CAMHS Primary Practitioner - Band 6

Job summary
We are looking for an enthusiastic, compassionate and skilled CAMHS Primary Practitioner to join our Primary Intervention Team within Wakefield CAMHS.

This is an exciting opportunity to work in the heart of our Single Point of Access (SPA), where you'll play a key role in the triage and early intervention pathway helping young people and families to get the right help, at the right time.

You would be joining the team at a really exciting time, where we are working collaboratively to review our front door into the service.

We are seeking an experienced and motivated professional with experience in mental health. You'll bring:

• Strong communication and decision-making skills
• Confidence in working independently as well as part of a team
• A calm and empathetic approach in fast paced situations
• A passion for early intervention

We are a supportive and friendly team that values your skills and well-being.

Whether you're looking for a new challenge or a step up into a Band 6 role, we would love to hear from you!

Calls are encouraged.

We are based at Drury Lane Health and Well-Being Centre in the centre of Wakefield, with a permanent move planned to Fieldhead Hospital from September 2027.

Main duties of the job
Single Point of Access (SPA) - You'll be the first point of contact for children, young people, families and professionals. You'll take triage calls, make informed clinical decisions, and offer supportive advice and signposting, helping to support people to navigate what can feel like a daunting system.

2+1 Intervention - You'll deliver brief, targeted support through our 2+1 approach. One initial assessment and two focused intervention sessions.

The role would require you to support children, young people and families to get the right support, and make onward referrals either internally within Wakefield CAMHS or to external agencies. You would need to have excellent risk assessment and triage skills, along with making safeguarding referrals where required.

The service is open Monday to Friday 09:00 to 17:00.

All employees of the Trust are strongly encouraged to have their up-to-date flu vaccination to protect staff and patients.

At the time of advertising, this role does meet the minimum requirements set by UK Visas and Immigration to sponsor candidates to work in the UK. We look forward to receiving your application.

About us
We are a specialist NHS Foundation Trust that provides community, mental health and learning disability services for the people of Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. We also provide low and medium secure services and are the lead for the west Yorkshire secure provider collaborative.

Our mission is to help people reach their potential and live well in their communities, we do this by providing high-quality care in the right place at the right time. We employ staff in both clinical and non-clinical services who work hard to make a difference to the lives of service users, families and carers.

We encourage and welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups, we value diversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities.

Being a foundation Trust means we're accountable to our members, who can have a say in how we're run. Around 14,300 local people (including staff) are members of our Trust.

Join us and you will be one of over 4,500 staff committed to supporting and improving the mental, physical and social needs of the thousands of people we meet and help each year.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment.

We do reserve the right to close vacancy before the advertised closing date if necessary, so please apply as soon as possible.

