Role Overview
You'll provide psychiatric leadership and clinical care to children and young people living in supported accommodation, many of whom present with complex mental health needs, neurodevelopmental conditions, trauma histories, and high-risk behaviours.
This is not a traditional outpatient CAMHS role. You'll be embedded within a residential environment, working closely with care staff, therapists, and external professionals to deliver meaningful, real-world clinical support.
Key Responsibilities
Clinical Care
* Conduct comprehensive psychiatric assessments
* Diagnose and develop treatment plans
* Prescribe and manage medication
* Provide ongoing reviews and crisis interventions
* Support complex cases (self-harm, trauma, ADHD, ASD, attachment difficulties)
Risk & Safeguarding
* Lead on risk assessment and management
* Provide input on safeguarding concerns
* Support teams managing high-risk behaviours
* Contribute to incident reviews
Multidisciplinary Working
* Collaborate with residential staff, therapists, social workers, and educators
* Contribute to care planning and placement stability
* Provide clear clinical guidance to non-clinical teams
Clinical Leadership
* Provide clinical oversight across the service
* Support development of therapeutic approaches
* Deliver training (e.g. trauma-informed care)
* Contribute to service improvement
External Liaison
* Work with NHS CAMHS, GPs, and local authorities
* Attend multi-agency meetings
* Support transitions between services
Governance & Compliance
* Maintain accurate clinical records
* Adhere to GMC and governance standards
* Participate in audits and supervision
Skills & Experience
Essential
* GMC-registered Psychiatrist with licence to practise
* CAMHS experience
* Strong understanding of trauma, attachment, ADHD, and ASD
* Experience working within multidisciplinary teams
Desirable
* Experience in supported living or residential settings
* Section 12 approval
* Experience with looked-after children
* Knowledge of Ofsted/CQC environments
What Success Looks Like
* Improved outcomes and stability for young people
* Reduced incidents and stronger risk management
* Confident, well-supported care teams
* Stable placements with fewer breakdowns
If you want to make this stand out in the market (especially for hard-to-recruit psychiatrists), I'd suggest adding a strong value proposition (flexibility, autonomy, caseload limits, impact) — that's usually what actually gets them interested.