Children and Young Peron's Link Worker in CAMHS
Are you passionate about improving the lives of children and young people?
Can you engage with hard to reach children and young people and enable them to improve their mental health and wellbeing?
Are you looking for a role that supports a positive work life balance?
Barnardo's, in partnership with NHS Oxford Health Trust, are seeking a suitably qualified and highly motivated Link Worker to join a newly established service in Wiltshire. The role is part time, 30 hours, but we can offer flexibility for the right candidate. Link Workers will work alongside Wiltshire Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) to offer non-clinical support to children and young people, including:
• 1:1 and support for wellbeing
• Social prescribing and community navigation
• Community and school-based support
• Advice and guidance, including self help
This role offers a unique opportunity to work within both the Barnardo's framework and under an honorary NHS contract, contributing to the wellbeing of the community's youth. Link Workers will be based at the CAMHS office in Melksham, but will be adaptable and flexible to the needs of children and young people, offering support in places and spaces across Wiltshire.
Person Specification:
Essential Criteria:
Qualifications:
• Qualification in a relevant field such as Youth Work, Psychology, Education, social Care or equivalent.
• Willingness to complete Social Prescribing – Learning for Link Workers Training.
Experience:
• Demonstrable experience working with children, young people, and families in a mental health or social care setting.
• Proven ability to conduct assessments, develop support plans, and provide advocacy for vulnerable individuals.
Knowledge:
• Understanding of child and adolescent mental health issues, including common disorders, symptoms, and the role of the CAMHS Link Worker.
• Familiarity with safeguarding protocols and procedures, ensuring the welfare of children and young people.
• Knowledge of local community resources, mental health support services, and referral pathways.
Skills:
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to engage diverse audiences.
• Strong interpersonal skills, enabling effective collaboration with multidisciplinary teams and external stakeholders.
• Organisational skills to manage caseloads, documentation, and reporting requirements efficiently.
• IT proficiency, including experience with relevant software for recording and reporting purposes.
Personal Attributes:
• Compassionate and empathetic approach to supporting the mental health needs of children, young people, and families.
• Ability to work autonomously and make sound decisions within established guidelines.
• Flexible and adaptable, capable of responding to changing priorities and demands effectively.
• Commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion, promoting a culture of respect and understanding.
Desirable Criteria:
• Experience working within the CAMHS or similar mental health services.
Barnardo's and the NHS are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All applicants will undergo relevant checks, including an enhanced DBS disclosure.
When completing your application please refer to your skills knowledge and experience in relation to the Person Specification in the Additional Information document. This should be done with an understanding of the context of the service described.
Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements.
If you have any questions, please call Polly Atkins on 07753 318964 or email polly.atkins@barnardos.org.uk
Note: This job description and person specification outline the general nature and level of work expected of the role. It is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and requirements. Flexibility is essential to meet the evolving needs of the service and organisation.
Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible.
About Barnardo's
We are committed to being an inclusive employer and cultivating a culture where everyone can belong and thrive through inclusion and connectivity. We want our workforce to be reflective of the communities we work with, and for equality, diversity and inclusion to be embedded in everything we do. We are a Disability Confident Leader, are progressing our ambition to be an anti-racist organisation with Anti-Racism Commitments and actions in place and have networks for colleagues who are disabled, LGBT+, Black and Minoritised Ethnic and Women. We particularly encourage applications from Black and Minoritised Ethnic and/or disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce. For disabled applicants, we offer reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.
Our basis and values
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident .