Consultant Practitioner Psychologist- Acute CAMHS

Come and join us

We’re looking for people who share our values of compassion, accountability and optimism to help us provide high quality care for the patients, carers, families and communities we serve. We specialise in NHS mental health and learning disability services and we’re proud to make a difference every day.

At SPFT we put people first. We’ll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. You’ll have opportunities to learn, grow and gain new experiences to support your career, with access to lifelong learning and professional development.

We actively promote flexible working and understand how important work life balance is, especially in healthcare. Whether it’s part time hours, hybrid working or flexible start and finish times, we’ll explore what works for you and the role.

We recognise that tools like AI are becoming part of everyday life and you may choose to use them when preparing your application. We welcome this, as long as what you submit reflects your own experience, skills and voice. AI can be helpful for structuring or refining your answers, but it should not replace your own examples or create content that isn’t based on your real experience.

Our recruitment process is designed to get to know you, and we’ll explore your examples further at interview, so it’s important your application genuinely represents what you bring. You can read more about using AI in applications and interviews on our recruitment process page.

We’re shaping a workplace where ideas are encouraged, technology supports you and everyone has a voice in how we improve. If that sounds like the kind of organisation you want to be part of, we’d love to hear from you.

Job overview

We are seeking to recruit an experienced and creative Practitioner Psychologist (Clinical or Forensic) to provide Professional Leadership to the Psychological Professions (PP) during a phase of significant transformation across the Acute CAMHS Care Service.

The role provides an opportunity to provide strategic leadership within a service which is dedicated to ensuring that children and young people living in Sussex receive timely, integrated and high-quality care to meet their clinical needs. As the Consultant Practitioner Psychologist and Lead for Psychological Professions, you will ensure that young people and their families receive targeted assessments and effective psychological interventions.

As well as influencing the way in which care is delivered across the inpatient services, the role also offers the opportunity to work clinically with young people and their families, while providing clinical leadership within the enhanced seven-day Crisis and Home Treatment Service (COAST). This service offers an alternative to inpatient admission for children and young people (12-18 years) experiencing acute mental health difficulties and has been established for just over a year. You will work closely alongside colleagues from psychology, nursing, psychiatry, occupational therapy, family therapy, social work and mental health practitioner backgrounds to deliver truly integrated care.

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Working clinically alongside the Leadership Team as part of the Sussex CAMHS COAST team, you will provide professional and clinical leadership across the service, leading the delivery of assessment, consultation and psychological interventions.

You will be joining a team which currently includes a Senior Practitioner Psychologist, a Principal Family and Systemic Therapist, and an Assistant Psychologist. A part of the Inpatient service expansion, there will be an additional Senior Psychological Practitioner role, a Family and Systemic Psychotherapist and an Assistant Psychologist in post. You will also provide supervision to the Principal Psychological Professional at the Lansdowne Children's Service.

This is a Band 8c, full-time post covering Sussex-wide. We would consider flexible working patterns and job sharing opportunities for the ideal candidate(s).

You will receive monthly supervision from the CAMHS PP Professional Lead for CAMHS and join monthly PP Leads meeting alongside the Consultant PP Leads across CAMHS. You will have opportunities to network with Psychological Professions colleagues across CAMHS, the wider SPFT NHS Trust, and join National Networks for professionals working in inpatient CAMHS.

Working for our organisation

SPFT provides mental health and learning disability care for children, young people and adults across Sussex. The Trust is rated 'Good' overall and 'Outstanding' for Caring by the CQC.

SPFT encourages flexible working because we know that a positive work-life balance benefits both our staff and the care we provide. If it works for you and the service, we'll do our best to make it happen.

You will receive regular professional and clinical supervision from the CAMHS Psychology Professions Professional Lead and have opportunities to network with Psychological Professions colleagues across CAMHS, Perinatal and Early Intervention Services, as well as across the wider Trust.

We offer:

• Regular Professional and Clinical Supervision with a focus on wellbeing.
• Good links with other Consultant Psychological Professions and opportunities to work collaboratively across CAMHS and Adult Services within the Trust.
• A Specialist Division that prioritises Career Development through the Divisional Shadowing offer.
• A strong commitment to Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Human Rights.
• Opportunities to contribute to quality improvement, service innovation and service development.
• Access to extensive CPD opportunities through Psychological Professions Practice Networks and Leadership Programmes.
• Quarterly Senior Leadership Forums across CAMHS, FCAMHS, Early Intervention and Perinatal Services.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details of the role.

In order to be a successful Consultant Clinical Psychologist in our team you will be:

• Registered with HCPC.
• Experienced in risk management.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced and varied role.
• Able to communicate effectively in complex and challenging circumstances to support professional decision-making.
• Adaptable, organised, compassionate and a team player.
• Experienced in working within a multidisciplinary environment.
• Experienced in supporting children, young people and families experiencing significant mental health difficulties.

It would also be advantageous if you have your own car, as the role will involve direct work with young people and their families in their homes and communities across Sussex.

We actively encourage informal discussions prior to application. Please contact Kylee Brennan (SPFT CAMHS Acute General Manager; [email protected] ) to discuss the wider service, or Louisa Bravery, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Professional Lead for Psychological Professions, CAMHS, Early Intervention and Perinatal Services, [email protected] to discuss the role and opportunities within the Trust.

SPFT is committed to building a workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We particularly welcome applications from people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds and from disabled candidates, as these groups are currently underrepresented.

Successful candidates are normally appointed to the bottom of the pay scale unless previous NHS experience in a similar role can be evidenced.

SPFT takes its responsibilities for safeguarding children, young people and adults at risk very seriously. We expect all staff and bank workers to share this commitment and complete the relevant safeguarding training for their role.

If you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date, please assume your application has been unsuccessful. However, we’ll always do our best to keep you informed as we know how much time and care goes into applying for a role.

In the event of a high number of applications, we may close this vacancy early.

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Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust does not charge any fees for job applications, recruitment processes, sponsorship arrangements or employment offers.

All vacancies, applications and recruitment communications are managed through the Trust's official careers website and published contact details.

These are the only authorised channels for applying for roles, receiving recruitment communications and verifying job offers.

Further information relating to our vacancies and recruitment process can be found at - https://careers.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk/.