CAMHS Mental Health Practitioner
Our Vision is to provide the best mental health, learning disability, autism and community based services for the populations we serve.
As an integrated mental health, learning disability and community Trust, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including:
- Primary and secondary mental health care for children and adults including specialist inpatient child and adolescent mental health provision, perinatal mental health, forensic services including low and medium secure care.
- Specialist community support for children and adults with learning disabilities and autism, including intensive support.
- Community physical health and well-being services for children and adults.
The Trust was first established in 2002 and employs approximately 7,000 staff who provide care from more than 400 sites. The organisation offers opportunities for medics, mental health and general nurses, allied health professionals, psychology, administration and clerical staff, apprentices and volunteers.
Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust supports flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as; term time, part time, compressed hours, home/remote working, and flexi-time.
For more information visit our website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT.
Job overview
This is an exciting opportunity to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team within Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). As part of the team you will take a leadership role in the delivery of high quality service provision that promotes and improves the mental health and well-being of children and young people, their families and carers.Working within a systemic and holistic framework you will undertake needs led, evidence based, highly skilled assessments and therapeutic interventions to children and young people, their families and carers, who present to the service. These assessments will also include young people needing support due to deliberate self-harm.
We are looking for a registered nurse, qualified social worker, occupational therapist or equivalent non core qualification - ideally with a minimum of 12 months recent experience within a CAMHS setting or experience in working within Mental Health.The successful candidate will be enthusiastic, self-motivating, have the ability to case manage and will display excellent interpersonal and communication skills in order to establish good working relationships essential to the success of the service.
The CAMHS services within LSCFT are undergoing a transformation programme to implement the THRIVE model as a response to the Five Year Forward View. To meet this forward thinking view we are specifically looking for practitioners with a modern mind-set and an enthusiasm for the new model.
Main duties of the job- To work as part of a multi-disciplinary team:-
- To take a role in the delivery of high quality service provision that promotes and improves the mental health and well-being of children and young people, their families and carers.
- Within a systemic and holistic framework undertake needs led, evidence based, highly skilled assessments and therapeutic interventions to children and young people, their families and carers, who present to the service, including as a result of deliberate self-harm.
- As part of an integrated CAMHS service actively liaise and support robust partnership working arrangements between the CAMHS Team and community partners and other key stakeholders involved with the child across agencies in order that an integrated package of care is developed.
- Provide a high level of generic skills and competencies and work towards development of areas of clinical expertise within the field of CAMHS, complimenting other members of the team.
- To provide clinical leadership and supervision to a skill mixed team, and to facilitate a culture of learning and reflective practice.
- To work in collaboration with the (service manager / team leader) to support the clinical governance / public health and NHS modernisation agenda.
- To actively contribute to the implementation of the safeguarding agenda within the service, in partnership with the Lancashire Care safeguarding team.
Working for our organisation
Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including secondary mental health care across this area. Specialist provision comprises inpatient child and adolescent mental health services, perinatal mental health and forensic services including low and medium secure care.
The Trust also provides a range of physical health and well-being services in the community alongside a range of partners in the Lancashire, Cumbria and Sefton area.Lancashire & South Cumbria Foundation Trust encourages flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as; term time, part time, compressed hours, flexi-time and career breaks.
We encourage applicants to state clearly on their application forms this request and discuss these options at interview.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about this role.
Person specification
Education/ Qualifications
Essential criteria- First level qualification, RMN or equivalent such as CQSW or occupational therapy
- Information technology skills sufficient to the undertaking of the post.
Knowledge
Essential criteria- An ability to think systemically and holistically.
- Demonstrable Knowledge and skills in evidence based needs led assessments, of highly complex and co-morbid presentations of children, young people, their families and carers.
- Demonstrable Knowledge and skills in evidence based therapeutic interventions relevant to the needs of this client group.
- Demonstrable ability to communicate to clients, their families and professionals sensitive and often difficult to receive information, using various methods including verbal, non-verbal, written and presentation skills.
- Good knowledge of legislation, acts and developments relevant to the field of child related work.
Experience
Essential criteria- Evidence of an ability to effectively manage own workload and able to work autonomously.
- Working within a team and /or multi-agency arenas.
Please note that further communication from Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCft) will normally be to the email address given on the application form. You should also ensure that email addresses and telephone numbers are provided for your referees, to enable LSCft to contact them.
Please be aware the use of artificial intelligence (AI) when submitting an application is monitored and if you have used AI to generate an application, you are required to declare this on your application form. AI-generated content may lack specificity and fail to address key criteria outlined in the job description.Personalisation is essential when submitting an application form to convey your skills, knowledge, and experiences effectively.
Please ensure that you read the person specification attached below as your application will be measured against this document. Applications from job share partners are welcome and other forms of flexible working will be considered for all posts.
For all posts which require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check please be aware of the Disclosure and Barring Service Code of Practice, a copy of which is available by logging on to the DBS website. If the post is subject to DBS disclosure, a charge will be made to the successful candidate(s).
You are advised to consider applying for LSCft vacancies as soon as possible as in some instances vacancies are closed as soon as a sufficient number of applications have been received. If you are not invited to interview within three weeks of the closing date then please assume that on this occasion you have been unsuccessful, as it is not possible to contact all unsuccessful candidates.
LSCft is committed to celebrating difference as an asset and we know that recruiting talent from diverse backgrounds helps to create a more flexible, creative and effective workforce. We actively challenge discrimination and welcome applications from people regardless of age, disability (particularly those with experience of accessing or caring for someone who has accessed mental health or learning disability services), ethnicity, gender, religion or belief or sexual orientation.
Our goal is for the Trust to be truly representative of the communities we serve so we are particularly keen to receive applications from people in under-represented groups. If there is anything you’d like to discuss in relation to your application then please ask.