Principal Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Lead
Our Principal Clinical Psychologist works four days a week and oversees the therapeutic services across the home while working closely with the Senior Management Team in implementing the therapeutic ethos and vision for the home. In addition, the Clinical Psychologist provides Clinical Supervision to the CAMHS team and has a pivotal role in promoting staff wellbeing across the home.
Our Clinical Psychologist has significant experience in neuro and learning disabilities and so will often take the lead in assessing young people where this is a concern. They are able to offer some psychometric assessment, where this is indicated.
Our Clinical Psychologist works closely with colleagues across Health, Care and Education to ensure we have a well-rounded, holistic approach to young people’s care that is founded on excellent communication with all the professionals in the home.
Consultant Psychiatrist
We have a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist who works at Atkinson one day a week and is able to provide excellent clinical support to the CAMHS team. He oversees the case management of all the young people in our care and offers diagnostic and clinical advice in order to support and guide the professionals who are caring for the children daily.
Advanced CAMHS practitioners
Our two advanced CAMHS practitioners (one full-time, one three days a week) both have extensive experience of working with young people in care who have experienced both developmental and acute trauma, and who present with a range of mental health difficulties. They are able to assess, formulate and deliver psychological interventions, both directly with young people and their families and indirectly through their Care and Education colleagues.
They facilitate team formulation meetings, helping the wider system understand each young person’s story and the impact that it has on their day-to-day functioning. In understanding the story and in making sense of their behaviour, we can promote empathy and emotional attunement as well as improve resilience amongst the staff team.