Job summary
We are looking for an experienced and passionate Senior Mental Health Practitioner to work as part of our specialist Family Intervention and Therapy Service (FITS) within Tameside and Glossop CAMHS, operating in close partnership with Children's Social Care. You will be an integral part of a team delivering trauma-responsive intervention for local families via professional consultation, training, reflective practice, and therapeutic pathways. Working alongside psychological and systemic practitioners, you will facilitate partnership working and multi-level therapeutic intervention for children and families in contact with Children's Social Care.
Main duties of the job
The postholder will work as a highly specialist practitioner developing and implementing a community based therapeutic service to children, young people and their families with a particular focus on trauma and attachment, early intervention and prevention with high risk and vulnerable families (e.g. socially excluded families). The post holder will provide direct and indirect intervention for parents/carers, children and their families drawing on professional and therapeutic expertise.
Please see Job Description for full details.
About us
We are proud to provide high quality mental health and learning disability services, both inpatient and in the community across five boroughs of Greater Manchester - Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport and Tameside and Glossop.
Our vision is for a happier and more hopeful life for everyone in our communities and our staff work hard to deliver the very best care for the people who use our services. We're really proud of our#PennineCarePeopleand do everything we can to make sure we're a great place to work.
All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership are encouraged to apply for this post. We would also encourage applications from individuals with a lived experience of mental illness, either individually or as a carer.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Tameside and Glossop CAMHS are a multidisciplinary team providing a mental health service to children, young people and their families. The service has well-established links with our partner agencies including education, childrens social care and the Voluntary, Community & Social Enterprise (VCSE) Sector and is striving to fully align to the Thrive approach to delivering mental health services. We are committed to supporting our staff in their development with access to CPD opportunities, a robust clinical and management supervision structure, and access to an in-house training programme covering key areas of psychological practice. Tameside and Glossop CAMHS is also home to the Early Attachment Service which is a nationally recognised, specialist parent-infant mental health and under 5 service.
Targeted investment has enabled the creation of an innovative and forward thinking, relationship-focussed and trauma-responsive approach to the integration of specialist clinical skills within a quality family intervention service. The FITS clinical team comprised of mental health professionals, work in partnership with the Family Intervention Service of Childrens Social Care, while also maintaining strong links with core CAMHS. The aim is to ensure timely access to training, consultation, supervision, and intervention while simultaneously promoting trauma-responsive practice and supporting healthy relationships within our Tameside families.
Please see attached job description and person specification to support your application for this post. Please refer to the essential and desirable criteria in the person specification which will highlight the skills, knowledge and experience you will need to demonstrate in your application, by way of example, to give yourself the best opportunity to be shortlisted.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Tameside and Glossop CAMHS are a multidisciplinary team providing a mental health service to children, young people and their families. The service has well-established links with our partner agencies including education, childrens social care and the Voluntary, Community & Social Enterprise (VCSE) Sector and is striving to fully align to the Thrive approach to delivering mental health services. We are committed to supporting our staff in their development with access to CPD opportunities, a robust clinical and management supervision structure, and access to an in-house training programme covering key areas of psychological practice. Tameside and Glossop CAMHS is also home to the Early Attachment Service which is a nationally recognised, specialist parent-infant mental health and under 5 service.
Targeted investment has enabled the creation of an innovative and forward thinking, relationship-focussed and trauma-responsive approach to the integration of specialist clinical skills within a quality family intervention service. The FITS clinical team comprised of mental health professionals, work in partnership with the Family Intervention Service of Childrens Social Care, while also maintaining strong links with core CAMHS. The aim is to ensure timely access to training, consultation, supervision, and intervention while simultaneously promoting trauma-responsive practice and supporting healthy relationships within our Tameside families.
Please see attached job description and person specification to support your application for this post. Please refer to the essential and desirable criteria in the person specification which will highlight the skills, knowledge and experience you will need to demonstrate in your application, by way of example, to give yourself the best opportunity to be shortlisted.
