Job overview
We are seeking an enthusiastic CAMHS practitioner to be part of this exciting team. The post holder would need to have knowledge and experience of working with children, young people with neurodiversity and their parents/carers; as well as working as part of complex networks to provide support. It is helpful for them to have knowledge of CBT, particularly for anxiety and low mood, trauma-informed practice and experience of working in non-clinic based, community settings.
Following the success of a 1-year pilot project ICAMHS have received permanent funding aimed at providing therapeutic support in an intensive outreach capacity within the CAMHS Therapies Team (CTT). The overall aim is to provide initial intensive support to CYP and their support networks, including families/carers and schools, to increase their functioning and to enable them to then access more long-term therapeutic or alternative support either within or outside of CAMHS.
This therapy outreach service will primarily be made up of Senior CAMHS practitioners, who will support the assessment process and development of an initial treatment plan, and CAMHS practitioners, who will offer more intensive outreach and support to implement this plan, under supervision from the senior CAMHS practitioner. The team will be based at the Northern Health Centre but will also work flexibly in the homes of CYP and across sites the community as needed.
Main duties of the job
To autonomously carry out clinical work in health and education settings, clients’ homes and other community settings, to best meet the clients needs and in line with service practice, under the supervision of a senior CAMHS clinician. Under supervision, to assess and manage risk and safeguarding.
To gather outcomes and feedback for the treatment offered. To effectively monitor response to intervention. To provide reports and communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner concerning the assessment, formulation, treatment plans and needs of clients. To formulate and devise treatment plans for children and young people and to provide interventions using a range of generic and discipline specific models appropriate to the service area.
To work alongside complex networks, including health, social care, education, and other professionals, from a range of agencies, in providing joined up support for children, young people and families. Where appropriate, to provide mental health advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals/ agencies to assist in the formulation, diagnosis and treatment of clients.
Working for our organisation
Whittington Health serves a richly diverse population and works hard to ensure that all our services are fair and equally accessible to everyone. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the way we look after our staff. We aim to employ a workforce which is as representative as possible of this population, so we are open to the value of differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief. The Trust believes that as a public sector organisation we have an obligation to have recruitment, training, promotion and other formal employment policies and procedures that are sensitive to these differences. We think that by doing so, we are better able to treat our patients as well as being a better place to work.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
1. Clinical:
To autonomously carry out clinical work in health and education settings, clients’ homes and other community settings, to best meet the clients needs and in line with service practice, under the supervision of a senior CAMHS clinician.
Under supervision, to assess and manage risk and safeguarding.
To gather outcomes and feedback for the treatment offered. To effectively monitor response to intervention.
To provide reports and communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner concerning the assessment, formulation, treatment plans and needs of clients.
To formulate and devise treatment plans for children and young people and to provide interventions using a range of generic and discipline specific models appropriate to the service area.
To work alongside complex networks, including health, social care, education, and other professionals, from a range of agencies, in providing joined up support for children, young people and families
Where appropriate, to provide mental health advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals/ agencies to assist in the formulation, diagnosis and treatment of clients.
2. Teaching, training and supervision
To support clinicians in consultations with colleagues and access regular continuing professional development and supervision as appropriate for the role.
To provide advice and consultation where appropriate, to other health, social care, voluntary sector and education staff working with the client groups.
3. Management, policy and service development
To contribute to the development, evaluation, implementation and monitoring of the operational policies of Community CAMHS.
4. Research and service evaluation and development
To contribute to the development, evaluation, implementation and monitoring of the CTT outreach service evaluation process, including outcomes of the treatment offered to each CYP and also to the pilot project as a whole
To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence based practice in individual work and family work and with other team members and inter-agency colleagues.
5. General
To ensure the development and maintenance of the highest personal standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes, in consultation with the post holder’s professional and service managers.
To work flexibly and with initiative to meet the core aims of service delivery to clients.
To contribute to the development and articulation of best practice within the service areas, by exercising the skills of a reflexive and reflective practitioner, taking part in regular professional supervision and appraisal and maintaining an active engagement with current developments in the post holder’s area of specialism and in child mental health and related disciplines.
To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping including electronic data entry and recording, report writing and the responsible exercise of professional self-governance in accordance with Service and Trust policies and procedures.
To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues of relevance to the service and client group.
To undertake such other duties and responsibilities, appropriate to the grade of the post, as may be agreed with the service managers.
To attend Community CAMHS and Discipline specific meetings as may be agreed with the Head of Discipline and Service Manager.
Person specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. First level nursing qualification/registration RMN or RSCN or HV or LD Or First level qualification in OT, Social Work, OR Qualification as a CWP or EMHP or SWP OR First level qualification in other profession working with CYP (e.g. youth worker, teaching assistant, learning mentor) with relevant experience/training in CYP mental health
2. Registration with appropriate professional accreditation/registration body
Desirable criteria
3. Training relevant to CAMHS and/or mental health, treatments/therapies
4. Recent Child Protection/Safeguarding training
Skills & Abilities
Essential criteria
5. Ability to demonstrate a sound knowledge and understanding of child & adolescent mental health and development
6. Demonstrates an understanding of and empathy to the needs of children & young people
7. Ability to effectively communicate with children, young people and their parents
8. Demonstrates skills in assessment and formulation of the presenting difficulties of children, young people and families
9. Ability to effectively communicate with other professionals, in person and on the phone and in writing
10. Ability to competently assess risk and develop risk management plans
Desirable criteria
11. Demonstrates skills in adapting communication and interventions for work with children and young people with neurodiversity, particularly autism
12. Demonstrates skills in working with complex professional networks in a professional and sensitive way
Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria
13. Demonstrates knowledge and experience working with children, young people and parents with MH difficulties
14. Knowledge of evidence-based care and clinical effectiveness in mental health treatments
15. Demonstrates knowledge and experience of working with neurodiversity, particularly autism
16. Ability to form good working relationships with families from a diverse range of backgrounds.
17. Excellent skills in verbal and written communication.
Desirable criteria
18. Demonstrates knowledge and experience of CBT theory and practice
Personal Qualities
Essential criteria
19. Ability to form good working relationships and work flexibly with colleagues in team settings.
20. Respectful and inclusive attitude towards young people with ADHD, autism, learning disabilities and overlapping conditions
21. Ability to form good working relationships with families from a diverse range of backgrounds.
22. Excellent skills in verbal and written communication.
Desirable criteria
23. Enthusiastic and motivated
Other
Essential criteria
24. Ability to communicate complex, highly technical and / or clinically sensitive information to young people, their families, carers and other professional colleagues.
25. Experience of gathering and using routine outcomes measures
26. Good IT skills and ability to use electronic patient notes systems (Rio), email etc
Desirable criteria
27. Experience of contributing to service developments.
SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN AND ADULTS
To comply with the Trust’s Safeguarding Children and Adults policies, procedures and protocols. All individual members of staff (paid or unpaid) have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults This will require you to:
28. Ensure you are familiar with and comply with the London Child Protection Procedures and protocols for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young people.
29. Ensure you are familiar and comply with the London Multi Agency Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Pan London Procedures.
30. Ensure you are familiar and comply with local protocols and systems for information sharing.
31. Know the appropriate contact numbers and required reporting lines.
32. Participate in required training and supervision.
33. Comply with required professional boundaries and codes of conduct
Whittington Health is committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.