Job summary
Southwark CAMHS Referrals Team is seeking an enthusiastic, motivated, and experienced CAMHS practitioner to join our specialist multidisciplinary team. This is an exciting opportunity to play a pivotal role in ensuring that children, young people, and their families have timely access to appropriate mental health support and intervention.

The successful candidate will be responsible for screening and processing referrals received by the service, undertaking initial psychosocial and risk assessments, and contributing to clinical decision-making regarding the most appropriate care pathways. This includes identifying children and young people who meet the threshold for specialist CAMHS assessment and treatment, as well as signposting and redirecting those whose needs can be better met by alternative services.

Working collaboratively with children, young people, families, and professionals across health, education, social care, and voluntary sector organisations, the post holder will provide high-quality assessments, risk management, safety planning, and clinical recommendations. They will contribute to safeguarding responsibilities and support positive outcomes for children and young people presenting with a broad range of emotional wellbeing and mental health difficulties.

Main duties of the job

• Process referrals received by Southwark CAMHS, undertaking initial screening and triage on behalf of the assessment and treatment teams to ensure timely and appropriate allocation of cases.
• Undertake meaningful clinical contacts with children, young people, and their families. This may include brief psychosocial and risk assessments, gathering relevant information to support clinical decision-making, providing brief psychoeducation and advice, listing referrals for specialist assessment and treatment, and signposting or redirecting referrals to alternative services where appropriate.
• Liaise effectively with referrers, including GPs, schools, social workers, paediatric services, Accident & Emergency departments, and other professionals, to obtain relevant information and support comprehensive assessment of need.
• Work collaboratively within the Referrals Team multidisciplinary team (MDT) to identify the most appropriate care pathways for children and young people referred to the service, ensuring decisions are evidence-based, child-centred, and aligned with service criteria.
• Participate actively in clinical decision-making forums, multidisciplinary meetings, business meetings, safeguarding discussions, and other relevant service meetings, contributing clinical expertise and professional judgement.

About us
We are committed to ensuring our staff get the most out of their benefits package and understand the importance of a healthy work life balance. There is an extensive range of excellent benefits for you and your family. We want you to feel like you are part of a close knit team at SLaM. It's important to us that you valued and appreciated and that are why we have a comprehensive benefits package on offer

Some of our benefits are highlighted here:

Generous pay, pensions and leave, we offer a comprehensive pay, pensions and leave package which is dependent on the role and length of service.

Work life balance, flexible working and support a range of flexible options, such as: part-time working and job sharing.

Career development, There are plenty of opportunities to progress your career and we support your development through a number of programmes such as mentoring, coaching, positive people management, collective leadership and other talent programmes

Car lease, our staff benefits from competitive deals to lease cars

Accommodation, our staff benefits from keyworker housing available which is available on selected sites

NHS discounts, with discounts up to 10% from a variety of well-known retail brands though Health Service Discounts website.

Other benefits include:

• Counselling services
• Wellbeing events
• Long service awards
• Cycle to work scheme
• Season ticket loan
• Childcare vouchers
• Staff restaurants

Job responsibilities
The post holder will work as a key member of the Southwark CAMHS Referrals Team, providing specialist mental health screening, assessment, risk management, and care pathway recommendations for children and young people referred to the service. The role requires effective multidisciplinary working, sound clinical judgement, and a commitment to delivering high-quality, child-centred care.

Clinical responsibilities

• Conduct initial psychosocial assessments with children, young people, and their families to identify presenting difficulties, strengths, needs, and goals.
• Undertake comprehensive risk assessments, including assessment of self-harm, suicide risk, risk to others, exploitation, neglect, and safeguarding concerns.
• Develop and agree contingency and safety plans with children, young people, and their families where appropriate, ensuring risks are managed effectively.
• Make recommendations regarding the most appropriate care pathway based on assessment findings and service eligibility criteria.
• Provide brief interventions, psychoeducation, support, and advice to children, young people, families, and professionals as required.
• Redirect, signpost, or refer children and young people to alternative services where specialist CAMHS intervention is not indicated.
• Ensure that assessments and interventions are delivered in accordance with evidence-based practice and Trust policies.

