Community CAMHS - Clinical Psychologist

Job overview

CAMHS Clinical Psychologist, Band 8a, 0.8wte (30 hours)

As a result of service reconfiguration, we have developed an exciting opportunity for a Clinical Psychologist wanting to develop their expertise and experience within an expanding Community CAMHS service covering the North Nottinghamshire area (Newark, Sherwood, and Bassetlaw).

We will also consider developing this role as a preceptorship post Band 7-8a and welcome applications from recently qualified clinical psychologists or those due to qualify in 2025.

The post holder will join existing clinical psychologists and be part of a multidisciplinary team including nursing, social workers, psychiatry, and a broad range of psychological therapists and family support workers.

You will also join an integrated, friendly, and supportive group of 21 Psychologists working across Nottinghamshire. There are good opportunities for continued professional development, strong mechanisms for support and good links with the DClinpsy courses at Nottingham Trent, Sheffield, and Leicester Universities.

The post holder is required to hold a post graduate doctorate in clinical psychology as accredited by the BPS and have Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registration. Experience in working with children, young people, their families /carers and supporting networks is essential.

For further information or informal enquiries please contact Ryan Smith, Clinical Team Lead or Dr Liz Ferreira, CAMHS Clinical Psychologist.

Main duties of the job

To participate and undertake clinically relevant research/audits and specific clinical lead roles that support the community Team Leads and Professional Lead in developing the service.

Working for our organisation

Our care is provided from over 200 sites, spanning community locations, acute settings, and secure environments, including prisons.

We are one of the largest mental health and community Trusts in the East Midlands and one of Nottinghamshire's biggest employers. We also host national and regional services, such as the National High Secure Deaf Service and the Nottingham Centre for Transgender Health.

These networks play a vital role in supporting our diverse workforce and promoting a culture of inclusivity.

The health and wellbeing of our colleagues is a top priority. We invest significantly in this through in-house occupational health and staff counselling services, supported by a dedicated Health and Wellbeing team.

The Trust is committed to reducing its carbon emissions, with a specialised Energy and Environmental team working to ensure compliance with environmental legislation, enhance our environmental performance, and achieve our net-zero commitment.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To provide specialist psychological assessment for children and young people referred to the Community CAMHS team, based on the appropriate use, interpretation, and integration of highly complex psychological data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations, and semi-structured interviews. This includes assessment as part of a multi-disciplinary team where extremely complex systemic presentations demand extensive assessment.
• Formulate, implement, and evaluate therapeutic interventions for young people in line with their training modality and experience.
• To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for young people, their families and care systems. To also monitor and evaluate progress during treatment and multi-disciplinary care with responsibility to make reasonable adjustments and refinements to psychological formulations drawing upon different psychological models and maintaining several provisional hypotheses.
• To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options, considering current theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning developmental difficulties, chronic illness, and historical processes that have affected the young person, family, or care system.
• To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment, and discharge of young people.
• To provide specialist psychological advice and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to young people’s formulation, diagnosis, and treatment plan. This would include the dissemination of psychology research and theory.
• To act, where appropriate, as multi-agency coordinator for the planning and review of care plans for children involved with complex, multi-agency systems.
• To undertake risk assessment and management for clients and to provide general advice to other professionals on psychological aspects of risk assessment and management.
• Attend multi-disciplinary meetings relating to referrals or clients in treatment, where appropriate.
• Offer clinical assessment and evidence-based intervention whilst observing current best practice, legislation, and guidance.
• Manage a caseload whilst considering and adhering to safeguarding policy and procedure alongside national/local legislation.
• Plan and successfully manage smooth transitions where they are clinically indicated.
• Aim to be innovative and creative in the delivery of therapeutic intervention/care bundle, and offer psychoeducation to children, young people, and families.
• Involve the system around the young person in treatment as appropriate, e.g. parent/carer, school, conveying therapy formulations with sensitivity in easily understood language.
• Keep coherent records of all clinical activity in line with service protocols.
• Work closely with other members of the team ensuring appropriate step-up and step-down arrangements are in place to maintain a stepped care approach.
• Observe and adhere to the Community CAMHS service specification, vision, aims and objectives

• Prepare and present clinical information for all patients on their caseload to clinical and case management supervisors within the service on an agreed and scheduled basis, to ensure safe practice and the clinical governance obligations of the worker, supervisor and service are delivered.
• To access and maintain all essential training.
• To regularly supervise and support the work of Trainee & Assistant Psychologists
• Seek support from the Clinical and Operational Lead(s) where needed, as well as accessing regular clinical and managerial supervision as per trust policy and professional registration requirements.
• To maintain competency, skills and a thorough working knowledge of the safeguarding children’s agenda, and to participate in safeguarding children supervision.
• To maintain up-to-date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies, and procedures in relation to children’s mental health and social care needs.

