Job summary
We are seeking to recruit a CAMHS Specialist to join our Schools Outreach Team. This is an exciting and varied role working with children, young people, schools, organisations and the community to overcome barriers to accessing education. We specifically work with young people who may be at risk of exclusion and those who are struggling to access school regularly. The team works to address the multifaceted barriers to education, at both an individual and systemic level. SOT is part of a wider schools offer in Lewisham, promoting a whole-system approach to wellbeing, supporting earlier intervention and delivering evidence-based interventions to promote mental health.
SOT is a small and creative team that offers individual mental health support, consultation and training to New Woodlands School, a specialist provision for children with social, emotional and mental health needs, as well as providing a CAMHS perspective to the Lewisham Outreach and Inclusion Service (OIS).
OIS is a Lewisham Council team that offers every Lewisham mainstream school access to support for pupils who are experiencing difficulties in participating fully in their education. The team comprises of teachers, advisors, mentors and therapists specialising in working with children and young people whose main barriers to learning are their social and emotional needs. The service provides a multi-disciplinary approach, drawing on a wide range of experience to support the needs of all learners.
Main duties of the job
The role involves working with schools, young people and families to support pupils who are at risk of exclusion from school and/or are struggling to regularly access their learning. This will involve working with schools and services to identify children and young people who need support, completing assessments, formulation and brief direct interventions. The team works dynamically, completing outreach visits to foster positive engagement and therapeutic relationships. The role involves formulating often complex systemic dynamics, and helping families and schools to find ways forward to reduce distress and consequently improve engagement with education. Supporting schools with their whole-school approach to well-being is another element of the work, where we have the opportunity to work from a more preventative perspective.
The practitioner in this role will be skilled in building positive professional relationships across agencies and have a compassionate and thoughtful approach to working with families experiencing distress. Being able to formulate distress young people might be experiencing within the context of often complex social situations is an important skill within the role. Young people who are at risk of exclusion may find it difficult to trust adults, so skills in creatively engaging with young people is essential. This role offers a unique opportunity to work with a vulnerable group of learners and make a real difference in their educational outcomes.
About us
We are a small team of two practitioners and a Senior CAMHS Specialist, though are linked closely to the Mental Health Support Teams and Virtual School CAMHS Team, as well as the other core Lewisham CAMHS teams. We are based in the Kaleidoscope Centre for Children and Young People in Lewisham though also work in the community in schools and do some home visits. Currently there is some remote working from home in response to Covid-19.
As a team, we work hard to support each other, frequently sharing dilemmas and thinking together about our work. We meet together weekly to consider new referrals and think about the wider context of what is happening in the borough and in Lewisham's schools. We foster positive relationships with colleagues both within CAMHS and across agencies so are able to work collaboratively.
Lewisham is a diverse London Borough, occupied by energetic, creative and diverse communities and is currently preparing to be the Mayor of London's Borough of Culture for 2022. Lewisham CAMHS is committed to improving awareness, understanding and performance as a service promoting equity for our community, people who access our service and those who work within it.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To provide mental health support, consultation, teaching and training to New Woodlands School, a specialist provision for children with social, emotional and mental health needs. This includes some outreach intervention work with pupils of the school.
- To provide outreach CAMHS support and evidence-based interventions to pupils who are at risk of exclusion and/or have been absent from school for an extended period of time.
- To case manage and formulate care plans which may include delivering evidence-based models of interventions to support the individual child or young person, the school, family and parent/carer.
- To provide assessment, collaborative formulation, evidence-based interventions and consultation to children and young people with a wide range of emotional, behaviour and mental health problems that impact on their engagement with school life.
- To work with CAMHS practitioners in the service from all disciplines. This role incorporates working with a number of internal and external professional networks to ensure that care plans for individual young people and services across agencies, are co-ordinated efficiently and effectively.
- To routinely carry out risk assessments for children and young people, and work closely with clinical colleagues to manage these situations effectively and safely.
- To clinically manage own caseload and hold cases that are medium to high risk and share responsibility for monitoring clinical practice in the absence of the Team Manager and others as agreed.
- To work from different locations across the borough offering outreach support for pupils. This may include home visits, schools, NHS buildings and Local Authority offices. Home visits may be necessary to undertake assessments and meet with parents/carers.
- To be responsible for ensuring positive clinical outcomes for children, young people and their families, which are evidenced by performance indicators such as activity data, targets and quality measures.
- To provide a CAMHS specialist service for schools through consultation and/or training, ensuring that school staff are equipped to support children with identified mental health needs.
- To contribute to providing a framework to inform the multidisciplinary/agency care of children within the school environment, and support multi-disciplinary colleagues in providing intervention and support to the young people, parents/careers and network of school professionals.
- To offer CAMHS expertise to the wider professional network including teachers, SENCOs, the Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND) Panel, Fair Access Panel (FAP) and other professionals within the school system.
- To contribute to assuring service quality by using a specialist knowledge and breadth of understanding of theories underpinning child and adolescent mental health difficulties and distress. Using assessments and evidence-based interventions to manage complex presentations.
- To contribute to training, research and audit and interpret complex data to develop individual and service-wide understanding of child and adolescent distress.
