CAMHS Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist (N&S Orchids)

A Vacancy at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.

Due to maternity cover (12 months Fixed term until 31.07.2027), there is an exciting opportunity to work as a Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist within the Orchids Team , a National and Specialist CAMHS service working in collaboration with the Autism and Intellectual Disabilities- Intensive Intervention Team (AID-IIT), who have close links with the Service for Complex Autism and Associated Neurodevelopmental Disorders (SCAAND). Orchids work with young people across London aged under 13, with a suspected or confirmed diagnosis of autism and/or intellectual disability and complex mental health needs, with an aim to reduce or prevent inpatient admission and support young people to remain in the community where possible.

Our national and specialist CAMHS services have a formidable reputation nationally and internationally and are made up of a broad range of outpatient clinics, and five inpatient units. We have a strong tradition of evidence-based treatment, and are active in clinical research; developing, assessing and implementing effective new treatments such as intensive day treatments for eating disorders.

Our clinical teams are fully committed to multi-disciplinary, comprehensive assessments of young people within their family and social context, taking into account their academic achievements and potential.

The postholder will work as a Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist in the Orchids Team to lead on occupational therapy input within the team, including offering highly specialist input into MDT assessments, occupational therapy assessment and interventions to young people and parents/carers and consultation, training and support to multi-agency local networks including staff from local and inpatient CAMHS settings. The role includes work across a range of settings - offering work in community settings, inpatient settings, working from home, and working from our clinic base, depending on the needs of the young person, family and network.

Orchids is an exciting National and Specialist CAMHS Service which aims to reduce or prevent where possible inpatient CAMHS admissions for children aged under 13, with suspected or confirmed diagnoses of Intellectual Disabilities and Autism and to support these young people to continue to live within the community. The Orchids service works in collaboration with the AID-IIT service and has close links with the specialist outpatient component of SCAAND, as well as a number of specialist Outpatient CAMHS services.

Orchids is a multi-disciplinary team including a Clinical Psychologist, Behaviour Analyst, Trainee Clinical Psychologist, Occupational Therapist, Speech and Language Therapist (also linked to Guys and St Thomas’s NHS Trust), Consultant Psychiatrist, Family Therapist, Specialist Teacher (also linked to the National Autistic Society) and Admin support.

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 9am to 5pm, 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)

• To offer specialist occupational therapy within the multi-disciplinary team, including offering assessment and intervention to young people with highly complex presentations, their families and wider networks, using evidence based / client centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions and liaising with professional networks to offer specialist occupational therapy consultation.
• To manage a complex caseload, using evidence based / client centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions.
• To provide clinical leadership for junior staff and students through support and training.
• To participate in the planning, development and evaluation of clinical services using advanced clinical skills and knowledge.
• To regularly supervise occupational therapy students on practice placement.
• To provide specialist advice on the assessment and intervention of occupational needs for children/young people with a neurodevelopmental profile.
• To develop occupational therapy interventions in this specialty undertaking regular audit and R&D activities.
• To provide training and consultancy for occupational therapy within the specialty.
• To participate in service development for the service, working with young people with autism spectrum disorder and/or an intellectual disability at imminent risk of inpatient admission in London.
• To work flexibly as needed across settings offering outreach work when needed – for example seeing young people in inpatient settings, family homes, community settings across London as required.

This advert closes on Tuesday 19 May 2026