Job summary
Join us as a CAMHS Specialist Practitioner and play a central role in improving the experience of children and young people moving through our Southwark CAMHS pathways. You will help make care transitions smoother, faster and more coordinated, so families feel supported every step of the way.
In this role, you will draw on your clinical expertise to carry out specialist assessments, deliver evidence-based interventions and guide practitioners managing complex discharge cases. You will hold a small caseload, offering meaningful therapeutic work that has a direct impact on young people's lives.
You will work closely with a wide range of professionals across health, education, social care and voluntary services. Your ability to collaborate, problem-solve and navigate systems will help remove barriers to discharge and improve continuity of care for those who need it most.
This is an opportunity to grow as a clinician, contribute to service development and support junior colleagues through supervision and shared learning. If you want to use your skills to shape better outcomes and be part of a committed, multidisciplinary CAMHS community, we would love to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
1. Lead on the coordination of patient flow across the Southwark CAMHS community pathways, ensuring timely access and discharge planning.
2. Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to identify barriers to discharge and implement solutions.
3. Support and advice teams on recording care pathways effectively on epjs and monitor recording reports.
4. Monitor caseloads, length of stay, last contacts and service capacity to support effective resource allocation and reduce waiting times.
5. Liaise with external agencies and services to facilitate smooth transitions and continuity of care.
6. Provide clinical oversight and support to practitioners managing complex discharge cases.
7. With senior colleagues, evaluate and review the therapeutic strategic outcomes for the team and set aims and objectives and the monitor practice to assure quality standards of care.
8. Establish and maintain evidence-based practice in the assessment and treatment of young people in crisis or needing intensive and/or crisis intervention.
About us
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust(SLaM) provide the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK as well as substance misuse services for people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. We work closely with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London and are part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre. There are very few organisations in the world that have such wide-ranging capabilities working with mental illness. Our scope is unique because it is built on three major foundations: care and treatment, science and research, and training.
Job description
Job responsibilities
1. Assume responsibility for own case list and case management of children, adolescents and families who are determined to be at high risk.
2. Provide primary CAMHS assessments, other specialist assessments and risk assessments to identify and diagnose the cause of emotional and behavioural problems in children and young people.
3. Formulate care plans, based on the primary CAMHS assessment. Design, write and share a copy of the care plan with children, young people and their carers.
4. Carry out the care plan using evidence-based models of psychological and psychotherapeutic interventions.
5. Participate and lead in joint complex assessments with other disciplines and other agencies and provide reports for referrers, families and other agencies as required, including 'witness of fact' court reports where appropriate.
6. Assess safeguarding issues for each case and refer concerns to Child Protection teams.
7. Maintain good relationships and clear lines of communication with other professional agencies and departments, providing specialist advice and support where appropriate.
Job description
Job responsibilities
1. Assume responsibility for own case list and case management of children, adolescents and families who are determined to be at high risk.
2. Provide primary CAMHS assessments, other specialist assessments and risk assessments to identify and diagnose the cause of emotional and behavioural problems in children and young people.
3. Formulate care plans, based on the primary CAMHS assessment. Design, write and share a copy of the care plan with children, young people and their carers.
4. Carry out the care plan using evidence-based models of psychological and psychotherapeutic interventions.
5. Participate and lead in joint complex assessments with other disciplines and other agencies and provide reports for referrers, families and other agencies as required, including 'witness of fact' court reports where appropriate.
6. Assess safeguarding issues for each case and refer concerns to Child Protection teams.
7. Maintain good relationships and clear lines of communication with other professional agencies and departments, providing specialist advice and support where appropriate.
Person Specification
Essential
Essential
- First level nursing qualification/registration RMN or RSCN or HV
- First level qualification in art, play, or drama therapy with related experience in the psychological aspects of caring for children and adolescent with mental health problems/needs, developmental/ learning disability problems
- Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team as a specialist practitioner in a mental health setting.
- Experience of undertaking crisis mental health assessments.
- Evidence of experience of clinical governance and audit and the process of clinical supervision
Person Specification
Essential
Essential
- First level nursing qualification/registration RMN or RSCN or HV
- First level qualification in art, play, or drama therapy with related experience in the psychological aspects of caring for children and adolescent with mental health problems/needs, developmental/ learning disability problems
- Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team as a specialist practitioner in a mental health setting.
- Experience of undertaking crisis mental health assessments.
- Evidence of experience of clinical governance and audit and the process of clinical supervision
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).
