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Job summary

Main area
Primary
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 7
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
285-2650-CYPF
Employer
Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
The Elms Health Centre
Town
Halesowen
Salary
£49,387 - £56,515 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
20/07/2026 23:59

Employer heading

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust logo

Senior Mental Health Practitioner

NHS AfC: Band 7

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is growing and changing. We provide specialist mental health, learning disability and community services across Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton. We’re looking for people who care about others, take responsibility, treat people with respect and have the confidence to speak up and shape what comes next.

We’re focused on the future, with a clear Trust Strategy and our Best for the Black Country programme driving improvement across our services and communities.

What we do

·       Adult and older adult mental health

·       Children and young people’s mental health

·       Specialist learning disability services

·       Community healthcare for children, young people and families in Dudley

Why join now

We’ve got real momentum. Clear priorities and our Best for the Black Country work mean things are moving in the right way, fast.

Our culture is built around being compassionate, accountable, respectful and empowering each other - you’ll see this in how teams support patients and colleagues every day.
You’ll be looked after. Flexible working, family-friendly policies, supportive teams, proper wellbeing support and opportunities to learn and develop.

There’s room to grow. A wide range of services, space to try ideas and a voice that’s heard.

It’s a great place to live. Diverse communities, good transport links, strong schools and green space, with a lower cost of living than many city regions.

What it’s like to work here

You’ll join friendly, skilled teams who look out for each other. We plan together, share pressures and celebrate wins. You’ll be encouraged to take ownership, speak up and learn from experience. New starters get a warm welcome and clear induction; early careers colleagues have preceptorship and buddying; experienced staff can lead, teach and innovate.

Who we are

We’re 4,000+ colleagues from many backgrounds, committed to improving health and wellbeing for our communities and for each other. If you’re interested in the role but don’t meet every requirement, please apply — we value potential, different perspectives and people who want to grow.

Job overview

We have a vacancy for a Band 7 CAMHS Senior Mental Health Practitioner within the Dudley Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service and are looking for an enthusiastic and committed individual to join our team. 

We are seeking a highly motivated and dynamic individual with a keenness and ability to integrate your current skills and apply them in this context. Important qualities are good communication skills, working co-operatively and thinking creatively.  

Main duties of the job

The post-holder will be joining a supportive and forward-thinking team who pride themselves on their commitment to the continual development and improvement of patient care. Clinical and leadership supervision, and continuing professional development, are highly valued. Additionally, there are opportunities to join peer supervision and other groups. We are able to offer great opportunities for career progression, with many members of the service seeking and successfully securing promotions. The post will have active links with, and support from, both the wider CAMHS Service and professionals within the Trust. 

 

As a Senior Mental Health Practitioner you will be responsible for the care of a caseload of young people with various emotional and mental health needs. You will also undertake regular assessments of young people who are new to the service, and be responsible for making recommendations about their future care. In addition you will take part in the duty rota. You will have a ‘can do’ attitude and work collaboratively with colleagues in the team and partner agencies. You will be able to work creatively to meet the needs of young people and their families. You will have a sound understanding of the principles of risk assessment and management. In return, we will provide you with robust supervision, opportunities to attend peer group meetings, personal development and training opportunities. 

Working for our organisation

CAMHS professionals support a wide range of mental health needs. Many children and young people are troubled by emotional, behavioural, neuro diversity and psychiatric challenges. These can cause worry and distress both to themselves and to those who care for them.  A large part of the CAMHS professionals’ work is to identify the problem, understand the causes and advise about what may help.

 

Our CAMHS Service is a multi-disciplinary team of psychologists, specialist nurses, systemic, child psychotherapists, play therapists, drama therapist, occupational therapists, social workers and consultant psychiatrists, who are passionate in their aim to work with children, young people and their families in developing creative solutions to improve their mental health difficulties.  The BCHFT CAMHS Service currently operates across 4 geographical areas (Sandwell, Wolverhampton, Dudley and Walsall) with contracts in each area.  Each of the teams have a specialist learning disability team dedicated to children and young people with a moderate to severe learning disability and specialist Children and Young People in Care Teams

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To provide clinical and team leadership with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS).

To lead and work with other members of the multi-disciplinary CAMHS Team and with colleagues from other services, providing expertise in the care of children and young people with complex mental health needs and their families.

To provide expert advice, support and supervision on a regular basis to a wide ranging workforce on all aspects of safeguarding children where matters can be highly complex and in difficult, sensitive and emotive situations.

To provide professional expertise in the assessment, planning, implementation and review of care for children and young people in CAMHS.

To support the Dudley CAMHS Duty rota system. 

To provide professional advice and support to other agencies and members of the multi-disciplinary team.

To support the service manager by offering professional leadership, team leadership and line management supervision to other team members.

Person specification

EDUCATION

Essential criteria
  • • Recognsied professional qualification and registration in CAMHS related subject e.g. Registered Mental Health Nurse, Registered Childrens Nurse , Occupational Therapist, Psychologist, Psychotherapist or equivalent
  • • Degree/equivalent experience in CAMHS related field

SKILLS

Essential criteria
  • • Demonstrates advanced assessment, risk assessment and care planning skills
  • • Demonstrates ability to apply a variety of therapeutic approaches within a CAMH setting.
  • • Has trained in a specfic therapeutic intervention such as CBT, DBT, EMDR, SFT etc.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

Essential criteria
  • • Demonstrates extensive experience of working in specialist CAMHS or equivalent transferable skills.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoNo smoking policyAge positiveDisability confident leaderCare quality commission - GoodArmed Forces Covenant Bronze Award

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

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Mark Edgerton
Job title
Dudley CAMHS Service Manager/Clinical Lead
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01384 324689
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