Job Overview

We are looking to recruit someone who will work to improve the lives of children and young people with mental health and emotional needs through the delivery of services to promote recovery and well-being. In achieving this, to provide a combination of case management, direct clinical/ therapeutic practice, consultation and support, supervision, and training.

For an informal discussion on this role  please contact Tina Hesse at T.Hesse@health.gov.je

Job Purpose

To work as a core member of the Early Intervention CAMHS team. To hold a defined caseload and provide evidence-based interventions and treatment plans for children and young people. To support all areas of Early intervention functions including completing initial assessments, providing consultation to schools and parents, alongside 1-1 work, group work, parent support work, running workshops and delivering training.

Statutory Responsibilities

Active engagement, participation and compliance with any other statutory responsibilities applicable to the role, as amended from time to time.

This role is politically restricted. The job holder is not permitted to undertake political activity involving standing for election to the Government or as a Parish Constable, or publicly supporting someone who is standing for election or playing a public part in any political manner.

Budgetary Responsibility

The post holder will contribute to budget management, ensuring cost effective use of resources and by creating a “value for money” culture which encourages self-sufficiency and flexibility of working practices, however will hold no overall budget responsibility

Job Specific Outcomes 1 of 2

The post holder will need to work as part of a multi-disciplinary community CAMHS service which provides clinic-based outpatient services, outreach and liaison to support integrated practice and seamless service delivery for young people and their families.  This will include contributing to the generic functions of the team as required by undertaking initial assessments, working as an Early Intervention practitioner offering a triage service to referrers and concerned professionals, responding to service users and parents, gathering and sharing information with partner agencies, undertaking home and school visits and observations as part of the diagnostic assessment as necessary.

The post holder will undertake initial assessment of children and young people referred into the CAMHS EI service using clinical judgement to sign post to appropriate services or to retain within the CAMHS Service for time limited therapeutic intervention or additional assessments. 

The Post holder will be professionally qualified, accountable and responsible for the direct care of children and young people, including assessment and provision of time-limited therapeutic interventions, in a variety of community or home settings. To carry own caseload and act as lead professional or care co-ordinator where appropriate.

The post holder will take steps to obtain patient consent to care and treatment (or consent from the person with parental responsibility), in accordance with emerging Jersey legislation for Mental Capacity and Fraser Guidelines, ensuring that children and young people who lack mental capacity remain at the centre of decision-making and are fully safeguarded.

The post holder is responsible for identifying and reporting concerns regarding the safeguarding of children who may be at risk and will participate in Safeguarding Children strategy meetings and case conferences. The post holder is responsible for ensuring the highest professional standards and attitudes towards the care of children and young people are maintained and that care is delivered in accordance with evidence-based practice at all times

Job Specific Outcomes 2 of 2

The post holder will work with partners and stakeholders.

The post holder will provide face to face and telephone consultation/ support for children / young people and families.

The post holder will undertake liaison with and onward referral to specialist services where appropriate.

The post holder will maintain relevant casefile records in line with professional and local Department guidelines.

The post holder will maintain an appropriate level of clinical knowledge through on-going professional development to ensure ongoing professional registration with the relevant professional body.

The post holder will participate regularly in the process of clinical and management supervision.

The post holder will attend team briefings and meetings to ensure knowledge and activity are strategically and operationally up to date.

The post holder will work as an autonomous professional within relevant professional guidelines (e.g., NMC, UKCP, BPS or HCPC, PTUK or equivalent) and the policies and procedures of the service, taking full responsibility for interpreting policies and procedures within defined parameters. The post holder will assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management and safeguarding plans for referrals which prioritise the needs of the young person and takes in to account their social context.

To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice in individual work and work with other team members and to maintain up to date knowledge of legislation and good practice guidelines, and to include local and international policies. The post holder will take a proactive stance in challenging all forms of discrimination and support the development of a culturally sensitive and competent service.

To lead, and chair when appropriate, multidisciplinary meetings, providing professional advice on individual care programme planning and other clinical matters as necessary. The post holder will undertake such other duties, training and/or hours of work as may be reasonably required and which are consistent with the general level of responsibility of this job.

Person specification

The role requires a professional qualification in a core health / social care profession e.g. first level mental health nurse (RMN), Social Worker or Allied Health Professional, Play Therapist, Art Therapist, Psychotherapist. The post holder will need maintain registration the relevant professional body, e.g. NMC, HCPC, BAPT, PTUK, BPS, UKCP or similar. 

Qualifications

The role requires a professional qualification in a core health / social care profession e.g. first level mental health nurse (RMN), Social Worker or Allied Health Professional, Play Therapist, Art Therapist, Psychotherapist. The post holder will need maintain registration the relevant professional body, e.g. NMC, HCPC, BAPT, PTUK, BPS, UKCP or similar. 

The post holder will need to demonstrate continuing professional development relating to child, adolescent and family mental health, 

A degree/diploma in Child and Adolescent Mental Health (or equivalent qualification).

A Post-graduate professional qualification/ training in an area demonstrably relevant to the post such as advanced training and experience in the use of one or more of the following techniques with children/ young people and families :cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT); brief solution focused therapy; family therapy or equivalent, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT, Non-Violent Resistance (NVR), a recognised training in Facilitation of Parenting Groups.

Knowledge

The post holder has current knowledge of a range of evidence-based therapies suitable for use with children and young people. Knowledge of the work and services provided by both the statutory and voluntary sector as it affects children and young people, families and schools. 

