Head of CAMHS (MK)

Job 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.

You will work closely with the Service Director, Clinical Director, and a wide range of internal and external stakeholders—including service users, parents, commissioners, local authorities, schools, and voluntary sector partners—to deliver service improvements, drive quality, and champion co-production.

Main duties of the job

• 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.
• Champion co-production, establishing forums for parent/carer and service user involvement.

Working for our organisation

Why Join Us?

• Be part of 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 to ongoing professional development and leadership opportunities.
• Work in a collaborative environment that values innovation, co-production, and continuous improvement.

About You Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Educated to Master’s level in a health or social care discipline (or equivalent senior-level experience), with a relevant professional qualification.
• Significant clinical, operational and management experience in mental health services, ideally within CAMHS or a similar setting.
• A 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.

Person specification

Technical Qualifications Essential criteria

• Educated to Masters level in a health or social care discipline or equivalent senior-level work experience
• A recognised senior management qualification in leadership, policy, strategy, business management or other relevant field
• Evidence of on-going personal and professional development

Desirable criteria

• A relevant professional qualification

Experience Essential criteria

• Current and extensive operational (including budget/financial) and management experience of mental health services, at a middle management level, in a health or social care organisation
• Proven experience of 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 interagency partnership working
• Ability to negotiate complex contracts with the approval senior management
• Experience of working within statutory and other regulatory frameworks within which mental health and social care services operate and translating these 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 of small and large steering groups
• Experience of running services which address population health inequalities

Personal Characteristics

Essential criteria

• Self-awareness: knows own strengths and weaknesses and empowers others to ensure goals are achieved; adopts a ‘can do’ approach
• Self-management: demonstrates resilience; recognises the anxieties of others and helps them to manage appropriately; absorbs criticism constructively; recognises and delivers to the ‘greater good’
• Personal integrity: has a strong commitment to openness, honesty, inclusiveness and high standards

Leadership Competencies

Essential criteria

• Analytical rigour: encourages rigour and provides critical challenge in determining outcomes; Presents data and conclusions in a logical and defensible way; undertakes robust risk and impact management; seeks others’ views to test own thinking
• Decision making: Sensitive to complex political and organisational issues; weighs up available information and applies sound and timely judgement; considers consequences, impacts and implications; decisive in times of change, challenge
• Communication: builds rapport through consistent, confident and open communication style; routinely checks for understanding to test receipt of messages; energises, convinces and persuades; encourages honesty of message
• Relationships: awareness of, and works collaboratively with key decision makers in area of operation; promotes partnership and collaborative working within teams; demonstrates the ability to seek out and harness the views and contributions of others