Join to apply for the CAMHS Mental Health Practitioner role at Louder Than Words
37.5 hours per week
Band 5 Mental Health Practitioner
Job is for a child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) crisis and home treatment pathway within a fast‑paced community service. The role is highly organised, self‑motivated, and requires evidence‑based assessment and intervention for young people experiencing mental health crises and emotional distress.
Location
200 Mount Gould Road, Mount Gould, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 7PY
Salary
£31,049 to £37,796 a year, pro‑rated
Employment
Permanent; Full‑time, Part‑time, Job share, Flexible working.
Responsibilities
* To improve children and young peoples mental health through the delivery of an integrated and coordinated system of community‑based mental health care to children, young people, and their families, providing safe, culturally competent, effective, cost efficient, timely and accessible services that are in accordance with national and local priorities and responsive to the needs and views of local children, young people and their families.
* To provide clinical input to the team, delivering practice within best evidence and to the highest possible standard. The post will rotate across teams within the CAMHS service.
* For non‑medical prescribers the role will involve the use of an evidence‑based approach to assess and make an informed prescribing decision for a defined caseload of children and young people. This will be based on a clear theoretical framework and will take full account of the child or young persons developmental needs, gender, ethnicity, religion, race, ability, and sexual orientation.
* The post holder will be responsible for engaging and demonstrating ongoing CPD in relation to prescribing practice, and to support other clinicians undergoing the training.
* To contribute to a positive working environment and open learning culture, which supports high morale and commitment within the Community Mental Health Team promoting wellbeing, personal development, and continuous improvement in the standards of business activities and professional practice.
* The post holder will demonstrate effective skills in the assessment and reassessment of risk and complex behaviour issues and communicate concerns accurately in a timely fashion. This is inclusive of priority assessments and requires multi‑agency responses to risk assessment and risk management plans.
* The post holder will make an autonomous decision about the treatment, time of discharge, and agree with the child, young person, and family/carers as well as multi‑agency key partners. Communicate a summary of the work undertaken and how to sustain improvements made and include correspondence to General Practitioner.
* To work with children/young people/families and professionals working with them, to reduce the stigma associated with mental health and contribute to the embedding of a positive message about maintaining good mental health.
* The post holder will be expected to draw upon experience and knowledge gained through training and practice relating to child development, child and adolescent mental health and adult mental health.
* The post holder is required to maintain high effective standards in the recording of clinical observations and actions, risk and risk management including child protection in health records.
* All roles may involve work with families at their homes, education, and community settings and at base as appropriate/required by children/young people and their families.
* The post holder will strongly adhere to culturally competent and anti‑discriminatory practice, promote equity of opportunity, and use their professional position to empower others and challenge power imbalances where they are found to exist.
* The post holder will contribute to the CAMHS Duty Rota which operates daily.
* All CAMHS clinicians are expected to promote the mental health and emotional well‑being of children and young people.
* The post holder will play a role in encouraging and co‑coordinating collaboration between all agencies by attending multi‑agency meetings such as multi‑agency CAF meetings, child protection case conferences, education reviews etc., to provide a mental health perspective.
* The post holder will develop excellent and effective communication skills, applicable to working both with young people, their families, and professional systems. Acting as a point of liaison between specialist CAMHS and universal services to ensure improved communication and collaboration via a range of different interfaces, forums, and meetings e.g., presenting at meetings within Plymouth.
* Maintain good activity records and provide them in a timely manner for inputting onto the electronic system.
* Be available for and make use of clinical supervision, child protection supervision and operational line management supervision.
* The Post holder is responsible for attending clinical supervision a minimum requirement of an hour per month.
* The post holder will need to organise their own workload under the support and supervision of the Clinical Team Manager.
* Maintain health records to the standards required by LSW.
* Contribute to a strong team ethos of enquiry, development, and improvement.
* Contribute to the development of team protocols and clinical practice, proposing changes for discussion.
* Participate in team meetings, for example allocation, supervision, reflective practice, case discussions.
