Job summary
Assistant Psychologist CAMHS
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: Primary Care Network Children & Young People's Mental Health Practitioner (CYP MHP) / Assistant Psychologist.
Band 5, 37.5 hours per week (permanent)
Base: GP practices under the Sheen & Barnes Primary Care Network (within the borough of Richmond); Richmond CAMHS SPA
Interview date: TBC
We currently have an exciting opportunity for an experienced and enthusiastic Assistant Psychologist to join our Kingston and Richmond CAMHS SPA team in a CYP MHP role in the borough of Richmond.
This is an innovative role aiming to support GPs work with children and young people presenting with mental health related difficulties. The successful candidate will be closely supervised to provide advice, signposting within GP practices, as well as providing psychoeducation and well-being information and resources for young people.
Main duties of the job
The role will require the posts holder to work in a community setting supporting with GPs and other professionals in a dynamic and changing environment.
This role follows a successful pilot looking at new roles, CYP mental health workers within our local Primary Care Networks. As part of the CAMHS SPA service you will be based 4 days a week in GP practices under the Sheen & Barnes Primary Care Network and work closely with the Kingston and Richmond CAMHS SPA team.
About us
We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust.
We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good' - we aspire to be 'outstanding'.
We offer flexible working, career development and a variety of benefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.
Kingston & Richmond CAMHS SPA is based in the two locations below:
Woodroffe House, Tolworth Hospital
To create the very best environment to care for our patients, this site's layout will be transformed in 2026 to add a number of wards to the existing three. Tolworth has a canteen and is near shops, the A3, Tolworth station, and is a bus ride from Surbiton station, with fast connections to Clapham Junction and London Waterloo.
Livingston House, Teddington - To re-locate permanently to Richmond Royal Summer 2025
Our community hub is near shops, restaurants and stations in Teddington with trains to Richmond, Kingston, Clapham Junction, or Waterloo. This service will permanently re-locate to a new bespoke CAMHS building at Richmond Royal Hospital in Summer 2025. Richmond Royal Hospital is located in Richmond Town Centre. It is a 5 minute walk from Overground and South West Train routes.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical
Improve access for CYP with mental health conditions through early identification
Increase access for marginalized and disadvantaged groups
Support engagement with existing mental health services and GP practices
Provide psychoeducation and advice and information on well-being for CYP and their carers
To monitor and support patients in between their GP appointments
To provide psycho-education and advice for children, young people and their carers, presenting with mental health problems
Assist in supporting early intervention pathways and supporting and liasing with local CAMHS SPA teams
To work with patients and team members to support engagement with appropriate services and treatment which may include onward referral to secondary mental health services or signposting to other mental health services, social prescribers, voluntary services and community-based support groups
To support patients to stay well within their local communities, including signposting and access to psychological techniques and/or guided self-help that promote well-being
Work always to promote the safety and the well-being of service users and their families/carers
To develop a close relationship with the relevant Primary Care practice, attending practice meetings and having regular informal contact
To work closely and in partnership with colleagues within primary care and the Trust in a collaborative way, ensuring that decisions are made that ensure the best care for service users and that there is a seamless pathway
To use multiple clinical patient record systems
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical
Improve access for CYP with mental health conditions through early identification
Increase access for marginalized and disadvantaged groups
Support engagement with existing mental health services and GP practices
Provide psychoeducation and advice and information on well-being for CYP and their carers
To monitor and support patients in between their GP appointments
To provide psycho-education and advice for children, young people and their carers, presenting with mental health problems
Assist in supporting early intervention pathways and supporting and liasing with local CAMHS SPA teams
To work with patients and team members to support engagement with appropriate services and treatment which may include onward referral to secondary mental health services or signposting to other mental health services, social prescribers, voluntary services and community-based support groups
To support patients to stay well within their local communities, including signposting and access to psychological techniques and/or guided self-help that promote well-being
Work always to promote the safety and the well-being of service users and their families/carers
To develop a close relationship with the relevant Primary Care practice, attending practice meetings and having regular informal contact
To work closely and in partnership with colleagues within primary care and the Trust in a collaborative way, ensuring that decisions are made that ensure the best care for service users and that there is a seamless pathway
To use multiple clinical patient record systems
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Relevant clinical experience
- At least twelve months experience of working with children and young people who have experienced mental health problems
- Experience of research based/reflective practice e.g. understanding and ability to use supervision to reflect on skills, attitude and knowledge and develop these by using evidence-based practice
Desirable
- Experience of supervision and/or mentoring of junior staff and students
- Experience of working as an assistant psychologist in CAMHS services
- Experience of providing guided self-help and resourceswith children and young people with mental health problems
Training & Qualifications
Essential
- An upper second-class honours degree or higher in psychology
- Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society Evidence of continuing professional development
- Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology and mental health practice, such as delivery of evidence based psychological therapies for mental health problems
Desirable
- Training in supporting children and young people people with mental health difficulties
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Relevant clinical experience
- At least twelve months experience of working with children and young people who have experienced mental health problems
- Experience of research based/reflective practice e.g. understanding and ability to use supervision to reflect on skills, attitude and knowledge and develop these by using evidence-based practice
Desirable
- Experience of supervision and/or mentoring of junior staff and students
- Experience of working as an assistant psychologist in CAMHS services
- Experience of providing guided self-help and resourceswith children and young people with mental health problems
Training & Qualifications
Essential
- An upper second-class honours degree or higher in psychology
- Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society Evidence of continuing professional development
- Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology and mental health practice, such as delivery of evidence based psychological therapies for mental health problems
Desirable
- Training in supporting children and young people people with mental health difficulties
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.
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.
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
South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust
Address
GP practices within Sheen & Barnes PCN & Richmond CAMHS (Livingtson House / Richmond Royal Hospital)
Livingtson House / Richmond Royal Hospital
TW11 0LB & TW9 2TE
TW11 0LB
Employer's website
https://www.swlstg.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
