CAMHS Mental Health Practitioner - Eating Disorder Pathway

Job responsibilities

Dimensions and Context of Role

We have an exciting opportunity within Livewell Southwest CAMHS Eating Disorder Pathway for a Band 5 Mental Health Practitioner.

The CAMHS Eating Disorder Pathway provides a specialist service for children and young people aged 518 who are experiencing eating disorders. There is strong evidence that early identification and treatment significantly reduce the severity and duration of illness.

This Band 5 role supports the early stages of help, including undertaking weekly assessments, contributing to care planning, and supporting physical health monitoring. The post holder will be responsible for presenting cases back to the MDT alongside the assessment team, and for feeding back outcomes of assessments to families and professionals involved in the young persons care.

The post holder will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) within the Eating Disorder Pathway, and in close collaboration with other CAMHS teams and external agencies. The team operates within the ITHRIVE model of care, promoting recovery through timely, evidence-based interventions and holistic support.

The post holder will undertake direct clinical work with children and young people and their families. Their caseload will consist of young people with eating disorders as a primary diagnosis, who require intensive support to minimise deterioration and improve outcomes for both their mental and physical health.

This role involves working in a variety of settings including homes, schools, clinics, and community environments, and contributes to the wider CAMHS services commitment to improving health and social outcomes for children, young people, and families across Plymouth.

The post holder will contribute to the Eating Disorder Duty Rota which operates daily, Monday to Friday.

The post holder will be available for and make use of clinical supervision, safeguarding supervision and case load management.

They will manage a defined caseload (up to 15 clinical sessions per week), including essential care coordination responsibilities.

The post holder will be required to work flexibly in hours of clinical availability.

(The above is not an exhaustive list of duties, and you will be expected to perform different tasks as necessitated by your changing role within the organisation and the overall business objectives of the organisation).

Key Responsibilities of the Post

Service Delivery

To improve children and young peoples mental health through the delivery of safe, culturally competent, effective, cost-efficient, timely, and accessible services that are in accordance with national and local priorities and responsive to the needs and views of local children, young people, and their families.

To provide clinical input to the team, delivering practice within best evidence and to the highest possible standard. The post will be based within the CAMHS Eating Disorder Pathway and may involve rotation across CAMHS teams to support service needs and practitioner development.

To undertake weekly assessments of children and young people referred to the Eating Disorder Pathway, including physical health monitoring, and contribute to care planning under supervision. The post holder will be expected to present cases to the MDT with the assessment team and feedback outcomes of assessments to families and professionals involved in the young persons care.

For non-medical prescribers, the role may involve the use of an evidence-based approach to assess and make informed prescribing decisions for a defined caseload of children and young people. This will be based on a clear theoretical framework and will take full account of the child or young persons developmental needs, gender, ethnicity, religion, race, ability, and sexual orientation.

The post holder will be responsible for engaging in and demonstrating ongoing CPD in relation to prescribing practice, and to support other clinicians undergoing training.

To contribute to a positive working environment and open learning culture, which supports high morale and commitment within the CAMHS Eating Disorder team, promoting wellbeing, personal development, and continuous improvement in the standards of business activities and professional practice.

The post holder will demonstrate developing skills in the assessment and reassessment of risk and complex behaviour issues and communicate concerns accurately in a timely fashion. This includes priority assessments and may require multi-agency responses to risk assessment and risk management plans.

The post holder will contribute to decisions about treatment and discharge in collaboration with the child, young person, family/carers, and multi-agency partners. They will communicate a summary of the work undertaken and how to sustain improvements made, including correspondence to the General Practitioner.

To work with children/young people/families and professionals working with them, to reduce the stigma associated with eating disorders and mental health and contribute to the embedding of a positive message about maintaining good mental health.

The post holder will draw upon experience and knowledge gained through training and practice relating to child development, child and adolescent mental health, and adult mental health.

The post holder is required to maintain high standards in the recording of clinical observations and actions, including risk and risk management, safeguarding, and physical health monitoring in health records.

