, advice and guidance to other professionals at all levels working with families both within the service and in partner agencies. This will include liaison and working with professional networks involved with highly complex, emotive and often conflictual issues such as those involving child protection, deliberate self harm, violence, trauma, suicide risk, criminal offending behaviour, sexualised behaviour, and mental health problems of parents.
• To maintain current knowledge of the operation of video equipment and promote ethical and effective use in line with Directorate policy. To introduce this practice to families in a sensitive way, and to advise and instruct clinicians in other disciplines and systemic psychotherapy trainees on the fitting and appropriate use of this therapeutic tool. To use video tape review to enhance the skills of colleagues and to help parents understand their family’s difficulties, dilemmas, and traumatic experiences.
• To act as care coordinator, as required, taking responsibility for initiating, planning and review of care plans and giving consideration to the views of patients, their family, carers, referring agents and other professionals involved in the network of care. This includes organising complex professional network meetings.
• To work in accordance with CAMHS and team objectives by adhering to Trust and Directorate policies, including risk assessment in all work, ensuring care plans are in place, recording up to date, attending and contributing a systemic view in case discussion and team meetings.
• To be an active member of the professional clinic.
• To contribute to overall service delivery and development as required.
• To attend monthly professional’s meetings and team meetings.

Person specification

Qualification or Qualified

• Post-graduate qualification in relevant mental health/social welfare profession (e.g. social work, nursing, OT, Art Therapy) and demonstrable practice over a minimum of three years.
• Experience of additional training or teaching

Experience

• Minimum of 2 years working in CAMHS or with children and families in a relevant mental health or social care setting.
• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team
• Ability to work with a racially and culturally diverse community in a wide variety of contexts including highly specialist skills for working therapeutically
• Experience of working with child who are neurodiverse.
• Up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation, ethical issues and strategic frameworks including The Children Act 1989, and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management

Skills, Ability, Knowledge

• Evidence of ability to competently assess risk, and manage complex and dynamic risk of children and young people
• Good understanding of child development, and relevant mental health difficulties
• Experience of offering supervision

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that welcomes and supports individuals of all abilities. Remember, if you meet the minimum criteria for this role and you have a disability, you can be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme - Please ensure you select this on your application form. We would encourage you to be open about your needs so we can work with you to design a comfortable and accessible interview experience. Any information you provide regarding a disability or a need for adjustments will be treated in confidence and will only be shared with colleagues who are supporting this request.

If you require any adjustments to participate fully in the interview process, please let us know by adding the relevant details when scheduling your preferred interview date and time. Please feel free to contact the appointing manager to discuss your needs.

We encourage applicants to contact the hiring manager before their interview, if they have any questions about the role or the process. This is a great way to get clarity and prepare effectively for the interview.

If you have declared you are part of the armed forces community, you may be asked to provide evidence during the recruitment process. If you misrepresent this information, your offer may be withdrawn. For Armed Forces specific support, see our webpage: https://oxleas.nhs.uk/armed-forces-community/

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

If you choose to use AI or other tools to assist in writing your application, it's essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting information section. While AI can help streamline the writing process, these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you’re applying for. There is also a risk that it can generate false or misleading information. AI-generated job applications can often be generic, impersonal and may not accurately reflect your qualifications, knowledge, skills, and experiences. It is crucial that you personalise your supporting statement by articulating these in your unique voice. Relying solely on AI to write your application or supporting information section is not advocated by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust and could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process.

We monitor applications for any behaviour that could create an unfair advantage, and we check all references carefully. You are likely to be tested on your experience at interview, so be honest and make sure all the information in your application is correct.Please note that the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is prohibited during the interview process.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.