Care planning and service delivery

• Work collaboratively with children, young people, carers, line managers, supervisors, and multidisciplinary team members in assessing needs, planning care, and implementing interventions.
• Take responsibility for the delivery and coordination of care within an allocated area of responsibility.
• Maintain a safe, supportive, and therapeutic environment for children, young people, and families accessing the service.
• Monitor clinical progress and contribute to decisions regarding treatment, referral onwards, or discharge.
• Promote the active involvement of children, young people, and families in care planning and decision-making.

Multidisciplinary and partnership working

• Work closely with colleagues within the Referrals Team and wider CAMHS multidisciplinary teams to ensure appropriate clinical decision-making and allocation of referrals.
• Liaise effectively with external agencies, including schools, GPs, paediatric services, social care teams, youth services, voluntary sector organisations, and acute hospitals.
• Attend and contribute to multidisciplinary team meetings, clinical decision meetings, safeguarding meetings, network meetings, and other relevant forums.
• Provide specialist mental health consultation and advice to professionals involved in the care of children and young people.

Professional responsibilities

• Maintain accurate, contemporaneous, and legally compliant clinical records and documentation.
• Participate in regular clinical, professional, and management supervision.
• Support the learning and development of junior staff, students, trainees, and newly qualified practitioners as appropriate.
• Contribute to service development, quality improvement initiatives, audits, and implementation of best practice.
• Work in accordance with professional codes of conduct, Trust policies, and national guidance.

Knowledge and experience
The successful candidate will demonstrate a good working knowledge of:

• Mental health disorders in children and adolescents, including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, neurodevelopmental conditions, trauma-related difficulties, eating disorders, and behavioural difficulties.
• Child development and the impact of adverse childhood experiences on emotional wellbeing and mental health.
• The difficulties commonly experienced by Looked After Children, including attachment difficulties, developmental trauma, loss, separation, and placement instability.
• Safeguarding children and young people, including recognition and management of risk.
• Local care pathways and services available to children, young people, and families.

Legislative and policy knowledge
Applicants must have a sound understanding of relevant legislation and policy, including:

• The Children Act 1989 and 2004
• The Mental Health Act 1983 (as amended)
• The Human Rights Act 1998
• The Mental Capacity Act 2005
• Children and young people's safeguarding frameworks and statutory guidance
• Relevant NHS, Trust, and professional standards governing CAMHS practice

Qualifications and professional registration
Applicants must possess a recognised professional qualification and substantial CAMHS experience, together with current registration with one of the following professional bodies:

• Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
• Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP)
• UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)

The successful candidate will be an enthusiastic, resilient, and highly motivated practitioner with the ability to work autonomously while contributing effectively to a multidisciplinary team, ensuring children and young people receive the right support at the right time.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• First level nursing qualification/registration RMN or RSCN or HV or
• Doctorate level qualification in Clinical or Counselling Psychology or
• First level qualification in OT, social work, or equivalent or
• First level qualification in art, play, drama or music therapy with related experience in the psychological aspects of caring for children and adolescent with mental health problems/needs, developmental/ learning disability problems.
• Training in clinical supervision such as ENB 998 or mentorship and or equivalent experience and training.

Desirable

• Familiarity with therapeutic approaches commonly used in CAMHS eg CBT, Family Therapy

Experience
Essential

• Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team
• Working knowledge of MHA, MCA and safeguarding children legislation.
• Prompt and accurate recording on to electronic notes system and an understanding of the need for this

Desirable

• Prior experience of Camhs duty.

Knowledge
Essential

• Knowledge and understanding of issues relating to information sharing and confidentiality
• Understanding of and ability to maintain a safe therapeutic environment.

Desirable

• Familiarity with therapeutic approaches commonly used in CAMHS eg CBT, Family Therapy

Skills
Essential

• Ability to work effectively under pressure, managing competing demands and priorities within a busy CAMHS environment.
• Ability to reflect on own therapeutic practice, make effective use of supervision, and adapt practice based on reflection, feedback, and learning.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team, contributing positively to collaborative assessment, care planning, and clinical decision-making.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex clinical information clearly and appropriately to children, young people, families, and professionals.

Desirable

• Skill and/or formal training in a recognised therapeutic modality relevant to CAMHS practice (e.g. CBT, Systemic Family Therapy, DBT-informed approaches, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, IPT, ACT, Art Therapy, Play Therapy, or other evidence-based therapeutic interventions). (2)

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 (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).

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