Job overview
This is an exciting opportunity to join the National and Specialist CAMHS OCD, BDD and Related Disorders Service. This service is nationally and internationally renowned in the field of paediatric OCD, BDD and related disorders and is at the forefront of research and clinical practice developments.
The service provides specialist assessment and treatment for children with OCD, BDD, and related disorders. The post-holder will work closely with Clinical Psychologists on the team, a part-time Consultant Psychiatrist, as well as trainees from a variety of disciplines. The post-holders will work in all aspects of the service, clinical, research and service development.
This new Clinical Nurse Specialist role has been created to support the development of the Rapid Access Personalised Treatment Pathway (RAPT), an approach offering timely, specialist, evidence-based treatment to young people with severe OCD. The primary aim of this pathway is to reduce the need for hospital admission or provide in-reach to optimise inpatient care and inform discharge planning. This post will complement the psychology and psychiatry provision within the team to help address the multiple risk factors that can necessitate inpatient care for this group.
Main duties of the job
• The post-holder will carry their own caseload and work with children, young people and their families with OCD, BDD and related disorders.
• As well as being part of multi-disciplinary assessments, the post-holders would be delivering manualised CBT for the different disorders and would have the opportunity to train up in this treatment, according to service need. They will also provide support to address physical health needs resulting from OCD.
• The post holder may be required to provide consultation to other agencies or services.
• The post-holders will have the opportunity to contribute to ongoing service developments and research within the clinic, and to take a lead in some of these projects.
Working for our organisation
About our locations:
The post is based at the Michael Rutter Centre for Children and Young People, on the Maudsley Hospital site. Our Trust headquarters is located at Denmark Hill less than 5 minutes from the train station (zone 2) and is within walking distance from the beautiful green spaces of Ruskin Park and the vibrant high-street that offers great shopping opportunities and with a wide range of restaurants. We provide services nationally and the post-holders would be expected to offer home or ward-based treatment where clinically indicated. (Due to move to the Pears Maudsley Children and Young People (PMCYP) at the Maudsley Hospital in early 2026)
Flexible working:
As one of the few Trusts in London we are proud to offer flexible working as part of our new ways of working, and we are happy to discuss flexible working at the interview stage. In this role you will be able to work Monday to Friday within the time frame of 8:30AM to 6:30PM, (you will not be expected to work in excess of 7.5 hours a day) giving you the very best of good work life balance. (this may include working early mornings, later evenings or Saturdays as part of the core working hours/working pattern for this post)
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Job Purpose:
• To provide specialist assessments and interventions to children and young people with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder including treatment planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes. The post holder may also be required to provide consultation to other agencies or services, for example working alongside inpatient teams to deliver specialist OCD care
• To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.
• To undertake service evaluation, audit and research.
Essential requirements:
• First level nursing qualification and registration with a statutory body. (A/I)
• Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment of children and young people with OCD, BDD and related disorders. (A/I)
• Knowledge of assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature within Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, including provision of CBT (A/I)
• To communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with clients, carers and colleagues overcoming barriers to communication including sensory, and emotional difficulties, cultural differences and hostility to or rejection of information. (A/I)
• Knowledge that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities. This may have been gained through work, research, volunteering and / or lived experience. (A/I)
• Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles. (A/I)
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. First level nursing qualification/registration RMN
2. All applicants will require professional registration with a statutory body. (A/I)
Desirable criteria
3. Additional training and qualifications relevant to working with children and young people with mental health difficulties, in particular CBT (A/I)
4. Non Medical-Prescribing qualification. (A/I)
5. Management qualification, management training course completion or line management experience (A/I)
Knowledge
Essential criteria
6. Mental health disorders in children and adolescents across all ages (A/)
7. Theoretical knowledge of the evidence base for treatment of children and young people with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. (A/I)
8. Knowledge of assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature within Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, including provision of CBT for anxiety disorders (A/I)
Experience
Essential criteria
9. Evidence of good practice in child and adolescent mental health assessments, assessments of behaviour and performance, family functioning. (A/I)
10. Evidence of providing CAMHS interventions in individual and family work, multidisciplinary work. (A/I)
Desirable criteria
11. Experience of working with young people with OCD.
12. Experience of working with young people in an inpatient setting or providing in-reach.
Skills
Essential criteria
13. Evidence of competency in risk assessment (A/I)
14. To communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with clients, carers and colleagues overcoming barriers to communication including sensory, and emotional difficulties, cultural differences and hostility to or rejection of information. (A/I)
Desirable criteria
15. Skills in teaching and training others (A/I)
Abilities
Essential criteria
16. Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles. (A/I)
17. Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with severe challenging behaviour (A/I)