64 Best south east Jobs in Luton (February 2026)

Senior CAMHS Practitioner

6 days ago

Dunstable

ELFT has long been recognised as a centre of excellence for mental and health care, innovation and improvement. So it is a very exciting time for you to come and work for us. Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.Job overviewWe are looking for a creative, forward thinking and motivated Mental Health Practitioner to join our friendly and professional multi-disciplinary Emotional & Behavioural (core) CAMHS Team. The team is based in Dunstable, within the South Bedfordshire Specialist CAMHS Service. Our work is underpinned by strong values to treat each other, service users and agency partners with respect and care. We would be happy to consider requests for flexible working.The post-holder will be offering assessment and therapeutic treatment to young people with moderate to severe mental health difficulties and their families/carers. You will involve parent/carers, schools and other agencies as required. You will require a high degree of professional autonomy, organization, and self management, with the ability to work well in a team. You will be supported by regular specialist clinical and management supervision sessions, access to a variety of internal CPD sessions, and annual performance appraisals. You will also participate in weekly clinical discussions with the team. There are opportunities to take part in discipline-specific meetings within Bedfordshire CAMHS and ELFT.Main duties of the jobWe work alongside other CAMHS teams that offer more specialist support, for example for clients in crisis, or those with eating disorders or learning disabilities. We also work closely with our growing local community teams that have staff working in schools, GP practices and Early Help teams. The team is made up of: Administrative staff, Psychiatrists, Psychologists, a Senior Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, CBT Psychotherapists, an Arts Psychotherapist, Systemic Therapists, a Counsellor and Mental Health Nurse. We are also passionate about supporting trainees from all disciplines.The team leader is committed to staff development and there are regular opportunities for staff to apply for appropriate training courses and to get involved with Quality Improvement projects. We enjoy working with our excellent service user participation team, for example involving service users in recruitment and service development. There are frequent new developments in the service, offering staff the chance to work at a higher banding during the time of the project. As part of the East London Foundation Trust (ELFT), there are a significant number of positions in the trust for clinicians up to band 8D, opening up paths for promotion for ambitious members of staff. ELFT also prioritizes staff wellbeing and we have introduced a range of staff wellbeing initiatives to support this.Working for our organisationOur mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.Detailed job description and main responsibilitiesThis post is based close to the M1 and easily reached by car from North London, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire. The clinic has the added benefit of free parking and all clinicians are supported by very dedicated and efficient administrative staff. Most of the work will be based in the clinic when not remote working (currently up to 25% of hours can be worked from home). Access to a car would be very helpful given the location. The Trust has an arrangement for 50% discount on season ticket fares with Thameslink, the rail provider, for its staff. A generous relocation package is available if you need to move to access this job.For further information or to arrange an informal visit, please contact:Dr Louise Scrivener, Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Team Lead, Dunstable CAMHS, tel 01582 707635 or email [email protected]Person specificationQualificationsEssential criteria- A qualification in one of the following: Child Psychotherapy, Clinical Psychology, Nursing, Counselling Psychology, Social Work or other equivalent profession. Non registered applicants will not be short-listed.- Clinical Psychology Postgraduate Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996)- Registration with HPC or relevant organisation- Child Psychotherapy Honours degree. Postgraduate Diploma/MA in Psychoanalytical Observational Studies or recognised equivalent. Masters in Psychoanalytical Psychotherapy: Child and Adolescent.ExperienceEssential criteria- Evidence of well- developed clinical skills and knowledge in CAMHS- additional training in evidence based therapy (DBT, CBT, Trauma informed, ACT, CAT, EMDR, systemic, etc)- Skilled in emergency and crisis assessments- Evidence of ability to lead, support and influence others- Teaching skills, both in clinical setting and education centresDesirable criteria- Specific trainings in ND and ASD/C assessment and treatment protocols- Skills in applying behavioural/learning approaches to difficult to manage behaviourKnowledgeEssential criteria- A high degree of self-awareness and an ability to reflect on personal and professional attitudes and accept feedback- A developed knowledge of ND and ASD/C- Awareness of current national guidelines and policies in the field of CAMHS- Specific knowledge of pertinent issues for CAMHS- Knowledge of The Mental Health Act 1983 (amended 2007) and associated legislation- Knowledge of the Children’s Act and other