We’re recruiting for a range of roles within our CAMHS team now!
Innovation & Research
At BCUHB we’re proud to be pioneers of Mental Health Therapies
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The Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board CAMHS team leads the way with innovation and offers a rich range of therapies including Systemic Therapy, IPT, DBT and CBT. Our reputation as pioneers of third wave therapies stretches right back to the 1990’s.
When you join our forward-thinking clinical team, you will work alongside progressive and pioneering colleagues who are committed to driving improvements and new ways of working. You can help to develop services and programmes, with the ability to be more creative in terms of how you can help service users.
Here at BCUHB your voice can be heard. You can have your say on National issues and work to make real improvements to systems and processes. As a Health Board we are more closely connected to the commissioning of services meaning developing services can be established within the health board & organisation itself.
Psychological Therapies
Our incredible CAMHS team is always one step ahead with a sense of excitement and passion around driving initiatives.
This includes BCUHB Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Professor of Clinical Psychology at Bangor University, Michaela Swales, who implemented the UK’s first programme in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) within the North Wales Adolescent Service, after being one of the very first to train in DBT in Seattle in 1994.
We offer quarterly refresher training for all staff who deliver DBT in their clinical practice. What’s more, Professor Swales received the Cindy Sanderson Outstanding Educator Award from the International Society for the Improvement and Training of DBT, meaning training at BCUHB is only of the highest quality.
Whether you’re familiar with DBT or are interested in being introduced to this type of psychological therapy, Professor Swales runs both introductory workshops and week-long training programmes which are open and free to all staff at BCUHB. As a result of her in-house training there are DBT teams running in CAMHS services across North Wales. She also runs a UK wide training team that is an international affiliate of the Linehan Institute.
What’s more, we continue to cultivate our academic connections and our family therapists are currently helping to build a delivery model for family therapy, working alongside Jonathan Hill to develop his family domains model.
Service Innovations
The BCUHB CAMHS team is a forward thinking, friendly and well resourced service with a wide range of innovations, some of which aren’t available anywhere else. We recognise the need for the improvement and development of mental health services, with CAMHS being recognised as a high priority for this. We are continually looking for new ways of working and remove barriers to making improvements which you might face elsewhere.
For example, our North Wales Adolescent Service (NWAS) is the only inpatient adolescent psychiatric inpatient unit across North Wales, and is one of only two of its kind across the whole of Wales. The unit is a flagship service with a unique set up in its support for children and young people. We also work closely with our community teams to run recreational programmes during the summer, helping to support the routines usually maintained by school to reduce risk / harm.
Our ED team was revolutionised in 2016, with dedicated and motivated individuals coming together to set the team up together. Our staff saw a need and decided to change it, receiving support across Betsi to implement these changes. We took a different approach to managing ED, focusing on early intervention which is now acknowledged nationally and recognised as important. We have seen the number of children with eating disorders needing admitted to hospital being reduced in North Wales compared to the rest of the UK, something which has been maintained throughout COVID.
Learning and Development
We’re passionate about supporting our CAMHS team to expand their skills and reach their potential as well as actively supporting and encouraging career progression. There’s a wealth of opportunities across our services and a clear vision.
So, if you’re keen to develop, there’s plenty of opportunities to pick your career path.
Why Join BCU?
Many of our staff highlight the local area as a real plus point of working within our Health Board. Offering the perfect work/life balance, North Wales offers both sparsely populated areas and excellent transport links to nearby cities meaning that there’s always plenty to explore. North Wales has lots to offer new residents. From idyllic villages, to high-quality housing at exceptionally affordable prices and unspoiled natural environments just a stone’s throw away – what’s not to love?
Please provide us with a few details and we’ll get back to you.
