Devon Partnership NHS Trust

Senior Mental Health Practitioner - Children's Crisis Service

The closing date is 01 June 2025

Job summary

Children and Family Health Devon (CFHD) is recruiting Senior Mental Health Practitioners to join our Urgent Care Pathway, with vacancies available in East Devon/Exeter and North Devon.

The Urgent Care team supports children and young people experiencing mental health crisis, delivering timely assessment, intervention and safety planning. The service operates 9am to 10pm, seven days a week, and successful candidates will contribute to a rota that includes evenings and weekends.

Working as part of a friendly, experienced multi-disciplinary team, you will provide crisis care that is trauma-informed, compassionate and youth-centred.

Main duties of the job

Deliver crisis assessments, safety plans, and brief interventions for young people in distress
Respond flexibly to urgent presentations, often in partnership with families and schools
Participate in a rota covering daytime and evening hours, including weekends
Liaise with education, social care and acute services to ensure joined-up care
Support service development, quality improvement and reflective team practice

We Offer:

A welcoming and supportive Urgent Care team in either locality
Clinical supervision, peer support, and opportunities for CPD
The opportunity to make a meaningful impact at a critical time for young people and families

If you are a qualified and compassionate mental health professional looking to specialise in youth crisis care, we would love to hear from you.

About us

Children and Family Health Devon (CFHD) comprises an Alliance of NHS organisations working together to improve health outcomes for children and young people in Devon.

CFHD provides integrated care and treatment for children and young people across physical and mental health which are provided by Torbay and South Devon Foundation Trust and Devon Partnership Trust. We are working closely with other organisations and providers to ensure we deliver locality and county-wide based integrated access to all of our services, based on the i-Thrive Framework.

CFHD works closely with our local universities of Plymouth, Exeter & the Peninsula Medical School where we support students in clinical training placements and in addition support our own staff to undertake post graduate training.

Our integrated care and treatment has been developed and refined in partnership with children, young people and their families/carers.

Our children and young people say

We would like the people who work for Children and Family Health Devon to be understanding, patient and respectful. They should be trustworthy and make us feel safe and comfortable. It is important that they use their skills and experience to listen carefully in a non-patronising and non-judgemental way. When staff are positive and friendly, they help to create an environment that is informal and without pressure.

Date posted

16 May 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£37,338 to £44,962 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

C9369-25-0362

Job locations

Evergreen

Victoria Park Road

Exeter

EX2 4NU

Integrated Childrens Services

Fishleigh Road

Roundswell Business Park

Barnstaple

Devon

EX31 3UD

Job description

Job responsibilities

For the full job description and person specification please refer to the job description attached to this advert, which will provide further information on this role.

Job description

Job responsibilities

For the full job description and person specification please refer to the job description attached to this advert, which will provide further information on this role.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

A professional mental health qualification e.g. RMN, Social Work Degree, BSc/Diploma in OT, SROT, or equivalent
Active registration as with the appropriate professional body e.g. NMC, HCPC

Desirable

Recognised qualification in evidenced-based therapeutic, mental health interventions for children/young people and their families/carers

Experience

Essential

Substantial experience of managing an extensive and complex caseload and working with children/young people presenting with a range of complex mental health presentations.
Working within a community CAMHS mental health setting.
Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency environment.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

Essential

Excellent communication skills including the ability to engage with children/young people of all ages experiencing a wide range of mental health presentations.
Ability to communicate with a wide range of professionals from various settings, sharing own professional knowledge, skills and expertise, whilst valuing the perspective of others.
Able to produce well written reports.
Ability to work flexibly.
Ability to be mobile across a geographical area in a timely manner and in accordance with service need.
Computer literacy.
There will be a requirement to work extended hours which may vary depending on agreed job plan. The Crisis service operates between the hours of 9am and 10pm, 7 days per week, for unplanned crisis care and between the hours of 9am and 8pm (Monday-Friday) and 9am and 5pm Sat/Sun/BH for planned

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

A professional mental health qualification e.g. RMN, Social Work Degree, BSc/Diploma in OT, SROT, or equivalent
Active registration as with the appropriate professional body e.g. NMC, HCPC

Desirable

Recognised qualification in evidenced-based therapeutic, mental health interventions for children/young people and their families/carers

Experience

Essential

Substantial experience of managing an extensive and complex caseload and working with children/young people presenting with a range of complex mental health presentations.
Working within a community CAMHS mental health setting.
Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency environment.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

Essential

Excellent communication skills including the ability to engage with children/young people of all ages experiencing a wide range of mental health presentations.
Ability to communicate with a wide range of professionals from various settings, sharing own professional knowledge, skills and expertise, whilst valuing the perspective of others.
Able to produce well written reports.
Ability to work flexibly.
Ability to be mobile across a geographical area in a timely manner and in accordance with service need.
Computer literacy.
There will be a requirement to work extended hours which may vary depending on agreed job plan. The Crisis service operates between the hours of 9am and 10pm, 7 days per week, for unplanned crisis care and between the hours of 9am and 8pm (Monday-Friday) and 9am and 5pm Sat/Sun/BH for planned

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.