Job summary
Children and Family Health Devon (CFHD) is recruiting a Band 6, 1.0wte Senior Mental Health Practitioner to join our Urgent Care Pathway based in North Devon.

The Urgent Care team supports children and young people experiencing mental health crisis, delivering timely assessment, intervention and safety planning. The service operates 9am to 10pm, seven days a week, and successful candidates will contribute to a rota that includes evenings and weekends.

Working as part of a friendly, experienced multi-disciplinary team, you will provide crisis care that is trauma-informed, compassionate and youth-centred.

Main duties of the job

• Deliver crisis assessments, safety plans, and brief interventions for young people in distress
• Respond flexibly to urgent presentations, often in partnership with families and schools
• Participate in a rota covering daytime and evening hours, including weekends
• Liaise with education, social care and acute services to ensure joined-up care
• Support service development, quality improvement and reflective team practice

We Offer:

• A welcoming and supportive Urgent Care team in the North locality
• Clinical supervision, peer support, and opportunities for CPD
• The opportunity to make a meaningful impact at a critical time for young people and families

If you are a qualified and compassionate mental health professional looking to specialise in youth crisis care, we would love to hear from you.

About us
At Children and Family Health Devon, we are dedicated to improving the physical and mental health of children and young people across Devon and Torbay. Our children and young people say: We would like the people who work for Children and Family Health Devon to be understanding, patient and respectful. They should be trustworthy and make us feel safe and comfortable. It is important that they use their skills and experience to listen carefully in a non-patronising and non-judgemental way. When staff are positive and friendly, they help to create an environment that is informal and without pressure.

Who we are: We are an alliance of NHS organisations led by Devon Partnership Trust. We are a group of professionals including psychologists, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, nurses and many other professions.

Join us in beautiful Devon: With access to moors, sea and cities, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy Devon.

Person specification
Qualifications
Essential

• A professional mental health qualification e.g. RMN, Social Work Degree, BSc/Diploma in OT, SROT, or equivalent
• Active registration as with the appropriate professional body e.g. NMC, HCPC

Desirable

• Recognised qualification in evidenced-based therapeutic, mental health interventions for children/young people and their families/carers

Experience
Essential

• Substantial experience of managing an extensive and complex caseload and working with children/young people presenting with a range of complex mental health presentations.
• Working within a community CAMHS mental health setting.
• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency environment.

Knowledge, skills and abilities
Essential

• Excellent communication skills including the ability to engage with children/young people of all ages experiencing a wide range of mental health presentations.
• Ability to communicate with a wide range of professionals from various settings, sharing own professional knowledge, skills and expertise, whilst valuing the perspective of others.
• Able to produce well written reports.
• Ability to work flexibly.
• Ability to be mobile across a geographical area in a timely manner and in accordance with service need.
• Computer literacy.
• There will be a requirement to work extended hours which may vary depending on agreed job plan. The Crisis service operates between the hours of 9am and 10pm, 7 days per week, for unplanned crisis care and between the hours of 9am and 8pm (Monday-Friday) and 9am and 5pm Sat/Sun/BH for planned

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.

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.

Applicants must have current UK professional registration.