• Ensure the maintenance of standards of practice according to the employer and any regulating, professional, and accrediting bodies (e.g., NMC, SWE, BPS, HCPC, BABCP), and keep up to date on new recommendations/guidelines set by the department of health.
• To maintain professional registration and to act in accordance with professional codes of conduct, practice, and guidelines.
• Ensure that client confidentiality is always protected and comply with data management systems and processes including submissions to the training provider.
• Ensure clear professional objectives are identified, discussed,

• To maintain expected levels of clinician: client activity.
• To maintain accurate, timely and relevant clinical records both written and electronic in line with the trusts policies and procedures
• Work in partnership with other teams within the Nottinghamshire and bordering CAMHS Services.
• To attend and participate in team meetings, business meetings, supervision and support meetings as required.
• Keep up to date all records in relation to Continuous Professional Development and ensure personal development plan maintains up to date specialist knowledge of latest theoretical and service delivery models/developments.

• To contribute to the development of best practice within the service.
• Support colleagues and stakeholders in tackling stigma relating to mental health.
• To ensure effective multi agency partnership working and increase the accessibility for services that work with children and young people’s emotional health and wellbeing needs.
• Ensure adequate mechanisms for service user involvement to influence service design.
• To develop an ethos of continuous quality improvement, striving to deliver a higher standard of professional care to the child and family.
• To value diversity and promote equality of opportunity ensuring that individuals are treated fairly and respected for their contribution in terms of experience, knowledge, and skills.
• To be mindful to the needs of children, young people, families, and individuals from a wide range of racial, cultural, sexual, religious, and social backgrounds to be inclusive of learning disabilities and to develop with colleagues’ innovative ways of meeting these needs.
• All employees have a duty and responsibility for their own health and safety and the health of safety of colleagues, patients, and the public.
• All employees have a responsibility and a legal obligation to ensure that information processed for both patients and staff is kept accurate, confidential, secure and in line with the GDPR and Security and Confidentiality Policies.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Post graduate doctorate in clinical psychology as accredited by the BPS
• Current registration with HCPC

Experience

• Experience of providing specialist clinical psychology services to children & young people aged 0-18 and their families
• Experience of working with people who have difficulty in engaging with services and have complex mental health needs
• Experience of assessing, formulating, planning, care coordinating, caseload management and supporting children and young people with mental health problems in a community setting
• Experience of working as part and within a multi-agency environment
• Able to develop good therapeutic relationships with clients
• Experience of consultation and/or training to CAMHS and other service staff supporting Children and their families
• Experience in applying psychological therapy in the treatment of complex mental health needs

• Experience of working in or alongside Tier 4 highly specialist inpatient provision for children & young people with highly complex mental health needs
• Experience of providing clinical supervision
• Experience in the assessment and treatment of children & YP with ADHD & ASD presentations

Knowledge

• Be committed to anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice
• Knowledge of the theory and practices of specialist psychological therapies as practised within the field of clinical psychology and relevant to children, young people and their families who present with complex mental health difficulties
• Knowledge of relevant legislation within service area i.e. The Mental Health Act, Children Act, Mental Capacity Act
• Familiarity and understanding of key national documents and developments affecting the delivery of CAMHS
• Demonstrates an understanding of mental health difficulties in children and young people and how these may present
• Knowledge of approaches or models of working appropriate to children & young people and their families
• Knowledge of approaches or models of working specific to children with developmental vulnerabilities

Skills

• Ability to undertake comprehensive mental health assessments of young people and their families in relation to complex mental health difficulties. Skills in the assessment of children & young people with possible Intellectual and neurodevelopmental difficulties
• Able to assess clinical risk, develop and communicate appropriate risk management plans
• Skills and knowledge in utilising specific assessments and outcome measures including (CYPIAPT/CORC measures: RCADS, CORS/ORS etc)
• Able to build purposeful, effective relationships with children and families
• Able to communicate clearly, sensitively, and effectively both verbally and in writing using best evidence methods with children of different ages and abilities, their families, and the professional system
• Ability to plan, implement and evaluate therapeutic interventions
• The ability to manage a caseload and act as the lead professional for patients on your caseload
• Ability to reflect on and critically appraise the performance of self and others
• Ability to use information technology effectively to promote effective working within relevant legislation and Trust policies, including the production of complex and comprehensive reports
• Excellent Interpersonal skills

• Experience of facilitating group work, training, and consultation
• Research & or Audit activity undertaken within a Specialist CAMHS setting
• Supervision of audit & research activity within a specialist CAMHS setting

Contractual Requirements

• A full UK driving license and vehicle for business use is required for this post; however, reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled individuals in line with the Equality Act 2010

Training

• Additional psychological therapies training both formal and informal as part of CPD relevant to CAMHS

• Additional specialist assessment training specific to CAMHS
• Additional training in relation to supervision of unqualified and qualified staff
• Additional training in relation to the assessment and treatment of Neurodevelopmental presentation

Values and Behaviours

• All colleagues are expected to demonstrate that they act in line with Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Values: Trust Honesty Respect Compassion Teamwork
• All colleagues are expected to demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) and how it applies to their role. The Trust’s expectations are highlighted within our EDI Policy, and associated EDI and Human Rights legislation.