Mental Health Practitioner

Job summary
37.5 hours per week. Join our CAMHS Crisis and Liaison Team at Livewell Southwest as a Band 6 Mental Health Practitioner and play a vital role in supporting children and young people at some of their most vulnerable moments. This is a rewarding role working across both community crisis responses and acute hospital settings, where you will deliver timely assessments, manage risk, and provide compassionate, trauma-informed care. We are looking for motivated, resilient practitioners who can think clearly under pressure, communicate effectively with families and partner agencies, and remain focused on safety and positive outcomes. In return, you will be part of a supportive, forward-thinking team that values staff wellbeing, encourages professional development, and is committed to delivering high-quality, responsive care across Plymouth.

Main duties of the job
You will assess and support children and young people experiencing mental health crisis in both community and hospital settings, helping them stay safe and stabilise during periods of acute distress. The role involves working closely with families, hospitals, and partner agencies to plan care, manage risk, and ensure timely decisions are made. You will be part of a fast-paced, supportive team, responding to urgent situations, contributing to safeguarding processes, and helping young people move safely through care when they need it most.

This role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route; please refer to the Direct Gov website for more information with regards to eligibility. Please note that Livewell may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline if a high number of applications are submitted. Therefore, we recommend you submit your application at the earliest opportunity. All Livewell staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7 day service.

About us
Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise delivering integrated health and social care services across Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts of Devon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, and health hubs. As an organisation with a strong social conscience we are guided by our values, kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, and collaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability, while empowering staff and those we serve. We involve the people we care for, along with their families and carers, in shaping the care they receive, striving to deliver the right care at the right time and place. Centering our work on individual needs helps people lead healthy, independent lives. We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, training pathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the Care Certificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorship programs ensure a smooth transition into our organisation. Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mental health, neuro-diverse conditions and learning disabilities. If you need assistance or reasonable adjustments during the application process, contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the job advert.

Job responsibilities
To improve children and young peoples mental health through the delivery of an integrated and coordinated system of community based mental health care to children, young people, and their families, providing safe, culturally competent, effective, cost efficient, timely and accessible services that are in accordance with national and local priorities and are responsive to the needs and views of local children, young people, and their families.

To support the delivery of consultation, liaison, and training to staff in Universal/targeted/specialist Services. To also provide clinical input to the team, delivering practice within best evidence and to the highest possible standard. The post sits within a multi-agency locality-based team within the city offering mental health assessment and treatment interventions in line with NICE Guidelines.

To contribute to a positive working environment and open learning culture, which supports high morale and commitment within the Community Mental Health Team promoting wellbeing, personal development, and continuous improvement in the standards of business activities and professional practice.

To work with children/young people/families and professionals working with them, to reduce the stigma associated with mental health and contribute to the embedding of a positive message about maintaining good mental health.

The Mental Health Practitioners (MHP) will be supported to develop the ability to provide specialist and autonomous, culturally competent mental health assessment, formulation of and implementation of specific care plans and review for children and young people and their families/carers following a request for involvement. The MHP will have skills that enable them to communicate that assessment in writing to the referrer and the General Practitioner. This information may also be required to be copied to any other relevant parties involved in the young persons care, with the young persons permission where appropriate.

All Mental Health Practitioners (MHP) must use an evidence-based approach to develop and implement a specialist program of intervention to a defined caseload of children and young people. These interventions will be based on a clear theoretical framework and will take full account of the child or young persons developmental needs, gender, ethnicity, religion, race, ability, and sexual orientation. The MHP will need to develop their skills and knowledge enabling them to draw on a range of therapeutic interventions, for example different psychotherapeutic models, non- verbal therapeutic approaches and other techniques adapted for use with children and young people. They will also need to develop an extensive knowledge of the full range of children and family services across all agencies.

Direct intervention by the MHP is undertaken according to the competencies of individuals. As a Band 6 clinician the expectation will be that the clinician takes a lead role in the delivery of the service and supervise the junior members of the team. It will be evidence based and informed by a clear theoretical framework. The MHP will describe the planned care within a written care plan, review, and update, which has been signed by the child/young person and/or parent/carer.

The MHP will develop the skills and knowledge enabling to choose an intervention and deliver that from a range of therapeutic modalities including systemic practice, cognitive behavioral therapy, solution focused therapy.

The post holder will be expected to draw upon experience and knowledge gained through training and practice relating to child development, child and adolescent mental health and adult mental health.

The MHP will demonstrate effective skills in the assessment and reassessment of risk and communicate concerns accurately in a timely fashion. This is inclusive of priority assessments and requires multi-agency responses to risk assessment and risk management plans.

The MHP will develop skills and knowledge enabling them to make an autonomous decision about the time of discharge, and agree with the child, young person, and family/carers as well as multi-agency key partners. Communicate a summary of the work undertaken and how to sustain improvements made and include correspondence to General Practitioner.

The MHP is required to maintain high effective standards in the recording of clinical observations and actions, risk and risk management including child protection in health records.

The MHP will provide schools, and/or other community venues, with access to individual and small group therapeutic interventions for those pupils who require it, including working with families.

