Band 5 Children's Wellbeing Practitioner

Band 5 Children's Wellbeing Practitioner

ISLINGTON CAMHS - CHILDREN'S WELLBEING PRACTITIONER (CWP) ROLE Band 5

We are recruiting to a full time 1-year fixed term post for a Qualified Child Wellbeing Practitioners (CWP) to join the CWP service within Islington Community CAMHS. This post involves working as a Children's Well Being Practitioner within our small and long established CWP Team, colleagues in main CAMHS and in our single point of entry team, offering fantastic career development.

CWPs deliver guided self-help for children and young people (5-18 years) experiencing low intensity anxiety, low mood and behaviors that challenge in a variety of forms and settings, e.g. 1:1 work, group work, psycho-educational workshops. They are also involved in the support of the trainee CWPs in the service and contribute towards our evolving service development. A key development within Islington CAMHS CWP Team is our widening offer to support neurodivergent young people and families. The CWPs are managed and supervised by Islington CAMHS and will also outreach to other community settings.

We warmly welcome applicants who reflect Islington's diverse ethnic/cultural mix and applications from all under-represented groups and protected characteristics.

Closing Date for Applications: 24th April 2025 Midnight (Subject to closing earlier than this date if applications reach capped amount - recommend applicants' to apply early).

Interview Date: Proposed for 7th & 9th May 2025 (subject to change)

Main duties of the job

Assess and deliver, under supervision, outcome focused, evidence-based interventions to neurotypical and neurodivergent children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties. Work in partnership to support children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties and their families in the self-management of presenting difficulties. Undertake accurate assessment of risk to self and others. Provide a range of information and support for evidence-based psychological treatments, including guided self-help. This work may be face-to-face, by telephone or via other media. Keep coherent records of all activity in line with service protocols and use these records and outcome data to inform decision making. Complete all requirements relating to data collection. Work within a collaborative approach involving a range of relevant others when indicated. Work in collaboration with children, young people and communities to enhance and widen access.

About us

Our mission is to create Children and Young People's Mental Health Services (Islington Community CAMHS, Simmons House and Paediatric Mental Health) within Whittington Health Trust that embrace diversity and foster inclusivity at all levels. We strive to empower and support our staff and service users to achieve wellbeing.

Whittington Health serves a richly diverse population and works hard to ensure that all our services are fair and equally accessible to everyone. We aim to employ a workforce which is as representative as possible of this population, so we are open to the value of differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief.

For further information, or if you require assistance with the application process or there are accessibility barriers that need to be considered for interview, please contact Siobhan Kelly or Lauren Hassen-Leslie on 020 3316 1824 or lauren.hassan1@nhs.net / siobhan.kelly17@nhs.net

Job responsibilities

1. Assess and deliver, under supervision, outcome focused, evidence-based interventions to neurotypical and neurodivergent children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties.
2. Support children, young people, and their families in the self-management of presenting difficulties.
3. Work in partnership with children, young people and families in the development of plans for the intervention and agreed outcomes.
4. Support and empower children, young people and families to make informed choices about the intervention.
5. Operate from an inclusive values base, recognising and respecting diversity.
6. Accept referrals within agreed national and local protocols.
7. Undertake accurate assessment of risk to self and others.
8. Adhere to the service referral protocols and signpost unsuitable referrals to the relevant service as necessary.
9. Provide a range of information and support for evidence-based psychological treatments, including guided self-help.
10. Keep coherent records of all activity in line with service protocols.
11. Work within a collaborative approach involving a range of relevant others when indicated.

Person Specification

Education / Qualifications

• A Postgraduate Certificate/Diploma in Child and Young Persons Psychological Wellbeing Practice from an accredited training provider OR due to obtain one/complete their training in time for the role to commence.
• Psychology or other health/social care/youth related undergraduate degree.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

• Understanding of children and young people's mental health and how it may present.
• Understanding of the need to use evidence-based psychological therapies.
• Knowledge of child and adolescent development and the role of the family in supporting emotional well-being.
• Understanding of systems and contexts in which children and young people live.
• Knowledge of the issues relating to children and young people and the impact on mental health.

Experience

• Experience of working with children and young people as a Child Wellbeing Practitioner.
• Experience in providing CBT interventions for children, young people, and families with mild to moderate anxiety, low mood, and behavioural difficulties.
• Demonstrates high standards in written communication.
• Able to develop good therapeutic relationships with clients.
• Experience of contributing to or leading on service development.
• Ability to manage own caseload and time.
• Experience working as part of a team and fostering good working relationships with colleagues.

Other

• Understanding of and ability to incorporate cultural sensitivity in work.
• Ability to use supervision and personal development positively and effectively.
• Regard for others and respect for individual rights of autonomy and confidentiality.
• Ability and willingness to travel between sites where children and young people may present (e.g. schools, NHS premises, home, etc.).
• Willingness to take an active part in developing the role of CWP within the organisation.

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.

£35,964 to £43,780 a year pro rata per annum inclusive of HCAS