Central Screening Team Mental Health Clinician

Overview

In this Band 7 role, you will provide expert central screening, triage and clinical decision-making to prioritise referrals for Surrey Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services. You’ll work within a county-wide team to shape care pathways, ensuring timely access and safe allocation of urgent and specialist referrals. The role supports multi-agency collaboration, supervision of junior staff, and development of consistent, evidence-based practice in a fast-paced environment.

Pay / Benefits

• Flexible working
• Free parking
• Excellent health and wellbeing support
• Staff networks
• Development opportunities
• Support for progression

Responsibilities

• Provide expert telephone screening and triage for urgent and specialist referrals
• Assess clinical need, risk, safeguarding concerns and urgency using advanced clinical judgement
• Make autonomous decisions regarding referral prioritisation and allocation
• Allocate referrals to the most appropriate Surrey pathways (e.g., Urgent Care, CEDS, Mindworks Hubs, SBN, EIIP, CLD, Transfer of Care, VSA)
• Demonstrate knowledge of Neurodevelopmental pathway and medication referral processes
• Develop safety plans and escalate urgent referrals as needed
• Support Hub Screening Clinicians with routine referrals when demand allows
• Provide clinical advice and consultation to colleagues and partner agencies
• Promote consistent decision-making through supervision and SOPs
• Support induction, supervision and development of junior staff and students
• Act as a clinical role model and promote evidence-based practice and Trust values
• Communicate effectively with children, families and professionals
• Provide timely clinical advice to referrers, GPs, schools, social care and partner organisations
• Build relationships across the Mindworks Alliance and represent the Access and Advice Team
• Present complex cases at team meetings and supervision
• Support safe and timely patient flow by screening and allocating referrals promptly
• Collaborate with Administration Team on referrals, enquiries and inbox
• Document all clinical decisions in the electronic patient record
• Escalate operational or capacity concerns to the Service Manager
• Contribute to KPI reporting and service performance

Key requirements

• Registered Mental Health Professional (RMN, Social Worker, Occupational Therapist or equivalent)
• Extensive experience as a Band 6 Nurse / Occupational Therapist or Social Worker
• Experience of telephone or remote clinical triage and decision-making in mental health settings
• Experience of working within multi-agency systems (schools, social care, GPs, acute services, voluntary sector)
• Desirable: experience in supervising or mentoring others

• Excellent communication with children, families and professionals
• Adaptability and resilience in a fast-paced environment
• Collaborative and teamwork-oriented approach
• Advanced clinical judgment for risk assessment and safeguarding
• Telephone screening and triage
• Clinical decision-making for referral prioritisation

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