CAMHS Family Therapist

Job responsibilities

The post holder will ensure that:

Children, young people and their families carers receive specialist family & systemic assessment and interventions with the post holder acting as an autonomous practitioner and working collaboratively with other professionals.

The post holder will also be a case manager, and will formulate care plans collaboratively with the family and use resources creatively to provide excellent therapy for children, young people and families; uniquely tailoring therapeutic interventions to meet the needs of service users, underpinned by evidence-based models of family and systemic interventions and theory. They will ensure families receive interventions according to NICE guidance and local pathways of care.

Risk assessments on children and young people in their care will be initially carried out and routinely reviewed and any changes or new risks identified and recorded in their file.

The post holder will contribute to the crisis and home treatment team pathway and will be accountable to the service manager in CAMHS.

The post holder will work in accordance with the code of practice and code of ethics relevant to holding a professional qualification with AFT and UKCP, keeping up to date with research and theory and attending training as required by their registration.

To provide specialist family and systemic psychotherapy consultation, liaison and specialist advice to other colleagues, agencies and services.

The post holder will work autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the team while observing Livewell Southwest and National policies and procedures.

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

Key Results:

Children, young people and families to receive high quality family and systemic assessments and interventions based on specialist knowledge and relevant theoretical models.

To work within all latest relevant clinical frameworks and guidelines including (but not limited to) NICE, Future in Mind, Child Protection, etc.

Provide support to CAMHS colleagues who have roles within the crisis and home treatment team care pathway and wider service provision.

To ensure that appropriate levels of supervision are maintained and that clinical governance is of an excellent standard.

To apply a sound knowledge of safeguarding issues and child development to work with children, young people and families referred to CAMHS and identify when to refer to other agencies.

To observe the professional Code of Ethics and Practice as laid down by the Association of Family Therapy and UKCP.

To maintain adequate records and case notes with Livewell Southwest policy and professional guidelines.

To monitor and evaluate progress through responding effectively to feedback from families and professional system.

To hold an appropriate case load.

Key Activities:

Providing a specialist Family and Systemic Psychotherapy service working autonomously within professional guidelines, personal and service objectives within the remit of CAMHS.

To provide assessment and treatment options for people experiencing moderate, severe and complex mental health problems.

To exercise expert clinical judgment based on the highest standards of evidence based practice.

To utilize theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice of self and others.

To use appropriate routine outcome monitoring in clinical practice and apply this to service development

To receive regular professional supervision from the professional Lead for Family and Systemic Practice and where appropriate, other senior clinicians.

To design assessment and treatment interventions as appropriate, which are delivered collaboratively with colleagues within CAMHS or other agencies as deemed appropriate.

To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of patients in your care and to effectively evaluate progress.

To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping including electronic data entry and recording, report writing and the responsible exercise of professional self-governance in accordance with professional codes of practice and Livewell Southwest policies and procedures.

To be able to cope with frequent exposure to highly distressing or emotional circumstances and to work with those who may have suffered physical, emotional or sexual abuse.

To sustain a genuine level of empathic engagement to work with ambivalent, resistant and sometimes emotionally disturbed patients.

To follow appropriate Child Protection guidelines in all clinical work, reporting any concerns regarding the safety or wellbeing of children, young people and families in accordance with Livewell Southwest Policy and National guidelines.

To provide opportunities for live clinical training and consultation.

To work within the agreed philosophy of the service, respecting and valuing the different therapeutic approaches available within the multidisciplinary team.

To work closely with children, young people and families, ensuring they play an integral role in the development of services and individualized care.

To contribute to the development and articulation of best practice in family and systemic psychotherapy across the service, by continuing to develop the skills of reflective practitioner, taking part in regular professional supervision and appraisal and maintaining an active engagement with current developments in the field and related disciplines.

To be responsible for ensuring effective integrated working and communication with colleagues, partnership agencies and the Third Sector.

To maintain up-to-date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to the children, young people and families the service serves.

To contribute to the development of parents groups and other groups within the HTT pathway using creative and imaginative concepts and theories.

Maintain confidentiality, in line with Livewell Southwest Confidentiality Policy and Code of Conduct.

To understand your professional responsibilities with regards to data quality for any information which you create, use or process in accordance with the data Protection Act 1998 and Livewell Data Protection Policy.

To undertake continuing professional development in keeping with the nature of the post and its responsibilities, and in line with AFT and UKCP registration requirements.

To receive regular supervision, in line with Livewell Southwest Supervision Policy and an annual appraisal in line with Livewell Southwest Appraisal Policy, during which mandatory, role specific and personal development needs should be identified and agreed.

The post holder will be responsible for evaluation and review of their own practice and to make improvements and developments therein.

The post holder will recognize, respect and support the equality and diversity of staff, colleagues, service users, families and carers and the public. Contribute to a working environment, which promotes and responds positively to difference and diversity.

The post holder will comply with all Health and Safety requirements ensuring they fulfill the legal requirements of not endangering self, fellow employees or others by action or omission.

To participate in the development of the service, including the setting, auditing, monitoring and reviewing of quality standards.

To maintain professional registration and provide a copy annually of registration document with UKCP.

Please see supporting information for full Job Description and Person Specification.

Experience

Essential

• Experience as a Family and Systemic Psychotherapist
• Experience of problems that present to a CAMHS service and appropriate interventions
• Awareness and ability to work with Child Protection Procedures and anti-discriminatory practice
• Ability to assess, develop and implement treatment for individual patients and for families. To hold dual role of case manager and family and systemic psychotherapist, and to practice in accordance within organizational structures and guidelines

Desirable

• Post qualification experience in child and adolescent mental health specialty and in working with families with severe and complex difficulties

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of and skill in using the variety of modals and approaches within family and systemic practice as required meeting the needs of children, young people and families and the ability to work with a range of psychiatric and psychological difficulties.
• Evidence of continuing Professional Development as required by AFT/UKCP
• Knowledge of legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to mental health.
• Knowledge of mental illness in children
• and young people

Desirable

• Computer skills.
• Knowledge of team and group dynamics
• Knowledge of routine outcome monitoring in practice

Qualifications

Essential

• Accredited postgraduate qualification in Family Therapy and Systemic Psychotherapy
• MSc level qualification or evidence of equivalent
• UKCP and AFT registered.

Desirable

• Relevant professional training qualification and experience prior to Family Therapy training (e.g. nursing, OT, Psychology or medical qualification). Or equivalent.
• Certified training in other treatment modalities relevant to children and young peoples mental health

Other

Essential

• Personal integrity, with values compatible with the philosophy of the service
• Ability to work alone or part of a team
• Flexibility of approach
• Commitment to supervision

Skills

Essential

• Excellent planning and organizational skills
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with patients of all ages, in difficult circumstances (see KSF for detailed examples)
• Ability to frequently sustain considerable concentrated mental and emotional effort under stressful and complex situations
• Ability to communicate highly complex information, both verbally and in written reports and formulations
• Ability to work with highly complex issues that require analysis, judgment, and interpretation and also assessment and management of risk.
• Ability to work effectively in a multi-disciplinary team
• Ability to provide appropriate and effective consultation to other professionals
• Ability to work innovatively and autonomously within this specialised area of work
• Skills in live-supervision

Desirable

• Ability to advocate for family and systemic theoretical approaches whilst respecting and valuing other theoretical approaches
• Research skills
• Ability to design, plan and facilitate groups

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).