Integrated Schools Lead - Central Beds

Job Summary

This post provides a fantastic opportunity to lead the integrated schools pathway in Central Beds, forming innovative and forward-looking services that are developing substantially across Central Bedfordshire . In Central Beds this includes an established our Wave 7, 11 Mental Health Support Teams (MHST), SCAS and our upcoming Wave 14 Team in January 2026. Mental Health Support Teams are part of an exciting project funded by NHS England, Health Education England and partners with the aim of improving the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in the community in response to the government's Green Paper for Young People's Mental Health. Bedfordshire & Luton CAMHS have been successful in benefitting from significant investment in this area.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be the Integrated Lead for the schools pathway teams across the Luton locality as we move towards an integrated schools offer in the coming year, and they will work with team operational leads and with the overall strategic Clinical Lead for CAMH Access Services to offer a comprehensive first step in mental health support, accessible and acceptable for all communities living in Luton, following the Thrive model. The post holder will lead the development of a wide range of targeted interventions, projects and system change with the aim of delivering whole school and community approaches to supporting young people's mental health. We aim to develop an integrated neighbourhood-based core offer to all schools across the locality, and an enhanced offer where there is greater need (such as in communities with greater health inequalities) over the next two years.

About Us

Our 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.

Central Beds specialist CAMH services offers a comprehensive and seamless stepped model of support for all communities in Central Beds. As a first step, CAMH Access Services offer (Giving Advice and Early Getting Help) services through all schools in CBC. We also have a clinician embedded within Early Help Services, all forming a strong early intervention and community based service in communities. As a second step, we have our multi-disciplinary teams offering Later Getting Help and Risk Management support, and as a third step we have a local Inpatient Unit for young people, along with an admission avoidance pathway.

Details

Date posted

27 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£64,455 to £74,896 a year per annum pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

363-SSLB7556317

Job locations

Central Beds CAMHS

67 High Street North

Dunstable

LU6 1JF

Job Description

Job responsibilities

The post holder will play a lead role in integrating an early intervention offer with partners, including the third sector, who offer emotional well-being support, and broader strategies. They will also help lead on the realisation of an integrated systems model of resilience and relationally focused model of early mental health for and with communities. The post holder will also take the lead in assimilating national guidance, policies and learning into local operational policies and working procedures for a number of innovative projects across the schools pathway across the locality, within a community resilience model, and ensure the adherence to performance monitoring and reporting of the pathway.

For any questions or further information, please feel free to contact Laura Gill, Clinical Team Lead for Central Beds CAMHS

Please feel free to contact us, and either call us on 01525 638613/614, or email us at [email protected]

Job Description

Job responsibilities

The post holder will play a lead role in integrating an early intervention offer with partners, including the third sector, who offer emotional well-being support, and broader strategies. They will also help lead on the realisation of an integrated systems model of resilience and relationally focused model of early mental health for and with communities. The post holder will also take the lead in assimilating national guidance, policies and learning into local operational policies and working procedures for a number of innovative projects across the schools pathway across the locality, within a community resilience model, and ensure the adherence to performance monitoring and reporting of the pathway.

For any questions or further information, please feel free to contact Laura Gill, Clinical Team Lead for Central Beds CAMHS

Please feel free to contact us, and either call us on 01525 638613/614, or email us at [email protected]

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Qualification in appropriate mental health profession such as; Clinical or Family of Psychology, Systemic Family Therapy, Child Psychotherapy, Nursing, Social Work, including a substantive psychological therapy/clinical qualification, and registration with relevant UK governing body.
  
  

Desirable

• Parenting qualification and parenting supervision qualification.
• Supervision qualification
• Specific therapeutic modality training and qualification e.g. CBT, DBT, IPT etc.
• Management or leadership training
  
  

Experience

Essential

• Substantive experience of working in a senior post in CAMHS at a Band 8A level, Tier 2 and education settings, working with complex and serious aetiology of mental health difficulties, and in promoting and developing collaborative partnership approaches in the community to improve mental well-being
• Previous experience of supervising clinicians and training colleagues, where LI-CBT is part of the wider offer
• Previous experience of developing partner relationships, particularly in relation to service development capacities, using an asset-based and resilience based approach to mental well-being.
• Experience of consultation within CAMHS and with the multiagency network, underpinned by systemically informed formulations
  
  

Desirable

• -Negotiation with statutory agencies, such as HEE and NHS England, and also HEIs
• Delivery of parenting programmes - Webster Stratton, Triple P, NVR etc.
  
  

Knowledge

Essential

• Evidence of well-developed highly specialist clinical skills and knowledge in CAMHS
• Core psychological therapy skills applying to models of change at inter-connected systems levels
• Highly specialist skills in assessing for complex aetiology of mental health, neuro-developmental, learning and social factors impacting on the wellbeing of children and young people
• Knowledge of and skills in trauma-informed care as relating to specialist CAMHS practice and ability to translate this to other children's services and their roles within such a framework
  
  

Skills

Essential

• Up to date and specific knowledge of current national issues, guidelines, and policies pertinent for CAMHS
• In depth knowledge of CAMHS issues including complex and highly specialist mental health assessment and interventions, whole school and community approaches
• Knowledge of the Children's Act and other appropriate legislation that is most current to provision of CAMH services
• A working knowledge of Safeguarding Guidelines
  
  

Person Specification

Essential

• Up to date and specific knowledge of current national issues, guidelines, and policies pertinent for CAMHS
• In depth knowledge of CAMHS issues including complex and highly specialist mental health assessment and interventions, whole school and community approaches
• Knowledge of the Children's Act and other appropriate legislation that is most current to provision of CAMH services
• A working knowledge of Safeguarding Guidelines
  
  

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

East London NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Central Beds CAMHS

67 High Street North

Dunstable

LU6 1JF

Employer's website

https://www.elft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

East London NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Central Beds CAMHS

67 High Street North

Dunstable

LU6 1JF

Employer's website

https://www.elft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)