appropriate legislationMaking Things BetterQuality Improvement is a key part of our work to improve our services and refine how we do things. We have a global reputation for our quality improvement work and we don’t stand still! So we offer a fantastic opportunity for our staff to learn, lead and contribute towards improving our services.We launched our Five Year Strategy in April 2018, which identified four main strategic outcomes to improve: population health outcomes, experience of care, staff experience and improve value. This complements the NHS Long Term Strategy and sets out our direction of travel.Our CommunityWe provide a wide range of community health and mental health inpatient services to children, young people, adults of working age, and older adults in The City of London, Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Bedfordshire and Luton. We also provide psychological therapy services to the London Borough of Richmond, and provide Forensic services to the whole of North East London. We provide services in urban and rural settings, sometimes in our inpatient units, but mostly in the community close to where people live. Integrated care is key in making the best use of resources and providing effective care.Aiming HighWe were rated ‘Outstanding’ by the CQC in 2016, were proud to be rated ‘Outstanding’ again in 2018 and continue to be rated 'Outstanding' in 2021. We were named in the HSJ’s Top 10 best places to work in healthcare and were voted Provider Trust of the Year in 2018.Staff and Service Users UnitedWe strive to ensure that staff feel valued by the Trust and as they are truly pivotal in delivering better outcomes for our patients and service users. Our aspiration is to help to make ELFT the best place to work. This Trust is clinician-led and provides the highest possible level of clinical expertise throughout its services. We pride ourselves on our service user involvement. A service user will be on your assessment centre and interview panel if you are invited to meet us.We especially welcome people with lived experience of health difficulties, with insight and understanding of different backgrounds, cultures and lifestyles in our population as we believe that this will equip staff to deliver a high standard of care to our service users and patients.DiversityELFT Is committed to being a diverse organisation and our workforce is reflective of the population and communities we serve. We believe that having colleagues with a range of backgrounds and life experiences enriches and adds value to the outcomes we have set out to achieve. Having partnered and endorsed by organisations who are representative and experts in various areas of equality and diversity, we can ensure we are meeting the pre-set standards all the way from recruitment stage throughout the career journey of our employees by being accessible, having fair inclusive practices and a host of staff networks to support, nurture and celebrate our valued staff in the workplace.Other reasons to applyAs a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s job share, part time or another flexible pattern.As part of the relocation scheme we presently have, the Trust could support you with offering up to £10,000 for removal and associated expenses. This is subject to change and terms and conditions apply.AI in applicationsIf you use AI or other tools to assist in writing your job application, make sure you add your own personal touch— especially in the supporting information section. AI can make writing easier, but it doesn’t fully understand the position you’re applying for and might generate false or misleading information. Applications written only by AI often sound generic and may not show your real skills, knowledge, or experience. It’s important to write your supporting statement in your own words. East London NHS Foundation Trust does not recommend relying only on AI, as it could negatively impact on your chance of success in the application process.We carefully check applications to make sure no one has an unfair advantage, and we verify all references. At the interview, you’ll be asked about your experience, so be honest and ensure everything in your application is accurate. Please remember that using AI during the interview is not allowed.What Next?If you like the sound of ELFT, don’t waste a moment. We sometimes close adverts early if there is a high response, so apply now!As part of our recruitment process we may be required to share information you provide on the application form with NHS Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA) and/or other organisations for the purpose of the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of fraud or any other unlawful activity affecting the NHS. We also use third party providers to check and verify your qualifications who may be contacting you on our behalf to verify the same..If you do not hear from us within four weeks of the closing date, please consider that you have not been shortlisted on this occasion. You must provide professional email addresses for all referees as we will contact them as soon as an offer has been made. Please note we do not request references prior to interviews. All applications made through NHS Jobs account will be processed by TRAC System. Please note that some emails may go to your spam/junk mailbox so make sure you check this regularly.Find us online at | Find us on Facebook | Follow us on @NHS_ELFT

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