CAMHS Acute & Urgent Care; Patient Flow Clinical Service Delivery LeadNHS

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and ambitious clinical leader to help transform urgent and acute mental health services for children and young people across Sussex.

We are seeking a CAMHS Acute & Urgent Care Patient Flow Clinical Service Delivery Lead to provide strategic and clinical leadership across our urgent and acute pathway, including COAST, CAMHS Liaison, Inpatient Services and Transitions.

About the Role As a senior clinical leader, you will take overarching responsibility for the coordination, quality and performance of the acute and urgent care pathway. Working closely with clinical leaders, service managers and system partners, you will drive improvements in patient flow, reduce avoidable admissions, minimise length of stay and support timely, safe discharge planning.

You will provide visible leadership across services, ensuring that clinical priorities are translated into effective operational delivery and that services remain responsive to changing demand and system pressures.

The role will have clinical oversight of:

• CAMHS Outreach, Support and Treatment Service (COAST)
• CAMHS Inpatient Services
• CAMHS Liaison Services
• Transition Services

Main duties of the job

What You'll Be Doing

• Providing clinical and strategic leadership across the acute and urgent care pathway.
• Leading initiatives to improve patient flow and reduce delays in care.
• Driving implementation of the CYP IMHS model locally.
• Working collaboratively with acute hospitals, community CAMHS, social care, education and wider system partners.
• Supporting development of community alternatives to admission and intensive community support models.
• Leading quality improvement, governance and performance initiatives.
• Supporting workforce planning, recruitment, professional development and service sustainability.
• Contributing to business planning and engagement with commissioners and key stakeholders.
• Ensuring the voices of children, young people and families remain central to service development and delivery.

Job description

Essential Criteria Qualifications & Registration

• Professional registration with a relevant healthcare profession (e.g. Nursing, Social Work, Occupational Therapy, Psychology or equivalent).
• Educated to Master's level or able to demonstrate equivalent knowledge and experience.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.

Experience

• Significant senior leadership experience within CAMHS, mental health, urgent care, crisis services, inpatient services or a related healthcare setting.
• Experience of leading multidisciplinary teams across complex services and organisational boundaries.
• Experience of managing clinical risk, patient flow, demand and capacity within healthcare services.
• Experience of leading service transformation and implementing change programmes.
• Experience of quality improvement, governance, performance management and service development.
• Experience of partnership working with a range of agencies including health, social care, education and acute hospital providers.
• Experience of staff management, supervision, recruitment and workforce development.

Knowledge

• Excellent understanding of children and young people's mental health services and care pathways.
• Knowledge of the CYP Intensive Mental Health Services (CYP IMHS) model and relevant national policy and guidance.
• Understanding of patient flow principles, admission avoidance, discharge planning and least restrictive practice.
• Knowledge of safeguarding, clinical governance and quality assurance frameworks.
• Understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion within healthcare delivery.

Skills & Abilities

• Strong strategic and operational leadership skills.
• Proven ability to influence and manage across organisational and professional boundaries.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to analyse complex information and make timely decisions in challenging environments.
• Ability to lead through change and maintain focus on service quality and patient outcomes.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities.

Personal Attributes

• Compassionate, credible and visible leader.
• Committed to improving outcomes and experiences for children, young people and families.
• Resilient and able to work effectively in a fast-paced and complex environment.
• Demonstrates integrity, accountability and professionalism.

About us

We provide mental health and learning disability care for children, young people and adults across Sussex.

Working in Sussex:

• Travel easily between coast and countryside, with a blend of picturesque villages and seaside towns.
• Enjoy a range of beautiful rural settings and bustling city locations.
• With easy access to Gatwick and Heathrow and excellent railway links across the UK there is plenty of opportunity for adventure.

This is a rare opportunity to play a leading role in shaping the future of urgent and acute mental health services for children and young people across Sussex. You will join a highly committed team at the forefront of service transformation and have the opportunity to influence care across the entire pathway.

Most importantly, you will make a lasting difference to the lives of children, young people and families at some of the most challenging times in their lives.

If you are a compassionate, innovative and influential clinical leader who is committed to improving care for children and young people, we would love to hear from you.