Job summary
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a highly motivated and innovative Head of CAMHS for Community CAMHS services in Milton Keynes. The role of Head of CAMHS is a pivotal role, responsible for the effective operational management and strategic development of the CNWL CAMHS provision, ensuring high-quality, safe, and responsive care for children, young people, and their families.

You will work closely with the Service Director, Clinical Director, and a wide range of internal and external stakeholders--including service users, parents, commissioners, local authorities, schools, and voluntary sector partners--to deliver service improvements, drive quality, and champion co-production.

Main duties of the job

• Provide day-to-day operational leadership for CAMHS, ensuring services meet performance, quality, workforce, and financial targets.
• Lead the clinical transformation agenda, implementing innovative service development strategies and quality improvement initiatives.
• Foster a positive, inclusive culture that prioritises staff wellbeing and models compassionate leadership.
• Develop and maintain effective partnerships with stakeholders to ensure services meet the needs of the local community.
• Identify and pursue new business opportunities, supporting tender processes and the implementation of the CAMHS Long Term Plan.
• Ensure robust governance, compliance with statutory frameworks, and delivery within budget.
• Champion co-production, establishing forums for parent/carer and service user involvement.

About us
Why Join Us?

• Be part of a forward-thinking, supportive leadership team.
• Shape the future of CAMHS across CNWL services across London and Milton Keynes, making a tangible impact on young people's lives.
• Access to ongoing professional development and leadership opportunities.
• Work in a collaborative environment that values innovation, co-production, and continuous improvement.

Job responsibilities
About You

• Educated to Masters level in a health or social care discipline (or equivalent senior-level experience), with a relevant professional qualification.
• Significant clinical, operational and management experience in mental health services, ideally within CAMHS or a similar setting.
• A registered healthcare professional (desirable)
• Proven track record of successful leadership, service development, and change management.
• Strong understanding of the policy and regulatory landscape for mental health and social care.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and partnership-building skills.
• Demonstrable commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion.
• Analytical, resilient, and able to inspire and motivate multidisciplinary teams.

Person Specification
Technical Qualifications
Essential

• Educated to Masters level in a health or social care discipline or equivalent senior-level work experience
• A recognised senior management qualification in leadership, policy, strategy, business management or other relevant field
• Evidence of on-going personal and professional development

Desirable

• A relevant professional qualification

Experience
Essential

• Current and extensive operational (including budget/financial) and management experience of mental health services, at a middle management level, in a health or social care organisation
• Proven experience of managing a sector or borough multidisciplinary team (including senior managers and clinicians) on various sites within a multi-disciplinary setting
• Record of successful leadership in an operational capacity
• Experience of policy development and strategic planning resulting in change management projects/programmes
• Experience of successful interagency partnership working
• Ability to negotiate complex contracts with the approval senior management
• Experience of working within statutory and other regulatory frameworks within which mental health and social care services operate and translating these at an operational level
• Experience in leading/ coaching successful Quality Improvement projects
• Experience of developing programmes designed to improve user and carer involvement
• Experience of managing a diverse workforce
• Excellent presentation skills
• Experience of organising and chairing of small and large steering groups
• Experience of running services which address population health inequalities

Personal Characteristics
Essential

• Self-awareness: knows own strengths and weaknesses and empowers others to ensure goals are achieved; adopts a 'can do' approach
• Self-management: demonstrates resilience; recognises the anxieties of others and helps them to manage appropriately; absorbs criticism constructively; recognises and delivers to the 'greater good'
• Personal integrity: has a strong commitment to openness, honesty, inclusiveness and high standards

Leadership Competencies
Essential

• Analytical rigour: encourages rigour and provides critical challenge in determining outcomes; Presents data and conclusions in a logical and defensible way; undertakes robust risk and impact management; seeks others' views to test own thinking
• Decision making: Sensitive to complex political and organisational issues; weighs up available information and applies sound and timely judgement; considers consequences, impacts and implications; decisive in times of change, challenge
• Communication: builds rapport through consistent, confident and open communication style; routinely checks for understanding to test receipt of messages; energises, convinces and persuades; encourages honesty of message
• Relationships: awareness of, and works collaboratively with key decision makers in area of operation; promotes partnership and collaborative working within teams; demonstrates the ability to seek out and harness the views and contributions of others

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 (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details
Employer name: Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Eaglestone Health Centre, Milton Keynes University Hospital, Eaglestone Health Centre, Milton Keynes, MK6 5NG, United Kingdom