South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust
CAMHS Senior Mental Health Practitioner
Closing date: 29 October 2025
1x 37.5 hours per week vacancy available
Hello, my name is Jen Wilson and I am the Team Manager for the Eating Disorder Service at Wakefield CAMHS. We are an award‑winning eating disorder service that comprises passionate multi‑disciplinary team members who strive to achieve the best for our young people with eating disorders and ARFID.
We are seeking an experienced and passionate Senior Mental Health Practitioner to take on a clinical leadership role within the service. The Practitioner will work within the Eating Disorder Team which has recently expanded due to investment. The team is multi‑disciplinary and the successful candidate will work closely with psychiatrists and dietitians to ensure the delivery of a comprehensive tailored package to meet individual needs.
This position is ideal for someone who has strong experience of working with children and young people with an eating disorder diagnosis.
The successful candidate will provide assessments and screenings, hold a caseload of children and young people, support pathway developments within the team and wider service, offer support to young people admitted to a general hospital for physical health concerns and deliver groups to families and carers.
Applications will only be considered for candidates who meet all essential qualification requirements as described in the person specification.
Key duties of the job
* Undertake assessments and initial screening appointments.
* Offer clinical supervision to staff within the Eating Disorder Team and within Wakefield CAMHS.
* Hold a caseload of young people and families and deliver therapeutic intervention.
* Support the Clinical Lead and Team Manager to develop pathways within the Eating Disorder Team.
* Support children, young people and families that are recently discharged from inpatient settings.
* Monitor physical health needs (blood pressure, pulse, weight, etc.).
At the time of advertising, this role meets the minimum requirements set by UK Visas and Immigration to sponsor candidates to work in the UK.
All employees of the Trust are strongly encouraged to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to protect patients.
About us
We are a specialist NHS Foundation Trust that provides community, mental health and learning disability services for the people of Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. We also provide low and medium secure services and are the lead for the West Yorkshire secure provider collaborative.
Our mission is to help people reach their potential and live well in their communities, by providing high‑quality care in the right place at the right time. We employ staff in both clinical and non‑clinical services who work hard to make a difference to the lives of service users, families and carers.
We encourage and welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups. We value diversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expect all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment.
We reserve the right to close the vacancy before the advertised closing date if necessary, so please apply as soon as possible.
Job responsibilities
This job description outlines the main duties of the post. The post‑holder will be required to undertake other duties commensurate with the grade as directed.
To provide highly specialist skills and expertise, facilitating interventions of the highest quality in the field of mental health, including emergency assessments and intensive interventions with children, young people and their families.
To work autonomously and collaboratively within the MDT, providing consultation and teaching for other agencies/professionals.
To provide supervision and teaching to all other disciplines within CAMHS and to deputise as agreed for the team leader.
To promote safeguarding and the welfare of children and young people.
Person Specification
Experience
* Experience of delivering training to others
* Substantial post‑qualification experience, some of which must be working with children, young people and their carers in a mental health or other complex care setting
* Experience of working in different cultural contexts
* Knowledge and experience of working with Equality and Diversity
* Multidisciplinary team working
* Inter‑agency liaison and consultation
* Experience of providing highly specialist advice and supervision to other professionals
* Knowledge of relevant legislation and guidance for working with children, young people, mental health and safeguarding
* Evidence of advanced clinical/therapeutic knowledge and skills in mental health
* Extensive experience in assessment and risk management and ability to implement evidence‑based practice
* Advanced experience of safeguarding children and young people
* Experience of community settings
Physical Attributes
* Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post. A satisfactory sickness record over the previous 2 years (subject to the need to act with fairness and equality of opportunity, particularly where the sickness is related to a disability and/or pregnancy).
Special Knowledge and Skills
* Excellent verbal and communication skills
* Ability to manage own caseload and to be a self‑reliant and autonomous practitioner
* Excellent negotiation skills, and problem solving skills
* Excellent record keeping and report writing skills to include care planning and risk assessments.
Personal Attributes
* Able to work autonomously and as part of a team
* Commitment to multi‑agency approach/working
* Ability to work and make decisions under pressure.
* Calm, confident, innovative, creative and assertive
* Ability to make and lead decisions under pressure/crisis situations
* Willingness to be flexible and adaptable in accordance with changing service priorities.
* Commitment to challenging discrimination and improving accessibility of services.
* Ability to cope calmly in a crisis
* To demonstrate good self‑care and encourage the same in team members
* A current driving licence and access to a car during the working day is essential (reasonable adjustments will be considered for any applicants who are unable to drive due to a disability)
* To have integrity, be honest, open, transparent and respectful.
Qualifications
* Relevant professional qualification, e.g. nursing, or other professional allied to medicine
* Post‑qualification training in identified portfolio, e.g. LD. LAC, eating disorder
* Dip SW or relevant mental health profession
* A teaching and assessing qualification
* Membership of professional body
* Post‑graduate qualification in mental health (e.g. CBT, Family Therapy, Counselling)
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust
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