* The post holder will strongly adhere to anti‑oppressive and anti‑discriminatory practice, promote equity of opportunity, and use their professional position to empower others and challenge power imbalances where they are found to exist.
* Keep up to date with CAMHS developments taking place nationally in line with service objectives.
* To participate in audit and quality and patient safety activity in line with service objectives.
* Input to the electronic system as appropriate e.g., child protection supervision coding.
* To be aware of and familiar with LSW policy and procedure and operate within that e.g., lone working policy.
* To maintain high standards of infection prevention and control in day‑to‑day delivery of practice.
* To measure and make available clinical outcome measures within an agreed system.
About Us
Livewell Southwest is an independent, award‑winning social enterprise delivering integrated health and social care services across Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts of Devon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, and health hubs. We value kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, and collaboration. We support staff development with CPD time, training pathways, leadership programmes, and funding for qualifications.
Experience (Essential)
* Experience (both work and life related)
* Experience of working in a multi‑agency and/or multi‑disciplinary context.
* Experience of post‑registration working with children and young people who have experienced mental health and psychological well‑being difficulties.
* Experience in assessment, inc risk, care planning, intervention, and evaluation.
* Maintaining own safety in Community settings by working within relevant policy and having completed or be willing to complete breakaway training or equivalent.
* Experience of effective working with families of different cultural backgrounds.
* Experience of working within multi‑agency safeguarding systems e.g., child protection conferences, child in need meetings.
* Experience of managing demanding and difficult professionals/young people/colleagues.
* Experience of managing your own caseload and of working with a team approach.
Experience (Desirable)
* Experience of service evaluation.
Qualifications (Essential)
* Core qualification in any Mental health modality such as Nursing / Social Worker / Psychology.
* Appropriate Registration relevant to professional qualification.
Qualifications (Desirable)
* Post‑graduate training qualification in methods of working with children with mental health problems, e.g., counselling, systemic practice or post‑grad diploma in child and adolescent mental health.
* Evidence of Mentorship and sign‑off mentor qualifications.
Skills (Essential)
* Mental Health and Risk assessment, care planning, evaluation and intervention skills.
* Well established case management skills and good organisational skills with ability to prioritise.
* Well developed communication skills both oral and written.
* Commitment to anti‑oppressive practice.
* Ability to work in partnership and in collaboration with others, both in and out of own agency/professional background.
* Commitment to own learning and professional development.
* Reflective Practitioner.
Skills (Desirable)
* Culturally competent assessment and intervention skills.
* Specific therapeutic skills relevant to working with children and families.
* Consultation skills.
* Training skills.
* Self‑motivating and able to work on own initiative.
Circumstances (Essential)
* Ability to travel across Plymouth.
* Ability to work flexibly (hours of work and duties) both as an individual and with other colleagues in LSW and with partner agencies.
* Able to undertake the demands of the post with reasonable adjustments where required.
Circumstances (Desirable)
* Car owner/driver or suitable alternative transport to enable you to undertake the job. It is unlikely that public transport will meet this requirement.
* Adjustments can be considered in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act.
Knowledge (Essential)
* Knowledge of relevant legislation and documents pertaining to children, e.g., Children Act 2004, Child Protection, National Service Framework, Every Child Matters etc., Learning Disability specific legislation and documents, Aiming High for Disabled Children, Valuing People, Mansell report, Mental Capacity Act.
* Knowledge of a range of mental health problems and disorders affecting children and young people.
* Knowledge of theories of child development and their application to practice.
* An understanding of resilience and vulnerability.
Knowledge (Desirable)
* Knowledge of different models of therapy, e.g., Applied Behavior Analysis and at least one other therapeutic modality e.g., CBT, Psychodynamic psychotherapy, solution focussed therapy etc.
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.
Employer details
Livewell Southwest
200 Mount Gould Road, Mount Gould, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 7PY
Website: https://www.livewellsouthwest.co.uk/
Job Reference
B9832-2025-NM-9946-2
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