Job summary
Mental Health Practitioner - Children in Care
The role of the Mental Health Practitioner for Children in Care is a post within the CAMHS team with a focus on promoting the best possible mental health and emotional wellbeing for children in care within the local authority. It resides within a small health team with a key focus on multi agency working to ensure a collaborative approach is taken across all relevant agencies.
Main duties of the job
The principal tasks will be to provide robust assessment, treatment, direction and advice for children who are showing signs of emotional wellbeing or mental health difficulties.
You will be proficient in therapeutic interventions for children and young people with presenting difficulties such as anxiety, low mood, attachment difficulties, developmental trauma, difficulties regulating emotions. There will be a focus on triage and early identification of mental health disorders collaboratively with the child or young person who are likely to have a significant level of emotional distress as a result of current circumstances, trauma and/ or adverse childhood experiences. Where needs have been assessed, supporting appropriate referrals and/or signposting to relevant agencies will be a key part of the role. You should have a sound knowledge of local resources and liaise with external services if children/young people are placed out of area and require support.
There will be a need to ensure that information and rationale for decisions made is communicated clearly to the young person, the carers, the social worker and all of those professionals involved in the care of the child. There will be a need for the development of strong professional relationships with other health staff involved in these processes. Informing parents would be considered in conjunction with the allocated social worker in all cases.
About us
We are passionate about delivering first-class patient-centred, safe and effective care, whether it is in a hospital setting, in a community clinic or in the patients own home. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Providing top quality care depends on our ability to employ the best people.
We're always looking to recruit outstanding people who will go the extra mile to support our patients, colleagues, teams and the Trust. With every new employee were hoping to find our future leaders and well support our staff by providing opportunities to develop your career.
With a diverse culture and equally diverse range of opportunities across mental health, community services, addictions, eating disorders, learning disabilities and more whatever stage of your career you're at, there's always a place for you at CNWL.
The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The post holder would provide a range of specialist interventions, advice and support to young people who are identified as having, or at risk, of developing emotional, psychological or mental health issues within the current scope of MK CAMHS service provision.
To provide advice and consultation support to social workers, foster carers and others working with children/young people in Children's Social Care, or school staff. Where appropriate the role will include enhancing social workers and carers, understanding of behavioural presentation and communication of a child or adolescent who has experienced a disadvantaged start to life. Make appropriate recommendations for situations based on the holistic understanding of the child and encouraging others to develop their views.
The post holder will also be required to develop and deliver training to foster carers, social care staff and other professionals to facilitate and develop a better understanding of young people who may present as challenging and oppositional, who have not responded to traditional behaviour management techniques and historically have raised concerns regarding their mental health.
As a member of CAMHS Team, the post holder will be responsible for a small personal caseload, working under the professional supervision of a Senior Clinician in CAMHS.
This post will involve contributing to the supervision of other members of the team.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The post holder would provide a range of specialist interventions, advice and support to young people who are identified as having, or at risk, of developing emotional, psychological or mental health issues within the current scope of MK CAMHS service provision.
To provide advice and consultation support to social workers, foster carers and others working with children/young people in Children's Social Care, or school staff. Where appropriate the role will include enhancing social workers and carers, understanding of behavioural presentation and communication of a child or adolescent who has experienced a disadvantaged start to life. Make appropriate recommendations for situations based on the holistic understanding of the child and encouraging others to develop their views.
The post holder will also be required to develop and deliver training to foster carers, social care staff and other professionals to facilitate and develop a better understanding of young people who may present as challenging and oppositional, who have not responded to traditional behaviour management techniques and historically have raised concerns regarding their mental health.
As a member of CAMHS Team, the post holder will be responsible for a small personal caseload, working under the professional supervision of a Senior Clinician in CAMHS.
This post will involve contributing to the supervision of other members of the team.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Relevant professional qualification in either: oa psychological or therapeutic field, e.g. RMN oin a child/young person related field e.g. Dip.SW/ teaching
- Additional qualifications or training in child and adolescent mental health.
- Educated to degree level.
- Substantial Post Registration Experience
Knowledge/Experience
Essential
- Substantial experience working in child and adolescent mental health.
- Good understanding of attachment theory and the impact of disrupted attachment on children/parents in managing relationships.
- Experience of work with children in care.
- Experience either working as a member of a multi- disciplinary team or multi-agency working.
- Good understanding of the range of child and adolescent mental health services
- Knowledge and experience in mental health promotion work.
- Sound understanding of safeguarding and multi-agency partnership working
- Good understanding of the needs of Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children
Desirable
- Experience of working with children with additional learning needs/communication difficulties
Skills
Essential
- Good communication, assessment, planning and recording skills.
- Ability to deliver interventions which address the assessed needs
- Ability to challenge
- Ability to work co-operatively with other disciplines.
- Ability to evaluate interventions and practice for service improvement.
Personal Skills
Essential
- Ability to relate to young people and families.
- Broad understanding of equal opportunities and an ability to work in an anti-discriminating way.
- Enthusiasm, flexibility and willingness to cope with the demands of what can be a stressful job.
- Ability to relate to professional staff from different agencies often at senior levels.
- Car driver and full time use of a car is required
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Relevant professional qualification in either: oa psychological or therapeutic field, e.g. RMN oin a child/young person related field e.g. Dip.SW/ teaching
- Additional qualifications or training in child and adolescent mental health.
- Educated to degree level.
- Substantial Post Registration Experience
Knowledge/Experience
Essential
- Substantial experience working in child and adolescent mental health.
- Good understanding of attachment theory and the impact of disrupted attachment on children/parents in managing relationships.
- Experience of work with children in care.
- Experience either working as a member of a multi- disciplinary team or multi-agency working.
- Good understanding of the range of child and adolescent mental health services
- Knowledge and experience in mental health promotion work.
- Sound understanding of safeguarding and multi-agency partnership working
- Good understanding of the needs of Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children
Desirable
- Experience of working with children with additional learning needs/communication difficulties
Skills
Essential
- Good communication, assessment, planning and recording skills.
- Ability to deliver interventions which address the assessed needs
- Ability to challenge
- Ability to work co-operatively with other disciplines.
- Ability to evaluate interventions and practice for service improvement.
Personal Skills
Essential
- Ability to relate to young people and families.
- Broad understanding of equal opportunities and an ability to work in an anti-discriminating way.
- Enthusiasm, flexibility and willingness to cope with the demands of what can be a stressful job.
- Ability to relate to professional staff from different agencies often at senior levels.
- Car driver and full time use of a car is required
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
