CAMHS Service Manager

Job summary
This post is available to LWSW employees only. Please do not share these details outside of the organisation.

CAMHS Service Manager

Are you an experienced and motivated leader looking for an exciting development opportunity? We are seeking an enthusiastic & innovative individual to join our team as on a 18mth secondment basis. The Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) provides specialist assessment, intervention & treatment for children, young people & families experiencing mental health & emotional wellbeing difficulties. This is a Service Manager post for CAMHS services across Plymouth. The service comprises multidisciplinary teams of specialist professionals who provide community, clinic, home & education-based interventions to support children & young people to achieve their goals & improve their mental health & wellbeing. The Service Manager will develop & maintain strong relationships across health, education, social care & voluntary sector partners, creating opportunities for integrated & collaborative working. The Service Manager will be an integral member of the CAMHS Leadership Team, supporting the ongoing development of services across Plymouth. The role will be pivotal in providing leadership during a period of continued service transformation & improvement. The CAMHS Service Manager will lead the delivery of high-quality, safe & effective services, ensuring that children, young people, and families receive timely, responsive, and person-centred care.

Main duties of the job
To provide a visible, accessible & authoritative presence within the community CAMHS service. To define & assure high standards of quality care, through their clinical presence & vision for the development of community services for all staff & those who use the services. Management of good clinical practice across CAMHS will be a crucial part of this role. The role will manage a designated Community Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) &have operational oversight of the Clinical pathways. Work closely with the CAMHS Leadership Team & the MDT to ensure effective & appropriate delivery of care, ensuring effective throughput of patients. Ensure supervision &effective management of the capacity of the service, using tools such as caseload supervision & discussion, report manager & MDT. Maintain close links with outside agencies & other LW teams. Actively support the Directorate Manager in collaboration with other Leads in the development of services, including the formulation of protocols, policies &strategy.

As an operational manager the post holder will be required to participate in the community operational managers on-call Rota if requested to do so by the Chief Operating Officer.

All LW staff are expected to able and willing to work across a 7 day service.

Job Share(s) Considered

please note that this role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route

Please read Job description for full information

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.

Details
Date posted: 05 August 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 8a
Salary: £57,528 to £64,750 a year
Contract: Secondment
Duration: 18 months
Working pattern: Part-time, Job share, Flexible working
Reference number: B9832-2026-NM-10432
Job locations: 200 Mount Gould Road, Mount Gould, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 7PY, United Kingdom; Mount Gould Admin Block, Mount Gould Hospital, Mount Gould Road, PLYMOUTH, PL4 7QD, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
To be accountable for the provision and co-ordination of high-quality care making the best use of the resources available.Identify trends in the characteristics and demands on the service and use this, where appropriate, to inform workload and workforce planning and strategic decision making. Lead, manage, monitor and analyse clinical caseloads, workload and team capacity to assure safe staffing levels in care delivery, using effective resource and budgetary management.To ensure that development and advancement in clinical practice is in response to service need and consistent with National guidelines and recognised evidence-based practice and LSW Policies and Guidelines. To lead in ensuring that both referral and on-going care processes are consistent with local and national guidelines, are timely and based on maximising independence.Strive for excellence at all times, through involvement with quality assurance initiatives / Clinical audit practices in particular with regard to standards of record keeping.Development and empowerment of managers through training, devolution of responsibility, supervision and appraisal.Ensure that, as an individual, clinical expertise and credibility is maintained. A visible presence is required within operational teams.To work flexibly across services so that staff working can have contact with the post holder on a planned basis. The service works across Monday to Friday 08:00 22:00 however should there be of management oversight CAMHS on call will cover out of hours.The post holder will ensure all staff following Livewell Safeguarding procedures and are trained to the correct level for their roles. To deal with complaints and incidents as required.The post holder is responsible for effective liaison and communication with staff groups and their Trades Union and Professional representatives in matters relating to the delivery of services. The post holder will also take a lead in anticipating and resolving disputes though regular engagement, discussion and negotiation with the relevant staff and their representatives.

To facilitate an analytical approach to the safe and effective distribution of workload through empowerment and education which recognises skills, the regulatory parameters and changing needs of community staffing.Use knowledge and awareness of social, political and economic policies and drivers to analyse how these may impact on CAMHS and the wider health care community. Where appropriate participate in organisational responses and use this knowledge when advocating for people of resources.The post holder is expected to inspire managers and staff within the directorate in carrying through complex change in service delivery within limited resources. The post holder will be expected to deliver on these changes through effective management and the use of a variety of leadership approaches.Explore and apply the principles of effective collaboration within a multi-agency, multi-professional context facilitating integration of health and social care and services, ensuring person-centred care is co-ordinated and anticipated across the whole of the Child and young persons and familys journey.Use creative problem-solving to develop a positive teaching/learning environment and workplace for supporting disciplines and professions learning about caring for people in the community and the interdependency of integrated service provision.Provide line management for specified members of the management team. Ensure all other line management is completed within the Service.To manage the overall Service on a day-day basis ensuring that the skill-mix is appropriate to the needs of the patients.Have the ability to challenge staff where the standards fall below expectation. This will include poor performance issues.Assist in education programmes for junior staff.Participate regularly in interview panels.The post holder will behave in a manner that does not bring the Service or Livewell into disrepute.Responsibility as appointing officer for recruitment of CAMHS Managers.In collaboration with other leads, review workforce development plan which will include skill mix.To manage and deliver learning from incidents, complaints and AARs.Responsibility for information resources:Responsible for recording iThrive Framework and monitoring the quality of data provided by the service. This will require a comprehensive understanding on the national move away from the Care Programme Approach.Responsible for SystmOne contacts and monitor the standard of work of the service.Maintain accurate, electronic records. Ensure they are kept safely in accordance with Livewell policy.Maintain electronic diary as Livewell healthcare protocol.Assist CAMHS to improve data quality ensuring records meet National Mental Health Minimum Data Set requirements.

