Senior CAMHS Mental Health Practitioner - Duty & Assessment Team

A Vacancy at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.

The Clinical Support Unit for CAMHS within Manchester Foundation Trust was awarded an "Outstanding" rating by the Care Quality Commission both in 2016 and 2019. This is an exciting time to join the trust to be part of the Greater Manchester footprint committed to dynamic and responsive engagement with our community.

This is a brilliant opportunity for a dedicated healthcare professional to join our Duty & Assessment team and promote and improve the mental health and well-being of Children, Young People and those who care for them. North Manchester Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) work with Children, Young People and Families aged up to 18 years and who present with a wide range of complex emotional and behavioural difficulties. We are seeking to permanently appoint a committed professional to join our experienced and highly motivated Initial Assessment & Duty Team, based at The Bridge.

We are looking for an experienced Senior Mental Health Practitioner who is able to work autonomously at Band 7, within a multi- disciplinary team. You must have demonstrable experience of working with vulnerable people and families, who present with complex mental health needs and may present as risk to self and or others.

You must have a working knowledge of CAMHS and or adult mental health and have an understanding of assessing complex mental health needs and levels of risk, including safeguarding and self-harm.

You will manage your own caseload, providing a range of high quality care appropriate to the child or young person's needs which will include; mental state assessment, risk assessment and management, family and social assessment, consultation and interventions. You will receive support from the Pathway Lead, Service Manager, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Consultant CAMHS Psychiatrists.

This post is a clinical post and the expectation of time management is that the majority of time will be spent in face to face clinical practice. The majority of your working time is to be targeted towards initial assessments of mental health disorders and duty based mental health risk assessments. You will then formulate these cases and decide on the next steps in the case. This could be, for example to move them through to longer term treatment. There is scope in this role to hold a small portion of the job plan to provide treatment via Evidence Based practice and providing effective clinical supervision.

Join Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) and become part of a 30,000 plus strong team, delivering exceptional care to over 1 million people every year. As the largest provider of specialist services, and our Oxford Road Campus in Manchester, the largest health academic campus in Europe, we are forward-thinking, committed to clinical excellence and driven to deliver innovation, and continuous improvement.

Whether you’re beginning your career or taking the next step, MFT offers a stimulating and supportive environment where your contribution truly matters. Our Hive Electronic Patient Record system enables safer, smarter, and more efficient ways of working - empowering you to deliver the best possible outcomes for our patients.

You’ll be part of a collaborative, multi-disciplinary community, working alongside professionals from a wide range of clinical backgrounds. Together, we push boundaries, share knowledge, and deliver care that transforms lives.

At MFT, you’ll find a workplace where everyone is respected, supported, and encouraged to thrive. We offer clear clinical pathways for professional development, helping you grow your skills and achieve your ambitions.

Your journey at MFT is more than a job - it’s an opportunity to make a lasting impact. We’ll support you as you shape the future of healthcare, one patient at a time.

To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience you’ll need for this role, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the ‘Documents to download’heading.

Explore ‘Inside MFT – Your Candidate Place’

To help you feel confident, prepared and fully informed before you apply, we invite you to exploreInside MFT – Your Candidate Place. This welcoming one‑stop hub gives you a real sense of who we are, what we stand for, how we reward and support you, and the many ways we care for you as you care for others. You’ll also find practical hints and tips for submitting a great application, along with the essential information you need to know before you apply.

To access ‘Inside MFT – Your Candidate Place’, simply click on the relevant PDF document under the ‘Documents to download’headingand once opened, you can either scan QR code or click on the link provided.

Closing vacancy listings early

We welcome applications from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.

To help us manage applications fairly and give each one the time it deserves, our adverts may close early if we receive a high level of interest. Early applications are therefore encouraged.

Diversity Matters

MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, please contact the manager named below.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your application

Here at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, we’re proud to be ALL HERE FOR YOU, for our patients, our communities, and each other.

As part of our commitment to fairness, transparency, and personal integrity, we ask all applicants to ensure that their job applications reflect their own experiences, skills, and motivations. While AI tools can support spelling, grammar, or formatting, we expect that the content of your application, especially personal statements and responses to role specific questions is written by you. This helps us get to know the real you and ensures that our recruitment process remains equitable and meaningful for everyone.

Thank you for helping us uphold the values that make our Trust a place where people belong, grow, and thrive. We look forward to receiving your application.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check

As part of our commitment to safeguarding patients and staff, many roles at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. This is a standard process across the NHS and helps us ensure a safe environment for everyone.

What is a DBS Check?

A DBS check is a background check that reveals any criminal convictions, cautions, reprimands, or warnings. The level of check required depends on the role:

Standard DBS

Checks for spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands, and final warnings.

Enhanced DBS

Includes the above, plus any additional information held by local police that’s considered relevant to the role.

Enhanced with Barred

Lists

Includes all of the above, plus checks against the children’s and/or adults’ barred lists.

Who Needs a DBS Check

Most roles involving direct patient contact, working with children or vulnerable adults, or access to sensitive information will require a DBS check. The job advert and recruitment team will let you know if this applies to your role.

The Costs for a DBS

At Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), roles that require a DBS check are subject to a cost recovery policy. This means that the cost of submitting and processing a DBS application if you are successful and join us, will be deducted from your salary within the first three months of employment. If, however, you withdraw from a conditional offer after the DBS process has begun, you will still be liable for the cost incurred.

For more information about the cost of the various types of DBS, please visit:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dbs-fees-are-changing-in-december

DBS Update Service

Candidates are also expected to register with the DBS Update Service which must be completed within 30 days of the certificate being issued. This helps streamline future employment checks and supports safer recruitment practices. For more information, please visit the DBS Update Service.

This advert closes on Wednesday 4 Nov 2026