Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust

Specialist Mental Health Practitioner

The closing date is 09 April 2026

Job summary

  • Right to work: We actively promote diversity and inclusion. This role may be eligible for sponsorship under the Health and Care route. We recommend that you assess your eligibility before applying for this position. Visit Health and Care Worker visa: Overview - GOV.UK

This is an exciting opportunity for a Specialist Mental Health Practitioner to join the Liverpool Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service at Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust.

They will be a member of the specialist, multi-disciplinary service and will have case management responsibility for their case load andprovide a range of appropriate, evidence based clinical interventions informed by assessed individual need.

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

We are looking for individuals who have an interest and experience in working with children in care, early years and learning disabilities.

We are also looking for individuals who have skills and experience in engaging families who are from communities that may be at increased risk of social exclusion or marginalisation.

Main duties of the job

To provide highly specialised CAMHS assessment and therapeutic interventions and to offer advice and consultation to other professionals across a range of agencies including: primary care, social care, and education.

The post holder will have clinical responsibility for complex therapeutic and risk management work with children and young people who have been assessed to require specialist CAMHS Intervention.

The services comprise of five multi-disciplinary teams including staff from varied backgrounds, including psychology, psychiatry, social work, nursing and psychotherapy. In addition, our team members are trained in a wealth of different therapeutic interventions and approaches, making the teams truly multi-disciplinary.

About us

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.

We would welcome applications from people from diverse backgrounds as our ambition is that our workforce is fully reflective of the communities that we serve. Alder Hey is signed up to the disability confident scheme.

Details

Date posted

26 March 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£55,690 to £62,682 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

411-COM-26-7855441

Job locations

Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust

Liverpool

L7 9NJ


Job description

Job responsibilities

For further information about this role, please refer to the attached job description and person specification.

Job description

Job responsibilities

For further information about this role, please refer to the attached job description and person specification.

Person Specification

Qualifications, Experience and Training

Essential

  • Core Profession + Registration
  • Intermediate or diploma level in a recognised therapeutic modality.
  • Evidence of continuing professional development
  • Evidence of substantial post qualification competence, incorporating significant experience working within CAMHS at a senior level
  • Experience of working within a multi-disciplinary team.
  • Experience of providing consultation/teaching/ training
  • Experience of working with children and young people, families and carers
  • Experience of clinical supervision
  • Experience of leading on developing, delivering and evaluating evidence based clinical care packages.
  • Work as a member of the multi- disciplinary team.
  • Network with other professional groups/agencies.
  • Assertively engage young people, families and carers.
  • Accept guidance and supervision from senior colleagues.
  • Demonstrate leadership ability To be self-motivated and to work on one's own initiative.
  • To demonstrate a non- discriminatory attitude regarding race, gender and disability issues
  • Demonstrate commitment to user participation
  • Demonstrate a positive attitude

Desirable

  • Relevant post graduate qualification in Mental Health related field
  • Experience of providing services across traditional services.
  • Experience of managing and/or leading on service developments.
  • Experience of managing staff.
  • Project Management experience
  • Effectively managing policy implementation and demonstrable service development work

Skills & Personal Attributes

Essential

  • Demonstrates skills to contribute to modernisation across a range of diverse services
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills
  • Ability to motivate and enthuse colleagues
  • Excellent organisational skills with the ability to respond effectively to multiple priorities
  • Demonstrates the ability to make sound judgments and generate new ideas in complex situations.
  • Able to work autonomously
  • Committed to continuing professional development
  • Accountable for own professional actions
  • Works within professional ethics and Trust policies

Desirable

  • Good analytical and strategic visioning skills.
  • Ability to build credibility quickly and sustain it within the organisation
Person Specification

Qualifications, Experience and Training

Essential

  • Core Profession + Registration
  • Intermediate or diploma level in a recognised therapeutic modality.
  • Evidence of continuing professional development
  • Evidence of substantial post qualification competence, incorporating significant experience working within CAMHS at a senior level
  • Experience of working within a multi-disciplinary team.
  • Experience of providing consultation/teaching/ training
  • Experience of working with children and young people, families and carers
  • Experience of clinical supervision
  • Experience of leading on developing, delivering and evaluating evidence based clinical care packages.
  • Work as a member of the multi- disciplinary team.
  • Network with other professional groups/agencies.
  • Assertively engage young people, families and carers.
  • Accept guidance and supervision from senior colleagues.
  • Demonstrate leadership ability To be self-motivated and to work on one's own initiative.
  • To demonstrate a non- discriminatory attitude regarding race, gender and disability issues
  • Demonstrate commitment to user participation
  • Demonstrate a positive attitude

Desirable

  • Relevant post graduate qualification in Mental Health related field
  • Experience of providing services across traditional services.
  • Experience of managing and/or leading on service developments.
  • Experience of managing staff.
  • Project Management experience
  • Effectively managing policy implementation and demonstrable service development work

Skills & Personal Attributes

Essential

  • Demonstrates skills to contribute to modernisation across a range of diverse services
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills
  • Ability to motivate and enthuse colleagues
  • Excellent organisational skills with the ability to respond effectively to multiple priorities
  • Demonstrates the ability to make sound judgments and generate new ideas in complex situations.
  • Able to work autonomously
  • Committed to continuing professional development
  • Accountable for own professional actions
  • Works within professional ethics and Trust policies

Desirable

  • Good analytical and strategic visioning skills.
  • Ability to build credibility quickly and sustain it within the organisation

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 Children's NHS Foundation Trust

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 Children's NHS Foundation Trust

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

Sam Coppard

sam.coppard@alderhey.nhs.uk

01512933662

Details

Date posted

26 March 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£55,690 to £62,682 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

411-COM-26-7855441

Job locations

Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust

Liverpool

L7 9NJ


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)