All roles may involve working with families at home, in education, and community settings, as well as at base, as appropriately required by children/young people and their families.

The post holder will strongly adhere to culturally competent and anti-discriminatory practice, promote equity of opportunity, and use their professional position to empower others and challenge power imbalances where they are found to exist.

All CAMHS clinicians are expected to promote the mental health and emotional wellbeing of children and young people.

The post holder will play a role in encouraging and coordinating collaboration between all agencies by attending multi-agency meetings such as CAF meetings, child protection case conferences, education reviews, etc., to provide a mental health perspective.

The post holder will develop excellent and effective communication skills, applicable to working both with young people, their families, and professional systems. Acting as a point of liaison between specialist CAMHS and universal services to ensure improved communication and collaboration via a range of different interfaces, forums, and meetings.

Maintain good activity records and provide them in a timely manner for inputting onto the electronic system.

Be available for and make use of clinical supervision, child protection supervision, and operational line management supervision.

The post holder is responsible for attending clinical supervision, with a minimum requirement of one hour per month.

The post holder will need to organise their own workload under the support and supervision of the Clinical Team Manager.

Maintain health records to the standards required by LSW. Contribute to a strong team ethos of enquiry, development, and improvement.

Contribute to the development of team protocols and clinical practice, proposing changes for discussion.

Participate in team meetings, for example allocation, supervision, reflective practice, and case discussions.

The post holder will strongly adhere to anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice, promote equity of opportunity, and use their professional position to empower others and challenge power imbalances where they are found to exist.

Keep up to date with CAMHS and Eating Disorder developments taking place nationally in line with service objectives.

To participate in audit, quality, and patient safety activity in line with service objectives.

Input to the electronic system as appropriate, e.g., child protection supervision coding.

To be aware of and familiar with LSW policy and procedure and operate within that, e.g., lone working policy.

To maintain high standards of infection prevention and control in day-to-day delivery of practice.

To measure and make available clinical outcome measures within an agreed system.

Skills

Essential

• Mental health and risk assessment, care planning, intervention and evaluation skills
• Case management and organisational skills
• Strong oral and written communication
• Commitment to anti-oppressive practice
• Ability to work in partnership and collaboration
• Commitment to learning and development
• Reflective practitioner
• Full UK driving license and access to a car for work purposes

Desirable

• Culturally competent assessment and intervention skills
• Specific therapeutic skills relevant to children and families
• Consultation and training skills
• Self-motivated and able to work independently

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working in multi-agency/multi-disciplinary contexts
• Post-registration experience with children and young people with mental health difficulties
• Experience in assessment (including risk), care planning, intervention, and evaluation
• Experience of working with families from different cultural backgrounds
• Experience of maintaining safety in community settings (e.g., breakaway training)
• Experience of managing own caseload and working within a team approach

Desirable

• Experience of working within multi-agency safeguarding systems
• Experience of managing demanding professionals/young people/colleagues
• Experience in service evaluation
• Experience in delivering training

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of relevant legislation and guidance (e.g., Children Act 2004, Child Protection, NSF, Every Child Matters)
• Knowledge of mental health problems affecting children and young people
• Knowledge of child development theories and their application
• Understanding of resilience and vulnerability

Desirable

• Knowledge of therapeutic models (e.g., CBT, psychodynamic, solution-focused, ABA)

Qualifications

Essential

• Core qualification in any mental health modality (e.g., Nursing, Social Work, Psychology)
• Appropriate registration relevant to professional qualification

Desirable

• Postgraduate training in working with children with mental health problems (e.g., counselling, systemic practice, CAMHS diploma)
• Mentorship/sign-off mentor qualification

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Ability to work as part of a team and autonomously
• Willingness to work flexibly
• Ability to embrace change and manage pressure
• Effective communication and listening
• Highly reflective and articulate
• Good time management

Desirable

• Sensitivity to multicultural frameworks
• Awareness of own strengths and limitations

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).