Job summary

CAMHS is seeking to appoint an experienced, compassionate, and motivated Band 6 Senior Mental Health Practitioner to join our dynamic Single Point of Access (SPA) Team. We welcome applications from registered Mental Health Nurses, Social Workers, or Occupational Therapists who are passionate about improving outcomes for children, young people, and their families.

This is an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful difference to the lives of children, young people and their families by helping them access the right support at the right time. As a key member of the SPA team, you will play an important role in managing the front door to CAMHS, ensuring referrals are reviewed promptly, assessed appropriately and directed to the most suitable pathway.

Your responsibilities will include undertaking clinical triage and comprehensive assessments, gathering relevant clinical and psychosocial information, assessing risk and safeguarding concerns, and determining the urgency and appropriateness of referrals in line with service thresholds. You will support decision-making, escalate high-risk presentations, provide advice and signposting, and develop safety plans and referrals.

Working collaboratively with children, young people, families, and partner agencies, you will help identify appropriate CAMHS interventions, early help and support. You will contribute to effective demand management, accurate clinical documentation, safe information sharing, clinical governance and continuous service improvement.

Main duties of the job

Undertake clinical triage and assessment of referrals to CAMHS SPA, using clinical judgement to identify presenting needs, urgency and appropriate pathways of support.Gather and evaluate information relating to young people's mental health, psychosocial circumstances, family context and existing support networks.

Complete risk assessments, identify safeguarding concerns and develop appropriate risk management and safety plans, escalating complex or high-risk presentations to senior clinicians. Support young people experiencing emotional distress or mental health difficulties, providing appropriate advice, support and crisis intervention within the scope of the role.

Determine the most appropriate pathway of care, considering CAMHS, specialist services, early help and community-based alternatives.

Provide advice and signposting to families, carers, professionals and partner agencies to promote early intervention and timely access to support.

Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary colleagues and external agencies to ensure coordinated, holistic and person-centred care.

Maintain accurate clinical records and ensure effective communication, information sharing and compliance.

Contribute to the effective management of referrals, waiting lists and service demand, supporting timely and safe access to services.

Support the identification of learning from incidents, concerns and complaints, contributing to continuous improvement within the SPA service.

About us

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides joined-up mental and physical healthcare for around two million people across our communities. With over 13,000 staff working in the community and local hospitals, we deliver care at every stage of life, helping people live their best and healthiest lives.

Our mental health services include community-based support and early intervention in psychosis (EIP) for both adults and young people, alongside a network of specialist inpatient wards covering forensic, learning disability, eating disorder and older person's care.

We deliver extensive physical health services too, from urgent community response teams helping frail and older patients remain safely at home, to hospitals at home teams providing acute-level care in familiar surroundings. Our neurological services offer rehabilitation and treatment for conditions including Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, Motor Neurone Disease, Head Injury, Cerebral Palsy and Stroke. Across Hampshire, our community hospitals provide inpatient rehabilitation as a step down from acute care, and our dedicated teams also staff Treetops Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Portsmouth, offering expert, compassionate support.

Everything we do is underpinned by our CARE values of compassion, accountability, respect and excellence