Job summary
- Main area
- Mental Health
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Part time - 22.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 354-CS-21745
- Employer
- Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Highmore
- Town
- Hailsham
- Salary
- £47,810 - £54,710 Pro Rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 09/03/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Senior Mental Health Practitioner in Forensic CAMHs
NHS AfC: Band 7
Come and join us
We’re looking for people who share our values of compassion, accountability and optimism to help us provide high quality care for the patients, carers, families and communities we serve. We specialise in NHS mental health and learning disability services and we’re proud to make a difference every day.
At SPFT we put people first. We’ll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. You’ll have opportunities to learn, grow and gain new experiences to support your career, with access to lifelong learning and professional development.
We actively promote flexible working and understand how important work life balance is, especially in healthcare. Whether it’s part time hours, hybrid working or flexible start and finish times, we’ll explore what works for you and the role.
We recognise that AI is becoming part of daily life and you may choose to use it to help prepare your application. We welcome innovation but ask that anything you submit reflects your own abilities, experience and voice. AI can support how you describe your skills and experience, but it should never replace your own words as we want to get to know you.
We’re shaping a workplace where ideas are encouraged, technology supports you and everyone has a voice in how we improve. If that sounds like the kind of organisation you want to be part of, we’d love to hear from you.
Job overview
We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Mental Health Practitioner (Nurse, OT, Social Worker or Psychologist) to join our South East Forensic CAMHS service; a specialist community child and adolescent mental health service for children and young people who present with a serious risk of harm to others and have a range of complex needs, across the South East of England.
Our multidisciplinary service is made up of three locality teams in 1) Kent & Medway, 2) Surrey and 3) Sussex who work closely together in a single professional network, to share knowledge and experience and provide supervision and support. This post is to join Nursing, Psychology and Psychiatry colleagues in the Surrey locality.
Main duties of the job
Clinical practice, including own professional development
- To provide comprehensive assessment of mental health for complex children and young people.
- To manage a caseload of clients with complex mental health needs and undertake case management/lead professional/ CPA as needed.
- To be able to communicate with and meet the needs of families and carers as appropriate to the care group and the individual client.
- To have experience of and specialist knowledge on interventions to be able to lead in clinical area.
- To receive management supervision from Service Manager or equivalent.
- To demonstrate excellent communication skills.
- To establish professional links with other care groups and professionals.
- To work in partnership with other agencies to gain the best person centred outcomes for
the individual.
See attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details.
Working for our organisation
The service is part of a national service model and is run in partnership by Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (SPFT), North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) and Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. The employing Trust for this post is SPFT.
We run a predominantly liaison and consultation service, offering advice, support, structured consultation and training to multiagency colleagues who are working with young people whose behaviour is causing significant concern for their families, community and others involved in their care. In some cases we may offer specialist assessment and intervention.
The Surrey locality team offers a flexible and accessible service across the entirety of the county. The post holder will have some flexibility to negotiate a nominal base most suitable to them, but will be expected to work in an agile way, supporting the team and multiagency colleagues across the whole county.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
In order to be a successful Senior Mental Health Practitioner within our service you will be:
- Registered with a professional body and hold a core professional qualification
- Broad experience of working with clients with a range of mental health problems
- Experience of working with Children or in CAMHs settings would be advantageous.
- Demonstrate excellent verbal and written communication skills with staff, patients, families, carers and professionals
- Able to effectively assess and manage risk
It is essential that candidates have access to their own transport as the role involves travel across the whole Surrey, Sussex and Kent Counties. SPFT staff have the capacity to work from home remotely where applicable and in agreement with your line manager.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Registered Nurse with current registration (mental health / LD/ Adult) or Registered Health Practitioner (AHP or SW) appropriate to the job role
- Degree/diploma level supplemented by specialist qualification, training, experience, courses to masters level equivalent relevant to the care group
- Evidence of post registration training in relevant service area
- Completion of Mentorship Course/ENB equivalent
Knowledge/Experience
Essential criteria
- Extensive post qualifying experience in relevant service area
- Experience of supervising staff and students
- Able to manage a caseload of patients with complex mental health needs
- Comprehensive knowledge of interventions specific to service area
- Awareness of Trust policies and service specification
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
- Anastacia O’Donnell
- Job title
- General Manager, South East FCAMHS
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07827280504
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