CAMHS Lead Clinician (12 month fixed term)
The closing date is 12 June 2026.
We are excited to advertise a fixed term Lead Clinician post that will sit across the Primary Intervention Team and Core Team. The post will cover a maternity leave and therefore secondments can be considered, although this is dependent on your current employment within SWYT agreeing to the secondment.
Core Team offers 6‑8 sessions of therapeutic intervention, while the Primary Intervention Team (PIT) works across the Single Point of Access (SPA) and offers 2+1 intervention – 1 assessment and 2 intervention sessions. This opportunity comes at an exciting time as we are reviewing both pathways to ensure the best service‑user journey possible.
Location
The base for the team is at Drury Lane Health and Well‑Being Centre and in summer 2027 the team will move to Fieldhead Hospital permanently.
Main duties of the job
* Leadership role within the team, working alongside the Team Manager.
* Manage a small clinical, complex caseload.
* Support practitioners with complex cases, offering supervision, clinical advice and safeguarding support.
* Provide clinical supervision and deliver training/new processes to the service/team.
* Ensure governance overview within the team.
* Work closely with other teams to renew or develop pathways and processes.
* Take lead in coordinating complex cases.
* Assume additional roles such as service representative (e.g. Suicide Prevention) involving meetings with relevant agencies and sharing learning.
* Share learning from incidents in the service.
* Conduct caseload reviews.
* Cover for the Team Manager when on leave.
Responsibilities
* Provide highly specialist skills and expertise, facilitating interventions of the highest quality in mental health, including emergency assessments and intensive interventions with children, young people and their families.
* Work autonomously and collaboratively within the MDT, providing consultation and teaching for other agencies/professionals.
* Provide supervision and teaching to all other disciplines within CAMHS and deputise as agreed for the team leader.
* Promote safeguarding and the welfare of children and young people.
* Plan and implement clinical assessments, risk assessments, and interventions for young people following serious self‑harm or suicidal attempts.
* Maintain therapeutic relationships with children, young people and their carers, managing complex cases requiring specialised assessment and therapeutic skills.
* Communicate complex, sensitive information with empathy and support, respecting confidentiality and consent.
* Coordinate with external agencies (Education, Social Services, Paediatric Services) and ensure user/carer involvement in care planning and delivery.
* Apply safeguarding guidelines and relevant legislation in clinical work.
* Depute for the team leader in absence and apply Trust policies in instances of aggression, acute distress and disturbed mental health presentations.
Qualifications
* Relevant professional qualification (e.g. nursing or other 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).
Experience
* Experience of delivering training to others.
* Substantial post‑qualification experience, including work 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 and inter‑agency liaison and consultation.
* Experience 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, risk management and evidence‑based practice.
* Advanced experience of safeguarding children and young people.
* Experience working in community settings.
Special Knowledge / Skills
* Excellent verbal and communication skills.
* Ability to manage own caseload and be a self‑reliant, autonomous practitioner.
* Excellent negotiation and problem‑solving skills.
* Excellent record‑keeping and report‑writing skills including care planning and risk assessments.
Personal Attributes
* Ability to work autonomously and as part of a team.
* Commitment to a multi‑agency approach.
* Ability to work and make decisions under pressure.
* Calm, confident, innovative, creative, and assertive.
* Willingness to be flexible and adaptable to changing service priorities.
* Commitment to challenging discrimination and improving service accessibility.
* Integrity, honesty, openness, transparency and respect.
* Current driving licence and access to a car during the working day is essential.
Physical Attributes
Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post. A satisfactory sickness record over the previous two years.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and a submission for Disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service will be required to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Equal Opportunities
We encourage and welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups. Applicants are encouraged to disclose use of AI technology in their application, if applicable.
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