Mental Health Nurses in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) are specially trained nurses who work with children and young people who are experiencing emotional wellbeing and mental health difficulties. They provide specialist care whilst empowering young people to identify how to manage their own thoughts and feelings. They also support young people and families to put in place strategies to improve emotional wellbeing and mental health.
CAMHS services employ a range of professionals working together to help children and young people. Sometimes the job title ‘CAMHS Practitioner’ is used as a ‘catch all’ term to describe the range of professionals found in the team. Some of the other notable professions are:
All these roles will have their own responsibilities, skills and entry requirements. This profile focuses specifically on the routes into Mental Health Nursing (CAMHS Specialist).
You will need to have:
NHS based CAMHS nurses start at a Band 5 salary. Opportunities to develop professionally are encouraged and supported. When Nurses gain additional therapeutic qualifications, they can expect to be paid at Band 6/7 dependent on the qualification. This means you can expect to earn anywhere between around £25000 and £45000 depending on your banding and experience.
Working hours will depend on the setting you are employed in–working in a hospital may require you to work shifts which involve early mornings, evenings, weekends, and bank holidays. In other community settings, hours are usually Monday to Friday from 8:30am till 5pm. There may be some requirements to work weekends on a rota basis.
Opportunities exist in:
Nursing is a demanding role so it’s good to get any relevant health and social care experience to get an idea of what the role involves.
For example, work experience as a care worker or in some other work with people in the community is good preparation for life in any branch of nursing.
If possible, it’s also a good idea to shadow a practicing CAMHS nurse (although this can be very difficult to organise) or talk to the specialist nurses about the role.
Mental Health Nurses with a CAMHS specialism have often progressed from mental health nursing or another branch of nursing (e.g., children’s nurse). Therefore, as nurses they already have lots of relevant experience. It is likely that they will have relevant work with vulnerable people including those with complex mental health needs. Although this will ideally include children or young people, it is possible for mental health nurses and other nurses working with other age groups to transfer their skills to CAMHS.
However, like all nurses, those starting out on their nursing journey come from a wide range of backgrounds. For example, people who end up on the Degree Apprenticeship in Nursing (Mental Health) might have come from other care roles such as Healthcare Support Worker (Mental Health services), Community Mental Health Care Assistant or even a role such as a Samaritans Listening Volunteer. Those who come through the University degree route may have experience of care and/or experience of dealing with the public in other jobs such as retail, hospitality, education and community work.
No matter the pathway, it is important is to demonstrate a commitment to helping others. This could come from voluntary work, providing personal care for family or friends or being someone who has a lived experience of certain health conditions and/or disability.
Progression into CAMHS Nursing
Progression into specialist CAMHS nursing is possible when qualified Registered Mental Health Nurses or nurses from other branches of nursing have gained enough experience working with people (ideally young people) with complex mental health needs.
Progression of CAMHS Nurses
With additional therapeutic qualifications there is the opportunity to specialise in an area of mental health such as eating disorders and learning difficulties. There are also opportunities to become a nurse prescriber, a team leader or a team manager.
To become a specialist CAMHS Nurse, a Registered Nursing qualification is essential. A Mental Health Nursing degree is the most obvious route, however you can progress into this specialism from any nursing degree.
The registered nursing qualification can be achieved through a full-time University course or through a degree apprenticeship or through a postgraduate course.
If you already have a relevant degree in Psychology, Social Work, Life Sciences or another health-related subject, a postgraduate Masters option is available.
As there are no specific formal entry requirements future Social Prescribing Link Workers can come from a very wide range of education and work backgrounds.
However, there is an apprenticeship framework for all the Personalised Care roles- the Community Health and Wellbeing Worker apprenticeship.
BSc (Hons) Nursing or BSc (Hons) Mental Health Nursing.
You will need to study Nursing at university– many specialist CAMHS Nurses will choose to study a Mental Health Nursing course, although there is relevance in the other branches of nursing too.
Entry requirements:
Work experience:
Those who come through the University degree route may have experience of care and/or experience of dealing with the public in other jobs such as retail, hospitality, education and community work.
No matter the pathway, it is important is to demonstrate a commitment to helping others. This could come from voluntary work, providing personal care for family or friends or being someone who has a lived experience of certain health conditions and/or disability.
Already have a degree?
If you already have a degree in a health-related subject or other practice-based learning you may be able to get accreditation of prior learning. This may allow you to apply for a two-year accelerated pre-registration postgraduate programme in adult nursing.
Relevant degree subjects include:
Relevant practical experience in a health-related environment such as a care home, hospital or the community is also required.
The Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship provides a work-based pathway to Mental Health Nursing. As a degree apprentice you will be employed and your employer will release you to study for the degree part-time.
Although you can apply for a degree apprenticeship as an external applicant (for example, as a sixth form or college student or as a health and care worker for another organisation), it is also the case that currently employed Healthcare Support Workers and/or other assistant level health and social care staff may be given the opportunity to internally apply. Within the NHS, progression from support level roles to the health professions is encouraged.
Registered Nurse Apprenticeship – this 5 year degree apprenticeship is a partnership between University of Sunderland, local hospital trusts and other private healthcare providers (Spire Healthcare for example). The length of the programme depends on prior learning and clinical experience. It is possible, for example, to start on programme in Year 4. This will be assessed by the University and the employer.
Another progression route for Healthcare Support Workers is the Nursing Associate higher apprenticeship. A Nursing Associate is a new role and can be used as a steppingstone to becoming a registered nurse. Once you have completed your Nursing Associate Higher Apprenticeship you can ‘top up’ your qualification to become a registered nurse.
Entry requirements:
The entry requirements are the same as those for a full time degree course (see above)- GCSE English and maths at 4 or above (or equivalent). A Level 3 qualification whether A-level, T-Level or BTEC Level 3.
