CAMHS Deputy Ward Manager

Job overview

Are you ready to take the next step in your leadership journey within CAMHS? Do you want to work in a team where you feel empowered, supported, and proud to make a difference in young people’s lives? If so, joining the CAMHS Inpatient Units as a Deputy Ward Manager could be the opportunity you’ve been looking for.

We are committed to delivering high-quality, patient-centred care across our adolescent inpatient services, including general and PICU wards. Our patients are at the heart of everything we do, and we strive to create a safe, therapeutic environment that promotes recovery and resilience.

As a Deputy Ward Manager, you will play a key role in supporting the clinical leadership of the ward, ensuring safe staffing, effective care delivery, and a positive team culture. You’ll work closely with the Ward Manager and multidisciplinary teams to uphold clinical standards, drive service improvements, and mentor junior staff.

We believe that providing excellent care starts with recruiting exceptional people. We’re looking for compassionate, motivated leaders who are ready to go the extra mile for our patients and colleagues. Whether you’re stepping into your first leadership role or building on existing experience, we’ll support your development through structured training, coaching, and career progression opportunities. At SLaM, there’s always a place for you to grow.

Please note vacancy can be closed early once maximum applications received.

Main duties of the job

During this role you will have the opportunity to learn new specialist skills through our excellent learning and development opportunities which will include leadership and managerial skills alongside clinical interventions. It is important to show through your application and interview, what transferable skills and experience you have.

As well as our inhouse development programme, we also have our CAMHS Nursing Academy which is a training and development program which is based on the four pillars of advanced nursing practice.

This oppertunity is based within our CAMHS Bethlem Adolescent Inpatient Unit on the beautiful grounds of the Royal Bethlem Hospital site, based in Beckenham.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Working with young people in CAMHS is both demanding and deeply rewarding. As a Deputy Ward Manager, you will have the opportunity to support young people at a critical point in their mental health journey, helping them build resilience and a more positive outlook for their future.

In this leadership role, you will contribute to the planning and delivery of high-quality clinical care, working closely with the Ward Manager and wider multidisciplinary team. You will use your clinical expertise to help maintain a safe, therapeutic environment and support the development of junior staff. You will be confident in assessing and managing risk—both formally and informally—and will understand how to balance this with least restrictive practice, ensuring care remains person-centred and recovery-focused.

You will bring a solid working knowledge of key legal frameworks, including the Mental Health Act (1983), Mental Capacity Act (2005), and Children Act (1989), and apply this knowledge to support safe and effective care delivery. You must be a qualified RMN with a strong interest in working in an inpatient CAMHS setting. An understanding of the challenges facing nurses working with young people today is essential, as is the ability to demonstrate resilience, empathy, and a commitment to supporting young people in creative and meaningful ways.

We offer excellent learning and development opportunities, including access to leadership and management training, clinical interventions, and our CAMHS Nursing Academy—a structured programme based on the four pillars of advanced nursing practice. We welcome applications from nurses with sound clinical skills who are keen to develop their career in CAMHS, whether or not they have prior experience in the field.

Professional development is actively encouraged, and we support staff in pursuing additional training and academic qualifications. Where relevant to the service, there may be opportunities for training to be funded by the organisation.

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.