All MHPs work with families at their homes, education, and community settings and at base as appropriate/required by children/young people and their families.

The MHP will strongly adhere to culturally competent and anti-discriminatory practice, promote equity of opportunity, and use their professional position to empower others and challenge power imbalances where they are found to exist.

The MHP will provide consultation to staff in partner agencies and may be required to support junior staff in attendance at meetings/ EHAT/CP meetings.

Consultation is offered to all professionals to identify the nature and level of the childs mental health need so that an appropriate CAMHS response can be defined and actioned.

Offer consultation and support to CAMHS wider system

All MHPs promote the mental health and emotional well-being of children and young people

The MHP will play a major role in encouraging and co-coordinating collaboration between all agencies by attending multi-agency meetings such as multi-agency EHAT meetings, child protection case conferences, education reviews etc., to provide a mental health perspective.

The MHP will be required to have excellent and effective communication skills, applicable to working both with young people, their families, and professional systems. Acting as a point of liaison between specialist CAMHS and universal services to ensure improved communication and collaboration via a range of different interfaces, forums, and meetings e.g., presenting at meetings within Plymouth.

The post holder will be required to contribute to the delivery of education and training to professionals in multi-agency universal services.

Contribute to team
Contribute to the development of team protocols and clinical practice, proposing changes for discussion. Maintain good activity records and input them onto the electronic recording system in a timely manner.

Maintain good activity records and provide them in a timely manner for inputting onto the electronic system.

Be available for and make use of clinical supervision, child protection supervision and operational line management supervision.

The Post holder is responsible for attending clinical supervision a minimum requirement of an hour per month.

The post holder will need to organize their own workload under the support and supervision of Clinical Team Manager

Maintain health records to the standards required by LSW

Contribute to a strong team ethos of enquiry, development, and improvement.

Contribute to the development of team protocols and clinical practice, proposing changes for discussion.

Participate in team meetings, for example allocation, supervision, reflective practice, case discussions.

The post holder will strongly adhere to anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice, promote equity of opportunity, and use their professional position to empower others and challenge power imbalances where they are found to exist.

Keep up to date with CAMHS developments taking place nationally in line with service objectives.

To participate in audit and quality and patient safety activity in line with service objectives.

Input to the electronic system as appropriate e.g., child protection supervision coding.

To be aware of and familiar with LWSW policy and procedure and operate within that e.g., lone working policy.

To maintain high standards of infection prevention and control in day-to-day delivery of practice.

To measure and make available clinical outcome measures within an agreed system. This is most likely to be the CAMHS Outcomes Research Consortium.

Please refer to the relevant job description which has been attached to this job application/ advert.

Person Specification
Circumstances

• Ability to frequently travel independently and in a timely manner between Livewell Southwest sites and community locations including areas not served by public transport.
• Ability to work flexibly (hours of work and duties) both as an individual and with other colleagues in Livewell Southwest and with partner agencies.
• Able to undertake the demands of the post with reasonable adjustments where required.

Desirable

• Adjustments can be considered in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act.

Experience Essential

• Experience (both work and life related)
• Experience of working in a multi-agency and/or multi-disciplinary context.
• Experience of working with the care systems both directly with Children and young people and professionals within the care system.
• Experience of post-registration working with children and young people who have experienced mental health difficulties.
• Experience in assessment, inc risk, care planning, intervention, and evaluation.
• Maintaining own safety in Community settings by working within relevant policy and having completed or be willing to complete breakaway training or equivalent.
• Experience of effective working with families of different cultural backgrounds.
• Experience of working within multi-agency safeguarding systems e.g., child protection conferences, child in need meetings

Desirable

• Experience of service evaluation

Knowledge Essential

• Knowledge of relevant legislation and documents pertaining to children, e.g., Children Act 2004, Child Protection, National Service Framework, Every Child Matters etc. Learning Disability specific legislation and documents, Aiming High for Disabled Children, Valuing People, Mansell report, Mental Capacity Act.
• Knowledge of a range of mental health problems and disorders affecting children and young people who are in care.
• Knowledge of theories of child development and their application to practice.
• An understanding of resilience and vulnerability

Desirable

• Knowledge of different models of therapy, e.g., Applied Behavior Analysis and at least one other therapeutic modality e.g., CBT, Psychodynamic psychotherapy, solution focussed therapy etc.

Qualifications Essential

• Core qualification in any Mental health modality such as Nursing / CPN/ Social Work / Psychology
• Appropriate Registration relevant to professional qualification
• Post graduate training qualification in methods of working with children with mental health problems, e.g., counselling, systemic practice or post grad diploma in child and adolescent mental health

Skills Essential

• Mental Health and Risk assessment, care planning, evaluation, and intervention skills
• Well established case management skills and good organizational skills with ability to prioritize
• Well-developed communication skills both oral and written
• Commitment to anti-oppressive practice
• Ability to work in partnership and in collaboration with others, both in and out of own agency/professional background.
• Commitment to own learning and professional development.
• Reflective Practitioner

Desirable

• Culturally competent assessment and intervention skills
• Specific therapeutic skills relevant to working with children and families
• Consultation skills.
• Training skills
• Self-motivating and able to work on own initiative

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship
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).