The post holder will need to develop knowledge of the structure and governance of services locally. The post holder will need to develop understanding of non- statutory guidance relating to the emotional health and well- being of children and young people. 

The post holder will need demonstrable theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the general evidence base for treatment in child and adolescent mental health. Demonstrable knowledge of evidence-based practice in early intervention for children and young people

Technical Work Based Skills

The post holder will need to analyse and interpret a range of complex facts and situations when assessing mental health conditions

The post holder will draw on a wide range of information sources to inform analysis including referrals, case notes, and electronic patient records to develop an overview of cases. 

The post holder will have the ability to compile and analyse service referral, assessment, intervention and outcome information.

The post holder is able to assess individual’s responses to treatment, for example assessing when information shared in a session with a family requires immediate management such as MASH referral and ability to judge how to safely defuse and manage highly emotive situations. 

The post holder will need to judge when to escalate issues to more senior staff. 

The post holder will need to maintain awareness of own their limitations and scope of practice. 

The post holder will respond appropriately to crisis situations, including undertaking risk assessments and safety planning.

The post holder will implement prescribed strategies/interventions to manage the crisis effectively and informs relevant staff in a timely manner. 

The post holder will use judgement when providing advice and guidance on complex clinical cases to other members of the clinical team and staff from other disciplines.  

The post holder will be responsible for maintaining appropriate boundaries with patients. 

The post holder will assess and plan care for a defined caseload.

The post holder will demonstrate the ability to prioritise work based on risk and need and make appropriate matches between demand and available capacity within the family therapy team. 

The post holder will deliver agreed interventions using a combination of individually led work, co-worked cases and reflective team cases utilising the evidence base and outcome measures. 

The post holder will develop appropriate group work for children and young people where the evidence confirms group interventions are effective in addressing specific presenting problems

General skills / attributes

Ability to bring creative solutions to problems. Ability to develop effective partnerships with other professionals, leading to collaborative working relationships. 

Commitment to the principles and practice of anti-discriminatory practice. 

Evidence of actively pursuing continued professional development. 

Willingness to work flexible hours with the possibility of working outside of contracted hours subject to notice. 

The post holder has excellent interpersonal and communication skills and communicates in a way which recognises difference and ensures that people feel included and their individual communication needs are met. The post holder ensures communications with patients and their families must at all times be safe (appropriate) in content, empathic, effective and respectful and made compassionately and positively to minimise anxiety and distress related to their health and well-being. The post holder will need to be compassionate in meeting the needs of children, young people, and their carers.

The post holder will need to facilitate effective collaboration,

The post holder ensures that effective communication systems are maintained within the team and strengthens partnership links with the Specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Team (tier 3), targeted services (tier 2) and universal services (tier 1), writing reports for and attending multiagency and other meetings as required.

The post holder communicates complex and sensitive information regarding patients’ needs sensitively. The post holder is responsible for ensuring that communication with the public is professional and courteous at all times.

The post holder will aim to resolves informal complaints effectively, avoiding escalation where possible and informs the team manager in a timely manner.

The post holder will need to develop effective working relationships with others.

The post holder will participate in regular meetings.

Experience

The post holder requires experience of working with children and young people across the age range (0-18 yrs.)  

Experience in working with children and families where there has been a therapeutic focus to the work undertaken.

Experience of delivering groups to children and young people.

Experience of delivering training Experience of supporting parents. 

Experience of working within or with multi- disciplinary teams. 

Significant experience working with children and young people with mental health and emotional needs in an education, community, or primary care settings.

 Experience of working collaboratively with children, young people, and their families/carers.

Experience in clinical risk assessment and management and its application in practice. 

Experience of working within a Stepped Care model. 

Experience of Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and the application of safeguarding policy in practice.

Experience of supporting for and advocating children's rights. Experience of working therapeutically.

Personal Attributes

Appointees to this role will be required to adhere to and perform their duties in line with the standards identified in the States of Jersey tier 5 core accountabilities attributes and behaviour indicators. 

The post holder will assess and plan care for a defined caseload. 

The post holder will demonstrate the ability to prioritise work based on risk and need and make appropriate matches between demand and available capacity. 

The post holder will deliver agreed interventions using a combination of individually led work, co- worked cases and reflective team cases utilising the evidence base and outcome measures. 

The post holder will develop appropriate group work for children and young people where the evidence confirms group interventions are effective in addressing specific presenting problems. 

The post holder will demonstrate the ability to plan own work to deliver an effective use of specialist skill within the service to include a balance of direct client work, caseload administration, supervision of other professionals, training, consultation, research, audit and service evaluation and service development. 

Personal Attributes cont.

The post holder will maintain their own supervision and CPD and all organisational statutory and mandatory training requirements and ensures individual PRA goals are met within agreed timescales. 

The role requires the post holder to  be able to drive as the role is a peripatetic role within the island.  

The post holder will require a reasonable degree of physical fitness to effectively engage in direct play with younger children as an aid to engagement and building a therapeutic alliance, 

The post holder will act as an autonomous professional within the relevant professional code of conduct and service and departmental policies and procedures. 

The post holder will have accountability to the CAMHS Team Manager. 

The post holder will be responsible for ensuring arrangements for screening of referrals that referrals receive timely and appropriate assessment and allocation to a treatment plan.

This will be achieved partly by the post holder directing their own work plan to ensure allocation to treatment reflects need and priority. 

The post holder will work within appropriate Professional Code of Conduct and is accountable for their own professional practice.

Competencies.