- To manage your own caseload and undertake outreach work from within a base CAMHS team, but have freedom to act within the service framework and Trust operational policies. The post holder manages their own time and caseload.
- The post holder is accountable for their own professional actions, and receives both management and clinical supervision.
- The post holder will initiate new clinical and service actions guided by broad Trust clinical policies and procedures.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To provide mental health support, consultation, teaching and training to New Woodlands School, a specialist provision for children with social, emotional and mental health needs. This includes some outreach intervention work with pupils of the school.
- To provide outreach CAMHS support and evidence-based interventions to pupils who are at risk of exclusion and/or have been absent from school for an extended period of time.
- To case manage and formulate care plans which may include delivering evidence-based models of interventions to support the individual child or young person, the school, family and parent/carer.
- To provide assessment, collaborative formulation, evidence-based interventions and consultation to children and young people with a wide range of emotional, behaviour and mental health problems that impact on their engagement with school life.
- To work with CAMHS practitioners in the service from all disciplines. This role incorporates working with a number of internal and external professional networks to ensure that care plans for individual young people and services across agencies, are co-ordinated efficiently and effectively.
- To routinely carry out risk assessments for children and young people, and work closely with clinical colleagues to manage these situations effectively and safely.
- To clinically manage own caseload and hold cases that are medium to high risk and share responsibility for monitoring clinical practice in the absence of the Team Manager and others as agreed.
- To work from different locations across the borough offering outreach support for pupils. This may include home visits, schools, NHS buildings and Local Authority offices. Home visits may be necessary to undertake assessments and meet with parents/carers.
- To be responsible for ensuring positive clinical outcomes for children, young people and their families, which are evidenced by performance indicators such as activity data, targets and quality measures.
- To provide a CAMHS specialist service for schools through consultation and/or training, ensuring that school staff are equipped to support children with identified mental health needs.
- To contribute to providing a framework to inform the multidisciplinary/agency care of children within the school environment, and support multi-disciplinary colleagues in providing intervention and support to the young people, parents/careers and network of school professionals.
- To offer CAMHS expertise to the wider professional network including teachers, SENCOs, the Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND) Panel, Fair Access Panel (FAP) and other professionals within the school system.
- To contribute to assuring service quality by using a specialist knowledge and breadth of understanding of theories underpinning child and adolescent mental health difficulties and distress. Using assessments and evidence-based interventions to manage complex presentations.
- To contribute to training, research and audit and interpret complex data to develop individual and service-wide understanding of child and adolescent distress.
- To manage your own caseload and undertake outreach work from within a base CAMHS team, but have freedom to act within the service framework and Trust operational policies. The post holder manages their own time and caseload.
- The post holder is accountable for their own professional actions, and receives both management and clinical supervision.
- The post holder will initiate new clinical and service actions guided by broad Trust clinical policies and procedures.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- oEntry-level qualification: appropriately registered Clinical/counselling/Educational psychologist, Systemic Family Therapist, Psychotherapist, Nurse, Social Work, CBT Therapist (A/I)
- oMust have practice in CBT delivery for 2 yrs. in MH settings
- oEvidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC/UKCP/RCN/SWE. (A/I)
Desirable
- oTrained in relevant CPD training in supporting children in education.
Experience
Essential
- be experienced Mental Health professionals and evidenced by 2 years working therapeutically/ clinically or consultatively within a CYP Education or Mental Health Setting with children and young people with mental health difficulties
- oEvidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in CAMHS. (A/I)
- oExperience of providing specialist assessments and evidence-based interventions with individuals and groups presenting with a range of needs. (A/I)
Desirable
- oExperience of working with an educational setting.
Knowledge and skills
Essential
- oHighly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised therapies for child and adolescents (A/I/R)
- oAdvanced theoretical knowledge of psychosocial theories of mental health and the evidence base for the relevant treatment. (A/I/R)
- oTo plan and schedule assessment and interventions for individual clients and groups and carers, and for meetings.
Desirable
- oExperience of working in diverse settings
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- oEntry-level qualification: appropriately registered Clinical/counselling/Educational psychologist, Systemic Family Therapist, Psychotherapist, Nurse, Social Work, CBT Therapist (A/I)
- oMust have practice in CBT delivery for 2 yrs. in MH settings
- oEvidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC/UKCP/RCN/SWE. (A/I)
Desirable
- oTrained in relevant CPD training in supporting children in education.
Experience
Essential
- be experienced Mental Health professionals and evidenced by 2 years working therapeutically/ clinically or consultatively within a CYP Education or Mental Health Setting with children and young people with mental health difficulties
- oEvidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in CAMHS. (A/I)
- oExperience of providing specialist assessments and evidence-based interventions with individuals and groups presenting with a range of needs. (A/I)
Desirable
- oExperience of working with an educational setting.
Knowledge and skills
Essential
- oHighly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised therapies for child and adolescents (A/I/R)
- oAdvanced theoretical knowledge of psychosocial theories of mental health and the evidence base for the relevant treatment. (A/I/R)
- oTo plan and schedule assessment and interventions for individual clients and groups and carers, and for meetings.
Desirable
- oExperience of working in diverse settings
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).