Management and leadership will also be delivered on the basis of:

• Regular and planned supervision of direct reports.
• Ensuring that all staff within their teams are appropriately supervised and appraised and that opportunities for CPD are identified and maximised.
• Agreed and regularly reviewed job planning.
• A strong network of regular and informal communication and contacts at all levels.
• Compliance with Trust HR Policies and collective agreements with the staff side organisations and professional associations.
• The post holder will take responsibility for recruitment, selection, deployment and retention of staff and encourage innovative solutions for difficult to recruit to posts.

The role requires day to day line management and leadership of senior management. This will include performance and objective setting, appraisal and assisting with personal development planning.

Please see attached Job description for further information.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Masters Degree level study or equivalent experience
• Relevant clinical or management/leadership qualification or equivalent experience
• Degree in clinical area i.e. Nursing, Social Work, Therapy etc
• Registered Mental Health Nurse or equivalent professional qualification
• Evidence of structured training on appraisal and practice supervision skills
• Evidence of post graduate training in one or some of the basic research skills. For example: literature reviews, critical appraisal

Desirable

• Application form, test, at interview

Experience
Essential

• Experience of senior public sector management (NHS and/or Local Government) demonstrating effective track record of managing complex services and large budgets.
• Change management experience
• Experience in project management
• Experience of leading and developing local services within a MDT
• Significant, relevant experience as Ward/Unit Manager or other equivalent position in Children and Young People Mental Health community and inpatient settings
• Experience of wider Health and Social Care
• Managing budgets and ability to monitor and assess financial information
• Implement strategy and guidance
• Presentation skills
• Experience of conducting audits
• Experience of managing teams within a Performance Framework
• Developing, interpreting and implementing local service/Trust/National policies and using these to inform the strategic direction for teams/services
• Evaluating workforce development and skill mix in addition to participating in recruitment and selection of staff

Desirable

• Service redesign
• Experience
• Experience of working with care pathways
• Experience of data collection, analysis, and synthesis
• Experience of using Microsoft Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and electronic mail

Specific Skills
Essential

• Ability to provide and receive complex and emotive information with staff, service users, carers and other stakeholders
• Good project management skills and the ability to see through tasks to their successful conclusion within timescales and budgets.
• Good performance management skills combining clarity around expectations, direction and holding others to account
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability and flexibility to deal with more than one task at a time and move between tasks in order to respond to changing priorities and demands
• Developed interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate at a variety of levels
• Ability to present information clearly to a variety of audiences, verbally and in written reports
• Ability to analyse and interpret performance and financial information
• Resilient and self-motivated with drive and vision that is able to work on own and manage a range of priorities often with completing agendas
• Can use constructive criticism and openly seeks to review and reflect on own style and presentation
• Demonstrate support for the values and beliefs of Livewell Southwest and commitment to the aims and values of the NHS combined with high personal integrity
• Must have self-confidence to challenge traditional practice and the persistence to address difficult enduring issues
• Competent IT skills and knowledge of databases
• Ability to travel between locations

Knowledge
Essential

• Knowledge of current NHS policies/processes and structures especially relating to Mental Health and National Service Frameworks. 10 year plan, SEND Reforms and Families First frameworks.
• An understanding of multi-agency working across the health and social care spectrum and voluntary and independent sector.
• Operational experience and knowledge across a range of Health and Social Care service areas.
• Excellent understanding and application of business management skills and financial acumen.
• Excellent project management and leadership skills.
• Well-developed leadership skills
• Ability to work on own initiative and also as an effective team member
• Ability to manage substantial programmes of change
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to prioritise own workload
• Able to manage difficult situations effectively
• Excellent verbal and written skills
• Good numerical skills
• Excellent facilitation and arbitration skills
• Good IT/word processing skills

Desirable

• To be fully aware of and cascade current changes relating to Government Legislation (i.e. Transforming Community Services).

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).

Employer details
Employer name: Livewell Southwest
Address: 200 Mount Gould Road, Mount Gould, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 7PY, United Kingdom
Employer's website: (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Directorate Manager Community CAMHS, Jayne Blood, View email address on meeveem.com, View phone number on meeveem.com

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.
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).
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).