Job summary
- Main area
- Mental Health
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 7
- Contract
- 6 months (Fixed Term - 6 Months)
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 363-SS7442008
- Employer
- East London NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- North Beds CAMHS
- Town
- Bedford
- Salary
- £47,810 - £54,710 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 14/09/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Mental Health Practitioner
NHS AfC: Band 7
ELFT has long been recognised as a centre of excellence for mental and health care, innovation and improvement. So it is a very exciting time for you to come and work for us. Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.
Job overview
Bedfordshire Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
Senior Mental Health Practitioner
North Bedfordshire CAMHS Adolescent Mental Health Team
Band 7
37.5 hours per week – Fixed Term for 6 months
We are currently seeking a senior mental health practitioner for a fixed term 6 month position in our CAMHS Adolescent Mental Health Team (AMHT)
The North Bedfordshire CAMHS Adolescent Mental Health Team (AMHT) are a multi-disciplinary team who provide a high quality service to children (and their families) presenting with significant risks and complex mental health and behavioural needs. We are looking for a dynamic, enthusiastic and confident senior mental health practitioner to join our friendly and award winning professional team.
Main duties of the job
The senior mental health practitioner will undertake and interesting a varied role, comprising of undertaking therapeutic intervention in accordance with their professional background and training, caseload management, care coordination and have a passion and interest in multi-agency collaboration and working. Due to the complex needs of young people accessing support from our team, all cases have a minimum of 2 practitioners working together.
To the meet the needs of young people accessing our pathway, the team offers a unique blend of flexible clinic based and assertive outreach intervention and has a focus on establishing and maintaining therapeutic engagement, a strengths based approach and close working and liaison with the network/system around the child/young person and their family/carers.
Working for our organisation
Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To support you in this role, you will receive regular clinical and management supervision sessions and access to a variety of CPD sessions. The team is clinically led and you will also have the opportunity to participate in weekly clinical discussions with the team.
Staff well-being is central to the work the team undertakes and are committed to supporting flexible working patterns and have embedded processes to promote well-being, including regular team debrief, well-being activities and shared breakfasts/lunches
This post is based in Bedford, Bedfordshire, close to the M1 and easily reached by rail and car from North London, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire. The clinic also has access to some on-site free parking and all clinicians are supported by very dedicated and efficient administrative staff. Whilst some of the work is based in the clinic, access to a car is essential as some travel will be required to facilitate outreach support at home or other camhs/ multi-agency sites.
Person specification
Education/ Qualification/ Training
Essential criteria
- Education/ Qualification/ Training A qualification in Child Psychotherapy, Clinical Psychology, Family Therapy, Mental HealthNursing, Counselling Psychology, Social Work or other equivalent profession Nursing Registered Mental Health/Learning Disabilities Nurse Relevant post-graduate qualification in Child and Adolescent Mental Health. Substance mis-use or equivalent (e.g. ENB 603) Clinical Psychology Postgraduate Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) Registration with HPC Family Therapy Qualification in appropriate mental health/social welfare profession such as Social Work, Clinical Psychology, Nursing or Counselling Masters or Doctoral level qualification in Systemic Psychotherapy or AFT agreed equivalent UKCP Registered Child Psychotherapy Honours degree. Postgraduate Diploma/MA in Psychoanalytical Observational Studies or recognised equivalent. Masters in Psychoanalytical Psychotherapy: Child and Adolescent. Registered member of ACP Counselling Psychology Postgraduate Doctorate in Counselling Psychology or its equivalent. Registration with HPC Social Work Recognized Social Work qualification such as Diploma in Social Work with an MA in Social Studies, or Degree level Social Work qualification or CQSW. or other relevant discipline and relevant basic qualifications
Experience
Essential criteria
- At least 18 months of working in CAMHS or equivalent setting, ie adult mental health services with younger adults
- Experience of working in community mental health and working with a multi-agency network
- Experience of managing and supervising junior staff
- Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary setting
- Experience of working in or liaising closely with multi agency teams working with adolescents e.g. Youth Services, YOT etc
- Experience of working with vulnerable young people who present with high risk behaviours
Desirable criteria
- Experience of using CBT
- Specialty CAMHS experience (e.g. YOT/Eating Disorders/ Adolescent Inpatient ward/work in substance abuse)
Skills
Essential criteria
- Evidence of well-developed clinical skills and knowledge in CAMHS, including mental health assessments and therapeutic interventions
- Advanced skills in particular therapeutic approaches
- Proven ability to work with children and young people in distress or through psychiatric emergency
- Experience of working sensitively with distressing material that may have serious implications to young people and their families.
- Able to work effectively in a multi-agency team
- The ability to maintain and represent a CAMHS identity within a multi- agency setting, including managing the dynamics of a team within a team, i.e. The Specialist Workers in that context.
- The ability to participate in training within a multi-agency professional setting. (for example children’s social care, youth services, YOT)
Desirable criteria
- Computer skills
- Establishing and running groups.
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Knowledge of potential barriers and resources within a multi-agency setting that affect mental health and are relevant to children, young people and their families
- Knowledge of Systemic family work
- Knowledge of CBT and group work
- Knowledge of the, Mental Health Act and associated legislation including Child Protection Procedures
- Understanding of best practice in staff supervision and development
Desirable criteria
- Issues which impact on care delivery
- Knowledge of outcome measures.
- Awareness of current national guidelines and polices in the field of CAMHS
- Knowledge of the Children Act
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Matthew Sparks
- Job title
- Clinical Team Lead
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01234 893337
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