Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Central CAIST Assistant Practitioner

The closing date is 03 November 2025

Job summary

Is your passion working creatively with children and families? Looking for a role with flexible working opportunities?

We are excited to offer an opportunity to join CAIST, our under 18's Crisis Service as an Assistant Practitioner supporting young people and their families across Norfolk and Waveney.

This role will be based predominantly in Norwich with travel to local surrounding areas. There is an expectation of occasional support to bases in Kings Lynn and Great Yarmouth which means you may need to travel between our sites, so being able to travel independently is essential.

The CAIST (Crisis, Assessment & Intensive Support Team) service is a vibrant and dynamic service that has 3 teams based across Norfolk & Waveney service, 7 days a week. The service is commissioned for 08:00-20:00 7 days per week.

The team offers community based intensive support to children & young people and their families. CAIST aim to establish trusting therapeutic relationships, to reduce risks when children and youngpeople may be experiencing high levels of distress. We work hard to help children and young people avoid Tier 4 hospital admission, and when required, to expedite safe and effective discharge.

Main duties of the job

Whilst experience in working with children and young people would make you perfectly suited to this role, we are really open to welcoming people from clinical backgrounds who have experience in other areas of mental health. We understand that you will be able to bring with you a wealth of skills and experience to the team and would welcome new ways of thinking.

You will offer direct clinical work (individual brief interventions and intensive support) with children under 18 years that have presented in crisis, alongside their families and carers where appropriate. We regularly work alongside other mental health services and social care teams, working collaboratively to support the needs of young people. You will work as part of a multidisciplinary team.

About us

The CAIST team has recently been recognised through our Quality and Safety Review Process as being a responsive and collaborative service that has a positive, inclusive culture, with shared vision and objectives. Feedback from young people and families, identified CAIST as an accessible and flexible service that prioritises service user collaboration and shared decision making.

It is important to us that all staff share our values and core beliefs, and those of the NHS Constitution. We promote an environment of mutual respect, compassion, integrity and collaborative working. We are committed to diversity and inclusion and aim to attract and retain a candidate who is compassionate and committed to our trust values.

Details

Date posted

20 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£27,485 to £30,162 a year gross per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

246-GYW7544397

Job locations

80 St Stephens

80 St Stephens Road

Norwich

NR1 3RE


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please read the job description/person specification carefully and ensure your application reflects the Qualifications knowledge, skills and experience needed.

PLEASE NOTE: If you use a Hotmail, msn or yahoo e-mail account, you will need to check your junk mail regularly as these email providers will divert any communication from this Trust/NHS JOBS straight into your junk inbox.

For further details regarding this role, please see the attached job description and person specification

Please find attached our Job Description and Person Specification for more detail on your Key Accountabilities, then if you feel you have what it takes to make a difference in your local communities, click APPLY!

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please read the job description/person specification carefully and ensure your application reflects the Qualifications knowledge, skills and experience needed.

PLEASE NOTE: If you use a Hotmail, msn or yahoo e-mail account, you will need to check your junk mail regularly as these email providers will divert any communication from this Trust/NHS JOBS straight into your junk inbox.

For further details regarding this role, please see the attached job description and person specification

Please find attached our Job Description and Person Specification for more detail on your Key Accountabilities, then if you feel you have what it takes to make a difference in your local communities, click APPLY!

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Care certificate or relevant equivalent.
  • Foundation Degree in Health and Social Care/mental health or apprenticeship in H&SC/mental health L5

Experience

Essential

  • Working with Service Users with mental health needs
  • Working within Multidisciplinary Team (MDT)
  • Working knowledge and understanding of CPA process.

Knowledge

Essential

  • Risk Assessment
  • Understanding of Mental Health issues
  • CPA
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Care certificate or relevant equivalent.
  • Foundation Degree in Health and Social Care/mental health or apprenticeship in H&SC/mental health L5

Experience

Essential

  • Working with Service Users with mental health needs
  • Working within Multidisciplinary Team (MDT)
  • Working knowledge and understanding of CPA process.

Knowledge

Essential

  • Risk Assessment
  • Understanding of Mental Health issues
  • CPA

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).

Additional information

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Address

80 St Stephens

80 St Stephens Road

Norwich

NR1 3RE


Employer's website

https://www.nsft.nhs.uk/Pages/Home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Address

80 St Stephens

80 St Stephens Road

Norwich

NR1 3RE


Employer's website

https://www.nsft.nhs.uk/Pages/Home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Clinical Team Leader

Clair Szemis

clair.szemis@nsft.nhs.uk

Details

Date posted

20 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£27,485 to £30,162 a year gross per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

246-GYW7544397

Job locations

80 St Stephens

80 St Stephens Road

Norwich

NR1 3RE


Supporting documents

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