Person Specification
Education/ qualifications
Essential
- UKCC nursing or Diploma in social work plus experience to post graduate diploma level
Desirable
- Accredited membership of an appropriate psychological therapy professional body
- Additional further training in the use of children's attachment assessment tools
- Training in specialist therapeutic work with children, young people and families e.g. DBT, CBT, EMDR, DDP, FT, Theraplay, CAT
Experience
Essential
- Substantial experience of working within a health delivered child & adolescent mental health outpatient / community service
- Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for the psychological care and treatment as an autonomous practitioner with complex and challenging service users within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan
Desirable
- Experience of cross-sector working e.g. within CAMHS and Children's Social Care
- Experience of working with families with complex needs
- Experience of working in diverse cultural and ethnic contexts
- Experience of consultation
- Experience of clinically supervising and / or line managing others
Knowledge
Essential
- Highly developed knowledge of mental health issues in young people and of issues relevant for CYP supported by social care and their families
- Knowledge of relevant legislation and national policies in relation to children and young people
- Highly developed knowledge of a range of therapeutic interventions with this client group
Desirable
- Knowledge and experience of working with young people with developmental trauma
- Evidence of post qualification training courses/ certificates
Skills and abilities
Essential
- Substantial experience of working within a health delivered child & adolescent mental health outpatient / community service
- Good communication skills
- Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for the psychological care and treatment as an autonomous practitioner with complex and challenging service users within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan
- Ability to perform complex psychological assessments as an autonomous practitioner across a range of mental health presentations
- Ability to develop packages of care based on assessed needs and formulation
- Ability to develop a range of therapeutic activities across a range of settings
- Ability to identify and manage risk in individuals presenting with mental health needs
- Ability to provide and receive complex sensitive or contentious information often within a hostile, antagonistic or highly emotive atmosphere
- Ability to act in consultation/ supervision/ training capacity with professionals.
- Ability to develop liaison/links and familiarity with other professional networks
- Ability to prioritise key tasks, and targets for intervention
- Ability to evaluate service initiatives for effectiveness/ outcome
- Ability to work as a member of a team within and beyond organisational boundaries
- Ability to keep accurate activity data for audit/evaluation
- Ability to work strategically to develop the FITS
- Ability to develop and audit the effectiveness of protocols
- Ability to manage other staff to meet targets and objectives of the service
- Ability to implement HR procedures as appropriate and provide leadership
Work related circumstances
Essential
- Use of a car or access to a means of mobility to travel across the Trust footprint in line with service needs
- Willing to carry out all duties and responsibilities of the post in accordance with the Trust's Equal Opportunities and Equality and Diversity policies
Person Specification
Education/ qualifications
Essential
- UKCC nursing or Diploma in social work plus experience to post graduate diploma level
Desirable
- Accredited membership of an appropriate psychological therapy professional body
- Additional further training in the use of children's attachment assessment tools
- Training in specialist therapeutic work with children, young people and families e.g. DBT, CBT, EMDR, DDP, FT, Theraplay, CAT
Experience
Essential
- Substantial experience of working within a health delivered child & adolescent mental health outpatient / community service
- Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for the psychological care and treatment as an autonomous practitioner with complex and challenging service users within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan
Desirable
- Experience of cross-sector working e.g. within CAMHS and Children's Social Care
- Experience of working with families with complex needs
- Experience of working in diverse cultural and ethnic contexts
- Experience of consultation
- Experience of clinically supervising and / or line managing others
Knowledge
Essential
- Highly developed knowledge of mental health issues in young people and of issues relevant for CYP supported by social care and their families
- Knowledge of relevant legislation and national policies in relation to children and young people
- Highly developed knowledge of a range of therapeutic interventions with this client group
Desirable
- Knowledge and experience of working with young people with developmental trauma
- Evidence of post qualification training courses/ certificates
Skills and abilities
Essential
- Substantial experience of working within a health delivered child & adolescent mental health outpatient / community service
- Good communication skills
- Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for the psychological care and treatment as an autonomous practitioner with complex and challenging service users within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan
- Ability to perform complex psychological assessments as an autonomous practitioner across a range of mental health presentations
- Ability to develop packages of care based on assessed needs and formulation
- Ability to develop a range of therapeutic activities across a range of settings
- Ability to identify and manage risk in individuals presenting with mental health needs
- Ability to provide and receive complex sensitive or contentious information often within a hostile, antagonistic or highly emotive atmosphere
- Ability to act in consultation/ supervision/ training capacity with professionals.
- Ability to develop liaison/links and familiarity with other professional networks
- Ability to prioritise key tasks, and targets for intervention
- Ability to evaluate service initiatives for effectiveness/ outcome
- Ability to work as a member of a team within and beyond organisational boundaries
- Ability to keep accurate activity data for audit/evaluation
- Ability to work strategically to develop the FITS
- Ability to develop and audit the effectiveness of protocols
- Ability to manage other staff to meet targets and objectives of the service
- Ability to implement HR procedures as appropriate and provide leadership
Work related circumstances
Essential
- Use of a car or access to a means of mobility to travel across the Trust footprint in line with service needs
- Willing to carry out all duties and responsibilities of the post in accordance with the Trust's Equal Opportunities and Equality and Diversity policies
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.
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).
Additional information
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.
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).