Job responsibilities
JOB SUMMARY

• To contribute to a co-ordinated delivery of training & consultation, and provide limited joint assessments and therapeutic interventions to children and young people and universal service workers within the District.
• To facilitate the interface between Universal Services and the CAMH Service.
• To act as a resource by being fully aware of existing provision for Children and Young People and establish good working relationships with those services.
• To participate with supervision and attend Primary Intervention Team meetings to establish an embedded working relationship.
• To promote safeguarding and the welfare of children and young people.
• To work within the single point of referral as required, between the hours of 09:00 to 18:00.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• 1. To support the on-going process of delivering a comprehensive CAMHS system.
• 2. To provide direct and indirect consultation, advice and support to workers within the Primary Health Care Team and other relevant agencies, including Social Services, Education and Voluntary Organisations to enable these workers to develop their skills in recognising and managing emotional and behavioural disorders in children, young people and their families.
• 3. To work within the single point of referral as required
• 4. To apply a sound knowledge of safeguarding children and guidelines in clinical work.
• 5. Where consultation results in continued concerns, to undertake assessments of children and young people and their families jointly with universal service workers as necessary.
• 6. To manage own caseload, accessing support and guidance appropriate to individual need.
• 7. To promote and assist the development of universal service workers in recognizing and supporting the emotional needs of children and young people via training and education within the School, Primary Health and Social Care setting.
• 8. To support the provision of effective mental health and behavioural management interventions with children, young people and their families within a School, Primary Health and Social Care setting.
• 9. Where treatment may be provided within a universal service setting, offer direct intervention if appropriate and assist in the development of a Care Plan with the responsible universal service worker.
• 10. Ensure evidence based practice is implemented, supporting Clinical Effectiveness and maintain continuing professional development aided by the Quality Performance Management Process and Clinical Supervision.
• 11. Ensure effective, meaningful and timely information is collated utilising the relevant information systems, to assist in the evaluation of this service and to support the Performance Management of the Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services.
• 12. To review and evaluate this service provision/development with relevant stakeholders and support the sharing of this information as appropriate.
• 13. To actively promote user/carer involvement in all aspects of care planning/delivery whilst respecting the rights, capabilities and wishes of the individuals concerned.
• 14. To support the formulation of protocols and guidelines to assist referrers to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in consultation with the Clinical Management Team.
• 15. Ensure compliance with Professional, Service and Trust Policies, Procedures, Protocols, Guidelines and Standards.
• 16. To use a range of Information Technology systems ensuring high quality data is collected appropriately, kept securely and confidentially.
• 17. To maintain relevant professional registration.
• 18. To identify and communicate any concerns through relevant management processes.
• 19. To demonstrate continued practice development and engage in annual appraisal

For full job description, please see attached supporting documents.

We are aware that an increasing number of applicants are using AI technology to generate responses on NHS Job application forms. Over reliance on AI-generated content in application forms is strongly discouraged and we will conduct a thorough screening process before selecting candidates to progress to the next stage. If you are using AI to enhance your application, please disclose this in your NHS Jobs application form.

Person Specification
Physical Attributes
Essential

• Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post. A satisfactory sickness record over the previous 2 years (subject to the need to act with fairness and equality of opportunity, particularly where the sickness is related to a disability and/or pregnancy).

Personal Attributes
Essential

• Able to work autonomously and as part of a team
• Ability to travel to various sites around the Trust in accordance with the demands of the post
• Commitment to a Multi-agency approach to the client
• Calm, confident, innovative, creative and assertive
• Willingness to be flexible and adaptable in accordance with changing service priorities
• Commitment to challenging discrimination and improving accessibility of services
• Ability to manage crisis situations

Special Knowledge/Skills
Essential

• Assessment planning and evaluation of time limited therapeutic programme skills in mental health and behavioural difficulties including risk assessments
• Good verbal and communication skills
• Ability to manage own caseload
• Good negotiation skills, and problem solving skills
• Customer service orientation
• Effective record keeping and report writing skills to include care planning and risk assessments.
• IT skills.
• Have good team working skills. Be able to work across disciplines with an ability to predict and manage inter-disciplinary tensions and foster good working practices.

Qualifications
Essential

• First level registered qualification, such as : RMN, CPN, SW, Occupational Therapy or relevant mental health profession.

Desirable

• Post qualification training in mental health therapy (e.g. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Family & Systemic Therapy)
• Experience of mentoring/supporting learners or ability to demonstrate the skills required for effective mentoring.
• Practice Educator/Practice Assessor Preparation Certificate or ability to demonstrate the skills required for effective mentoring.

Experience
Essential

• Comprehension of current legislation in relation to under 18s.
• An understanding of roles and responsibilities of agencies involved in working with under 18s.
• Experience of working with children and adolescents with multiple problems and their families/carers.
• Multi-disciplinary working. Experience of providing consultation/support and training to professional carers working with under 18s.
• Experience of working with universal service professionals.
• Experience of supervising/mentoring junior staff.
• Experience of safeguarding children and young people.

Desirable

• Experience of working in universal services.
• Experience of networking between universal services and CAMHS.
• Experience of working in a Family and Systemic Team.
• Knowledge and experience of working with equality and diversity
• Experience of delivering training to others

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.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.