Head of CAMHS (MK)

Overview

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a highly motivated and innovative Head of CAMHS for Community CAMHS services in Milton Keynes.

The role of Head of CAMHS is a pivotal role, responsible for the effective operational management and strategic development of the CNWL CAMHS provision, ensuring high-quality, safe, and responsive care for children, young people, and their families.

Responsibilities

• Provide day‑to‑day operational leadership for CAMHS, ensuring services meet performance, quality, workforce, and financial targets.
• Lead the clinical transformation agenda, implementing innovative service development strategies and quality improvement initiatives.
• Foster a positive, inclusive culture that prioritises staff wellbeing and models compassionate leadership.
• Develop and maintain effective partnerships with stakeholders to ensure services meet the needs of the local community.
• Identify and pursue new business opportunities, supporting tender processes and the implementation of the CAMHS Long Term Plan.
• Ensure robust governance, compliance with statutory frameworks, and delivery within budget.

Qualifications

• Educated to Masters level in a health or social care discipline (or equivalent senior‑level experience).
• Relevant professional qualification and significant clinical, operational and management experience in mental health services, ideally within CAMHS or a similar setting.
• Registered healthcare professional (desirable).
• Proven track record of successful leadership, service development, and change management.
• Strong understanding of the policy and regulatory landscape for mental health and social care.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and partnership‑building skills.
• Demonstrable commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion.
• Analytical, resilient, and able to inspire and motivate multidisciplinary teams.
• Recognised senior management qualification in leadership, policy, strategy, business management or other relevant field.
• Evidence of ongoing personal and professional development.
• Current and extensive operational (including budget/financial) and managerial experience in mental health services, at a middle‑management level.
• Proven experience managing a sector or borough multidisciplinary team (including senior managers and clinicians) on various sites within a multi‑disciplinary setting.
• Record of successful leadership in an operational capacity.
• Experience of policy development and strategic planning resulting in change‑management projects/programmes.
• Experience of successful inter‑agency partnership working.
• Ability to negotiate complex contracts with senior management approval.
• Experience working within statutory and regulatory frameworks, translating them at an operational level.
• Experience in leading/coaching successful quality‑improvement projects.
• Experience of developing programmes designed to improve user and carer involvement.
• Experience of managing a diverse workforce.
• Excellent presentation skills.
• Experience of organising and chairing small and large steering groups.
• Experience of running services addressing population health inequalities.

Personal qualities

• Self‑awareness: knows own strengths and weaknesses and empowers others to achieve goals; adopts a “can do” approach.
• Self‑management: demonstrates resilience; acknowledges others’ anxieties and helps them manage appropriately; absorbs criticism constructively; delivers for the greater good.
• Personal integrity: demonstrates commitment to openness, honesty, inclusiveness and high standards.
• Analytical rigour: encourages rigour and provides critical challenge to determine outcomes; presents data and conclusions logically; undertakes robust risk and impact management; seeks others’ views to test own thinking.
• Decision making: sensitive to complex political and organisational issues; weighs available information and applies sound, timely judgement; considers consequences, impacts, and implications; decisive in times of change and challenge.
• Communication: builds rapport through consistent, confident and open communication; routinely checks for understanding and energises, convinces and persuades; encourages honesty of message.
• Relationships: aware of and works collaboratively with key decision makers; promotes partnership and collaborative working within teams; demonstrates ability to seek out and harness the views and contributions of others.

Benefits

• Join a forward‑thinking, supportive leadership team.
• Shape the future of CAMHS across CNWL services across London and Milton Keynes, making a tangible impact on young people’s lives.
• Access ongoing professional development and leadership opportunities.
• Work in a collaborative environment that values innovation, co‑production, and continuous improvement.

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