CAMHS Specialist Practitioner Discharge CoordinatorNHS

Job summary

This exciting and innovative role sits at the heart of Lewisham CAMHS, helping to ensure children, young people and families receive the right support, at the right time, in the right place.

As a CAMHS Specialist Practitioner and Discharge Coordinator, you will play a pivotal role in enhancing patient flow, reducing delays in care, and supporting smooth transitions across services. Combining specialist clinical expertise with strong coordination and system-navigation skills, you will work collaboratively with children, young people, families, multidisciplinary colleagues and partner agencies to ensure timely access to care, effective discharge planning and positive clinical outcomes.

The role offers a unique opportunity to influence pathways across Lewisham CAMHS, driving efficient, high-quality and person-centred care while maintaining a strong clinical focus.

Why this role is exciting

Key role in shaping patient flow and reducing waiting times.

Opportunity to influence system-wide pathways across CAMHS and partner agencies.

Balance of service development and direct clinical work.

Collaborative multidisciplinary environment with strong professional support.

Chance to improve access, experience and outcomes for children, young people and families.

Main duties of the job

1. Lead on the coordination of patient flow across the Lewisham CAMHS community pathways, ensuring timely access and discharge planning.

2. Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to identify barriers to discharge and implement solutions.

3. Support and advice teams on recording care pathways effectively on epjs and monitor recording reports.

4. Monitor caseloads, length of stay, last contacts and service capacity to support effective resource allocation and reduce waiting times.

5. Liaise with external agencies and services to facilitate smooth transitions and continuity of care.

6. Provide clinical oversight and support to practitioners managing complex discharge cases.

7. With senior colleagues, evaluate and review the therapeutic strategic outcomes for the team and set aims and objectives and the monitor practice to assure quality standards of care.

8. Establish and maintain evidence-based practice in the assessment and treatment of young people in crisis or needing intensive and/or crisis intervention.

Job description

1. Assume responsibility for own case list and case management of children, adolescents and families who are determined to be at high risk.

2. Provide primary CAMHS assessments, other specialist assessments and risk assessments to identify and diagnose the cause of emotional and behavioural problems in children and young people.

3. Formulate care plans, based on the primary CAMHS assessment. Design, write and share a copy of the care plan with children, young people and their carers.

4. Carry out the care plan using evidence-based models of psychological and psychotherapeutic interventions.

5. Participate and lead in joint complex assessments with other disciplines and other agencies and provide reports for referrers, families and other agencies as required, including 'witness of fact' court reports where appropriate.

6. Assess safeguarding issues for each case and refer concerns to Child Protection teams.

7. Maintain good relationships and clear lines of communication with other professional agencies and departments, providing specialist advice and support where appropriate.

About us

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust(SLaM) provide the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK as well as substance misuse services for people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. We work closely with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London and are part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre. There are very few organisations in the world that have such wide-ranging capabilities working with mental illness. Our scope is unique because it is built on three major foundations: care and treatment, science and research, and training.