Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust

Senior Mental Health Practitioner or Clinical Psychologist

The closing date is 06 August 2025

Job summary

Liverpool Enhanced Support Team is looking for an experienced Senior Mental Health Practitioner or Clinical Psychologist to join our service.

The Enhanced Support Team works with children and young people with complex needs who present with high risk, high harm behaviours and high vulnerability. They are likely to have difficulties in multiple domains which are persistent, severe and are framed by family and social contexts. This may include children and young people who are involved in youth justice services, not in education employment or training, who engage in substance misuse, have multiple adverse childhood experiences, who are neurodiverse or have speech language and communication difficulties etc. These children and young people are likely to have been referred to multiple services, but there are significant barriers to engagement

Liverpool Enhanced Support Team has links into Community CAMHS however is integrated with Childrens Services including Social Care and Youth Justice.

The successful applicant will contribute to the clinical work of the team and hold case management responsibility for their workload. Provision of supervision to lower banded team members, trainees and other internal professionals as required.

We are particularly seeking candidates who have substantial experience of working within complex systems, providing case consultation, multi-agency formulations and working with families indirectly via wider professional involvement.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will undertake appropriate mental health assessment of children and young people referred to CAMHS and provide a range of appropriate, evidence based clinical interventions informed by assessed individual need.

The post holder will provide support, advice and consultation to families/carers and other professionals involved in the life of the child/young person

About us

Liverpool Enhanced Support Team is part of the North-Mersey Vanguard, funded via NHS England Health and Justice to implement Framework for Integrated Care (Community),which was developed in response to the commitment set out in the NHS Long Term Plan to further invest in services for children and young people with complex needs.

Alder Hey has already earned our place as one of the world's leading children's hospitals, thanks to innovation and pioneering medical work. We treat 250,000 young patients a year and have a broad range of hospital and community services, serving the local population of children, as well as being a tertiary referral centre for children from across Merseyside, Cheshire and parts of Lancashire, Shropshire and North Wales.

Every individual makes a valuable contribution and Alder Hey is proud of its long history of providing pioneering and innovative healthcare to children and young people. We are looking for motivated and enthusiastic candidates to join our dynamic and experienced CAMHS team

Interested candidates are strongly encouraged to contact Laura Spike (Clinical Lead) for discussion regarding the job role and service overview.

Details

Date posted

24 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

411-COM-25-7354824

Job locations

Alder Hey

Liverpool

L7 9NJ


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached job description and person specification for more details about duties and responsibilities.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached job description and person specification for more details about duties and responsibilities.

Person Specification

Skills

Essential

  • Skills in the use of complex methods of mental health assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
  • Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
  • Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.

Qualifications & Training

Essential

  • Qualified in core profession such as Mental Health Nurse (RMN), Mental Health Practitioner, Clinical Psychologist, Occupational Therapy, Social Work or creative therapies e.g. Art Therapy or Recognised degree level broad based health & social care qualification which will require completion of The British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) Knowledge Skills and Attributes
  • Accredited therapeutic training

Desirable

  • Pre-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of child and adolescent mental health.
  • Post graduate (masters and above) level study

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of specialist mental health assessment and therapeutic interventions with children and young people with mental health problems and their families.
  • Working collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary team
  • Working collaboratively with other agencies in a variety of venues.
  • Experience of working with a wide variety of child mental health problems, across the whole age range, reflecting all levels of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems and verbal and physical abuse.
  • Must be experienced in providing risk assessment of self harming behaviour
  • Must be experienced in analysing presenting problems and able to demonstrate ability to work autonomously utilising a range of therapeutic perspectives and modalities, depending on the needs of the client.
  • Must be experienced in and able to demonstrate ability to provide case management supervision for lower banded CAMHS Workers, students and other service group/team professionals as required.
  • Must demonstrate ability to be self-reflective and to organise own supervision appropriately. Must be able to demonstrate ability to develop and evaluate consultation and training to other professionals and to staff groups.

Desirable

  • Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision
  • Experience of the application of specialist mental health assessment and therapeutic interventions of in different cultural contexts.
  • Experience of working with children and young people in a range of clinical settings.

Knowledge

Essential

  • Some knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
  • Must demonstrate knowledge of the evidence base in their practice.
  • Must demonstrate understanding of child development and psychosocial influences
  • Must demonstrate a working understanding of systemic, psychodynamic and cognitive theories along with recognition of when each approach is appropriate.
  • Must demonstrate knowledge of audit and evaluation methodology.
  • Must demonstrate knowledge of research methodology.
  • Must demonstrate an understanding of current government initiatives underpinning service developments. Must demonstrate strong organisational skills.
  • Must be able to demonstrate the ability to manage aspects of service development in line with government initiatives

Desirable

  • Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc)
  • High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised therapies/interventions
  • Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of child and adolescent mental health.
Person Specification

Skills

Essential

  • Skills in the use of complex methods of mental health assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
  • Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
  • Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.

Qualifications & Training

Essential

  • Qualified in core profession such as Mental Health Nurse (RMN), Mental Health Practitioner, Clinical Psychologist, Occupational Therapy, Social Work or creative therapies e.g. Art Therapy or Recognised degree level broad based health & social care qualification which will require completion of The British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) Knowledge Skills and Attributes
  • Accredited therapeutic training

Desirable

  • Pre-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of child and adolescent mental health.
  • Post graduate (masters and above) level study

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of specialist mental health assessment and therapeutic interventions with children and young people with mental health problems and their families.
  • Working collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary team
  • Working collaboratively with other agencies in a variety of venues.
  • Experience of working with a wide variety of child mental health problems, across the whole age range, reflecting all levels of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems and verbal and physical abuse.
  • Must be experienced in providing risk assessment of self harming behaviour
  • Must be experienced in analysing presenting problems and able to demonstrate ability to work autonomously utilising a range of therapeutic perspectives and modalities, depending on the needs of the client.
  • Must be experienced in and able to demonstrate ability to provide case management supervision for lower banded CAMHS Workers, students and other service group/team professionals as required.
  • Must demonstrate ability to be self-reflective and to organise own supervision appropriately. Must be able to demonstrate ability to develop and evaluate consultation and training to other professionals and to staff groups.

Desirable

  • Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision
  • Experience of the application of specialist mental health assessment and therapeutic interventions of in different cultural contexts.
  • Experience of working with children and young people in a range of clinical settings.

Knowledge

Essential

  • Some knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
  • Must demonstrate knowledge of the evidence base in their practice.
  • Must demonstrate understanding of child development and psychosocial influences
  • Must demonstrate a working understanding of systemic, psychodynamic and cognitive theories along with recognition of when each approach is appropriate.
  • Must demonstrate knowledge of audit and evaluation methodology.
  • Must demonstrate knowledge of research methodology.
  • Must demonstrate an understanding of current government initiatives underpinning service developments. Must demonstrate strong organisational skills.
  • Must be able to demonstrate the ability to manage aspects of service development in line with government initiatives

Desirable

  • Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc)
  • High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised therapies/interventions
  • Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of child and adolescent mental health.

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).

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.

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).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Alder Hey

Liverpool

L7 9NJ


Employer's website

https://alderhey.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Alder Hey

Liverpool

L7 9NJ


Employer's website

https://alderhey.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Clinical Lead, Liverpool Enhanced Support Team

Laura Spike

laura.spike@alderhey.nhs.uk

Details

Date posted

24 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

411-COM-25-7354824

Job locations

Alder Hey

Liverpool

L7 9NJ


Supporting documents

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