Band 7 Specialist Mental Health Practitioners needed for specialised CAMHS teams for Children in Care and Adopted Children - Thinking Allowed Bristol, and Thinking Aloud South Glos. Each service has a 12 month fixed term, part time, maternity cover post available. With each post there is the potential for fixed term to become substantive. We hope that successful candidates can start in June/July 2023, but will consider later start dates. We warmly welcome applications from candidates from minoritised communities of any kind. We welcome applications from creative therapists, psychotherapists, clinical psychologists, therapeutic social workers, mental health nurses and other appropriately qualified professional groups.

Both teams' work is primarily guided by theories underpinning developmental trauma and DT plus neurodiversity, we are continually learning/adapting our service as the evidence base in this area develops.

Both roles will involve providing direct therapeutic work, consultation, therapeutic re-parenting support, training and supervision to trainees where appropriate.

TA Bristol are based at Barton Hill Settlement (BS57AS) and TA South Glos have an office base at Badminton Road in Yate, and use therapy rooms in Kingswood and Patchway.

Both teams are small but very busy, working with high levels of trauma. We are also supportive, with a focus on wellbeing and robust supervision. We are dedicated to supporting cyp who have experienced developmental trauma.

Main duties of the job

To facilitate and provide assessment services on the psychological/ emotional health of children and young people living away from their birth parents.

To participate in consultations with carers, adoptive parents, social workers and other professionals.

To lead and participate in multi agency meetings about case planning and service provision.

To provide direct therapeutic work with children and carers when appropriate.

To participate in presentations and training on this work as required.

To supervise trainees if appropriate.

About us

We are AWP (Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust)a diverse organisation with over 5,000 dedicated staff providing inpatient and community-based mental health care. We provide services from a range of locations to approximately 1.8 million people living in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, across the county of Wiltshire and in parts of Dorset. Our outstanding people promote mental health and wellbeing. The expertise and resources within AWP are dedicated to a person-centred approach for those who use our services and for all employees. We recognise that happy and fulfilled employees give better care.

At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.

Job description Job responsibilities

To manage the receipt & recording of all referrals to Thinking Allowed(TA) in a way that facilitates continuous clinical audit & management of service demand and provision by TA, CAMHS, and tier 4 services.

To participate in initial Choice appointments for carers and professionals and make follow-up visits to home & schools as appropriate.

To provide some Partnership appointments, particularly where this may facilitate referral on to locality CAMHS.

To prepare referrals to other services as appropriate. This will include writing referral letters, collecting and preparing supporting paperwork and other information.

Ability to write reports and give verbal reports required for case planning and review meetings as well as ability to work directly in discussions and consultation with carers, social workers and other professionals about cases not yet referred.

Ability to provide a Tier 3 service to professionals/agencies as well as children/families and carers for children looked after or adopted or living away from their birth parents.

Ability to provide consultation/assessments/therapeutic interventions with children looked after/ adopted/ living away from their birth parents .

To relate to professionals or agencies involved in the provision of services to Bristols looked after children and children living away from their birth parents including Bristol Social Services and Education, CAMHS and Community Child Health and the voluntary sector.

To maintain the high level of specialist knowledge available in the service by participating and initiating relevant research as appropriate.

To maintain high personal and professional standards relevant to the work as outlined by their professional body.

To maintain standards of continuing professional development.

To remain updated on national and local guidance/policy regarding provision of public sector services to children, young people and their families with particular attention to children looked after / adopted/ living away from their birth parents.

To adhere to local working together arrangements in particular Child Protection guidelines.

To support the Head of Service in the development and implementation of effective Clinical Governance across the service.

To liaise with other disciplines and agencies to ensure that best practice is shared.

To seek regular clinical supervision from within a relevant clinical discipline and to provide clinical supervision as required.

To contribute and ensure the effectiveness of audit, evaluation of effectiveness and assist in the development and monitoring of outcomes.

To provide formal and informal teaching on an inter-agency basis as required

Communications and Working Relationships

Service users including parents, carers young people and their families as appropriate.

Thinking Allowed team members.

Social care staff across a range of Childrens Homes.

Multidisciplinary team members across a range of services including CAMHS and Specialist Services.

Most challenging part of this role

The postholder will be expected to deliver high quality interventions, with appropriate support to a service user group with challenging mental and emotional health needs. Most of the young people will have histories that include neglect and abuse that the post holder will have to be aware of and engage with in their work. They will need to be able to maintain their own wellbeing effectively in these circumstances.

Person Specification Skills Essential

• Professional qualification in therapeutic work with children and young people.
• Experience of working with CAMHS & LA
• Experience of writing reports and giving verbal reports as required for case planning and review meetings as well as ability to work directly in discussions and consultation with carers, Social Workers and other professionals including about cases not yet referred.
• Ability to understand information provided by LA &/or carers and convey it in written form to CAMHS and other services in a way that meets their models and referral criteria when appropriate.

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

342-CAMHS034-0323