CAMHS Social Worker (N&S AAFS & SLP FCAMHS)

Job summary

We are delighted to be seeking a full-time Band 7 CAMHS Social Worker to join our team on a permanent basis. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a responsive, specialist service for young people and families. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to consolidate skills in consultation, complex assessment, and risk management within a skilled and supportive clinical team.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will provide a specialist social work service to the Adolescent At-risk & Forensic Service, National and Specialist CAMHS and South London FCAMHS. Main duties include:

To take a lead in delivering and coordinating a social work service to young people and their families/ carers in the AAFS and FCAMHS teams. o To join colleagues in the delivery of multiagency consultations for young people who present a high risk of harm to others/to self/from otherso To ensure that young people are safeguarded from harm, to improve outcomes in young people's and family/carers lives and act as a guide and an advocate for young people and their families/carers. o To be an active and vital member of the multi-disciplinary team using knowledge and skills to support and advise colleagues in relation to safeguarding and social care.o To work closely and effectively with a variety of other professional disciplines and external statutory and independent agencies to meet the complex needs of children and young people, their families and carers within the community setting.

About us

Flexible working: As one of the few Trusts in London we are proud to offer flexible working as part of our new ways of working, and we are happy to talk flexible working at the interview stage. In this role you will be able to work Monday to Friday in the time frames from 09:00 to 17:00, giving you the very best of good work life balance. (This may include working early mornings, later evenings or Saturdays as part of the core working hours/working pattern for this post)

About our locations: Maudsley Hospital (headquarters)This full-time post is currently based at the Michael Rutter Centre, Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AZ but travel to other locations may be required. Please note the planned move to the Pears Maudsley Children and Young People (PMCYP) at the same site in May 2026)

Our Trust headquarters is located at Denmark Hill less than 5 minutes from the train station (zone 2) and is within walking distance from the beautiful green spaces of Ruskin Park and the vibrant high-street that offers great shopping opportunities and with a wide range of restaurants.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The post holder will provide a specialist social work service to the Adolescent At-risk & Forensic Service, National and Specialist CAMHS and SLP FCAMHS. We are a friendly and supportive team committed to professional and personal development. We are committed to addressing inequality in access, experience and outcomes for children and staff from diverse backgrounds and take an anti-racist approach. We are a team of clinical psychologists, forensic psychologists, clinical psychology trainees, MSc placement students, and assistant psychologists. We are actively involved in research and have close links with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, Doctoral Training Programme in Clinical Psychology. We recognise the benefits of a diverse workforce and the positive impact this has on our staff and our service users. We welcome and actively encourage applications from those with lived experiences of mental health and care services and from black and minoritised groups.Main duties include:

To work within the AAFS and FCAMHS team, taking a lead in delivering and coordinating a social work service to young people and their families/ carers. To ensure that young people are safeguarded from harm, to improve outcomes in young peoples and family/carers lives and act as a guide and an advocate for young people and their families/carers. To be an active and vital member of the multi-disciplinary team using knowledge and skills to support and advise colleagues in relation to safeguarding and social care. To work closely and effectively with a variety of other professional disciplines and external statutory and independent agencies to meet the complex needs of children and young people, their families and carers within the community setting.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential
-To hold a recognised social work qualification and be registered with Social work England (A)
-To have at least 2 years post qualifying experience of utilising a range of social work skills in a statutory children and families social work setting and in identifying and managing risk (A)

Experience

Essential
-Experience of working with children and adolescents with complex emotional or mental health difficulties (A/I)
-Experience of formal child protection processes and inter-agency work with families. (A/I)
-Experience of undertaking complex social care needs assessments along with proven ability to identify and manage risk. (A/I)
-Experience of consulting to other professionals around issues of risk and risk management (A/I)

Desirable
-Experience of direct working with children, young people and their families or carers where emotional or mental health is a factor (A/I).
-Experience of implementing a social work service in multi-disciplinary, multi - agency setting (A/I).

Knowledge/Skills

Essential
-Knowledge of childcare legislation and statutory guidance in relation to Child Protection procedures (A/I)
-Advanced knowledge of subjects relevant to child and adolescent forensic mental health (A/I)
-Knowledge of key legislation central to the implementation of social work in a CAMHS setting e.g., Children's act 1989, Children's act 2004, Mental health Act 1983, Mental capacity Act 2005 (A/I)
-Knowledge and understanding of child development, parenting capacity, environmental factors, risk and protective factors. (A/I)

Desirable
-Experience of planning and delivery of training in response to identified needs (A)
-Able to communicate complex and clinically sensitive information effectively to children and young people, their parents, families, carers and a wide range of lay, professional and academic persons within and outside the NHS orally and in writing (A/I).
-Proven skills in the use of standard and specialised methods of assessment in relation to young people presenting with forensic and mental health concerns (A/I)
-Sound knowledge of professional, ethical and cultural standards relating to work with children, young people, their families and carers (A/I).