CAMHS Practitioner in Croydon

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We deliver specialist services in the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Wandsworth and Richmond. We are committed to providing high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for the care and treatment we provide. The Care Quality Commission rates our services as ‘good’.

We launched our five-year strategy, Aiming High; Changing Lives in 2021 together with Our Care Improvement System as our quality management system methodology to make a positive impact on patient care, outcomes and staff experience. By joining SLaM, all staff will get the opportunity to be part of this exciting improvement journey supported with learning and development to harness everyone’s potential as change makers.

The trust recognises the unique and valuable contribution that people with lived experience of mental illness can bring to a role. We therefore welcome applications from people with lived experience and consider them as an asset to the Trust.

Our Values

We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values and our promise to be caring, kind, polite, prompt, honest, listen and do what I say I’m going to do is at the heart of everything we do. When you join us, you’ll be part of something special. As a Trust, we are happy to talk flexible working.

Job Overview

The post holder will undertake screening, triage, initial contacts and in some cases full assessment of new referrals to Croydon CAMHS. The post holder will offer urgent assessment slots as part of the urgent care pathway. The post holder will formulate and discuss cases within an MDT to ensure appropriate care pathway.

Main Duties of the Job

• Participate as a multi-disciplinary team member in the contact, assessment and triage of children and young people referred to CAMHS.
• Ensure that all recording and reporting of client contact are accurate, up to date, of good quality and within CAMHS and professional requirement standards of record keeping.
• Collect and collate information about individual clinical activity on ePJS.
• Work with the team and clients to maintain a safe therapeutic environment.
• Work to assure the quality of care through achieving high operational standards in clinical systems.
• Maintain and ensure good professional standards and attitudes towards the care and treatment of children, young people and their families.
• Link with other statutory and voluntary agencies and professionals as well as other CAMHS Teams in terms of referrals and joint work.
• Maintain good relationships and clear lines of communication with other professional agencies and departments, providing specialist advice and support where appropriate.
• Contribute to the effective functioning of the team and service through attendance at relevant meetings, taking responsibilities within the service as appropriate and negotiated with the line manager.

Working for Our Organisation

At Croydon Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services, we live by the core values of the NHS: compassion, respect, and commitment to quality care. Joining our team means becoming part of a service that puts people first—where every decision is guided by integrity and a genuine desire to improve lives. We believe in working together, valuing diversity, and fostering an environment where staff feel supported and empowered to grow. Our focus is on delivering safe, effective, and person-centred care for children, young people, and their families. When you work with us, you’re not just taking a job—you’re joining a community dedicated to making a real difference.

If you share our passion for care, collaboration, and continuous improvement, Croydon CAMHS is the place for you.

Detailed Job Description and Main Responsibilities

You will carry out mental health & risk assessments on children & young people in your care routinely and work under the supervision of the team manager and senior clinicians to manage these situations effectively. You will work with other CAMHS practitioners in the service from all disciplines. You will be a member of a number of internal and external professional networks to ensure that care plans for individual children are co‑ordinated efficiently across agencies. This post is a clinical post and the expectation of time management is that the majority of time is spent in actual clinical practice. The post holder will work to provide rapid response and intervention for patients who are referred to CAMHS.

To work across interfaces in order to provide an integrated service model intended to reduce response time of referral.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• First level nursing qualification/registration RMN or RSCN or HV.
• Doctorate level qualification in Clinical or Counselling Psychology.
• First level qualification in OT, social work, or equivalent.
• First level qualification in art, play, drama or music therapy with related experience in the psychological aspects of caring for children and adolescents 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.
• All applicants will require a professional training and relevant CAMHS experience in combination with professional registration with one of the following statutory bodies: the Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC), Health Professional's Council (HPC/HCPC), Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP) or The UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).
• Familiarity with therapeutic approaches commonly used in CAMHS e.g. CBT, Family Therapy.

Experience

• Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team.
• Working knowledge of MHA, MCA and safeguarding children legislation.
• Prompt and accurate recording onto electronic notes system and an understanding of the need for this.
• Commitment to Anti-Racist and Culturally Competent Practice. Applicants must demonstrate a clear commitment and ability to work in an anti-racist and culturally competent manner.
• Prior experience of CAMHS duty.

Knowledge / Skills

• Commitment to Anti-Racist and Culturally Competent Practice.
• Knowledge and understanding of issues relating to information sharing and confidentiality.
• Understanding of and ability to maintain a safe therapeutic environment.
• Ability to work in partnership with service users and carers in the planning and delivery of care.
• Ability to provide care that is sensitive to the needs of minority ethnic groups.
• Ability to maintain effective professional relationships with all team members.
• Ability to reflect and learn from experiences.
• Ability to work therapeutically with the client group, using a range of therapeutic interventions.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Ability to be reflective in therapeutic practice and adapt practice from this reflection.
• Familiarity with therapeutic approaches commonly used in CAMHS e.g. CBT, Family Therapy.

The Trust is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and promote equality of opportunity. We are a Disability Confident Employer, we welcome applicants from all sections of the community and people of all protected characteristics. We provide reasonable adjustments for candidates with a disability and are committed to treating people fairly with compassion, respect and dignity and in promoting equality and human rights.

We aim to put this commitment into practice by:

• Embedding our commitment to tackling inequality, eliminating discrimination and harassment; promoting equality of opportunity and fostering good relations in our everyday practice.
• Ensuring that all our services and all staff understand and support our commitment.
• We believe that people who use our services, their carers and our staff, should be treated with compassion, respect and dignity.

Please note:

• All applications for this post will need to be made online.
• Read and understand the Job Description and Person Specification attached to the role. Your Statement in Support should reflect the requirements specified as your application will be judged against these criteria.
• The closing date listed is a guide only and that the vacancy may close earlier should sufficient number of applicants have been received. We advise that you submit your application as early as possible.
• Once you have submitted your application you agree to your application being transferred to a 3rd party e-recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs.
• Should you not have heard from us within three weeks from the closing date your application has not been successful.
• Priority consideration for applications may be given to at-risk NHS employees.
• Should you be successful and appointed, you authorise South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust to confirm your previous NHS service via an Inter Authority.