Training dates:If applicants have not had either foundation level or intensive level DBT training, they will need to be available to attend training 22-26th September 2025.

The Oxleas CAMHS Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Service provides assessment, treatment, training and consultation in relation to young people aged 12 to 18 who present with persistent self-harm and suicidal behaviour and difficulties suggestive of an emerging Borderline Personality Disorder or emerging Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder. Many of the young people seen will present with complex needs including high risk behaviours. The treatment length is up to a year long. Each team member will have a small caseload, but the team will support each other via DBT consultation meetings, morning case run throughs and supervision. Within the DBT service each clinician will play an active role in all aspects of the service and treatment, including assessment, treatment, delivery of skills group, phone coaching 9-5pm, teaching, training, research and service development.

The post holder will be responsible for supporting staff within the team to achieve positive clinical outcomes for young people and their families. These outcomes will be evidenced by research and performance indicators such as activity data, targets, and quality measures.
• To be trained and confident in providing specialist Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) to young people with suicidal thoughts, behaviours and self-harm who may have a diagnosis of emerging BPD/EUPD.
• To be trained and confident in the use of CYP IAPT principles, evidence based interventions and routine outcome measures.
• To co-ordinate and deliver individualised care packages / programmes for children and young people and evaluate these programmes, ensuring high standards of practice in accordance with national guidelines and trust policy.
• Train and mentor students and less experienced members of the discipline within the DBT team.
• To be able to plan and facilitate appropriate therapeutic intervention including group work for the specialist client group and their families and carers.
• To communicate risks often effectively and appropriately under difficult, highly charged, and emotional circumstances to medical staff, other professionals and families involved in the care of the client.
• To liaise with other colleagues in CAMHS and participate in different clinical groups in order to share best practice and discuss current and future professional and clinical developments e.g., case review meetings and professional forums.
• To liaise independently and effectively with external partner agencies, co-ordinating meetings and participating in case discussions between teams involved in the care of clients.

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children’s centres, schools and people’s homes.

We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:
• We’re Kind
• We’re Fair
• We Listen
• We Care

Management responsibilities
• To participate in the development and implementation of policies and procedures within own speciality and the generic service and to ensure that other professionals are aware of these.
• To advise service and professional management on operational and professional issues with monthly reporting on service targets.

Leadership
• To take responsibility as agreed with the line manager, operational manager and the service manager for the training and personal development of junior staff.
• To be responsible for the security and the property of the Trust, avoiding loss or damage and being economical and efficient in the use of resources according to local DBT and CYP directorate budgets.

Clinical
• To demonstrate the ability to work as an autonomous specialist practitioner in relation to the specialist area and in clinic which will include the reading and recording of the clinical observations of each child and the on-going assessment of the effectiveness of treatment packages.
• To carry own caseload and take responsibility for the assessment, planning and evaluation of care for clients in the specialist area of DBT.
• To demonstrate the ability to develop specialist programmes of care for the specialist client group and their families in accordance with Trust and national standards, policies and guidelines and appropriate professional codes of conduct.
• To take case management responsibilities when appropriate in clinical meetings, giving clear clinical advice with regard to assessment, Risk Assessment, formulation, and treatment of identified clients.
• To recognise responsibility and act according to Trust and national guidelines in safeguarding children and adults.
• To demonstrate the ability to teach in informal and formal settings, e.g., carers at home, students on specialist placement.
• To respond to the needs of clients and their carers in an honest, non-judgemental, and open manner, which respects the rights of individuals and groups.
• To demonstrate a commitment to equal opportunities for all people.
• To understand the impact of social & cultural diversity on patients’ and carers’ needs and on their experiences of mental illness and mental health services.
• To respond to the diverse needs of the specialist client group and their carers sensitively with regard for age, developmental stage, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability and the need for their privacy and dignity.
• To understand the rights of clients and carers and to assist them in exercising those rights, where appropriate.
• To undertake Carers assessments and devise an appropriate care plans.
• To have knowledge of appropriate legislation and it’s relevance to the specialist area.
• To take responsibility for the decision to discharge clients from care when agreed treatment programmes have been completed.
• To participate in individual and group supervision with colleagues in the specialist areas.
• To offer supervision to junior staff in agreement with the CAMHS service leads.
• To ensure that documentation is up to date, clear, concise, comprehensive and complies with Trust and national record keeping standards.
• To take responsibility to record own supervision in case notes or in supervision records in order to be able to reflect on the supervision process.

Research
• To contribute to service evaluation, policy development, audit, evaluation, and research in the area of self-harm and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).

Effort
• To demonstrate the ability to listen and engage in therapeutic practice.
• To demonstrate a high degree of competence in communicating complex information both verbally and in writing.
• The ability to speak in public and address formal and informal meetings with colleagues both internally and externally to the Trust as required.
• To demonstrate the ability to write analytical reports and present these to outside agencies.
• To demonstrate the ability to communicate therapeutically with families from a range of backgrounds.
• To effectively communicate acquired and existing knowledge in order to facilitate the client and carers’ understanding of complex issues in relation to their presenting current situation and future treatment.
• To participate in the PDR process according to Trust guidelines.

Effort
• To safely demonstrable ability to work under pressure and respond to emergency situations as appropriate.
• To effectively demonstrate the ability to engage and work with clients in differing environments in line with the needs of the service.
• To uphold a flexible approach to client intervention and to be able to work independently and flexibly to meet client needs.

This advert closes on Monday 25 Aug 2025

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

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