Welcome to Hunter Gatherer Mental Health, your specialist partner for CAMHS recruitment across the UK.
We place registered nurses, social workers, psychologists, occupational therapists, and other mental health practitioners into CAMHS services on both a locum and permanent basis. Whether you’re a service under pressure or a clinician looking for your next CAMHS role, we offer fast, properly matched recruitment from a team that understands what child and adolescent mental health services actually need.
What is CAMHS?
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) provide assessment, treatment, and support for children and young people up to the age of 18 experiencing mental health difficulties. Services range from community-based outpatient support through to specialist inpatient care for the most complex presentations.
CAMHS practitioners work with a wide range of conditions including anxiety and depression, eating disorders, psychosis, self-harm, trauma, autism spectrum conditions, ADHD, attachment difficulties, and emerging personality difficulties. The work requires clinical skill, an understanding of child development and family systems, and the ability to engage meaningfully with young people who may be reluctant or distressed.
Why Services Choose Hunter Gatherer for CAMHS Recruitment:
- We know CAMHS Community Tier 3 teams, inpatient Tier 4 units, crisis and home treatment, eating disorders, neurodevelopmental pathways – our consultants understand the differences between CAMHS settings and the specific demands each one places on practitioners.
- Safe, experienced clinicians CAMHS is a specialist environment. We only put forward practitioners with relevant experience who can work safely with children and young people and their families. Compliance checks – including enhanced DBS with children’s barred list – are completed before placement.
- -Multi-profession network We place RMNs, RNLDs, social workers, OTs, psychologists, support workers, and other CAMHS professionals. Whatever role your service needs filling, we have a network to draw on.
- Locum and permanent placements Urgent cover or a long-term hire – we support both, with the same standards throughout.
Need support attracting top CAMHS talent?
CAMHS Settings We Recruit For:
- Community CAMHS (Tier 3) – outpatient assessment and treatment across general, specialist and crisis pathways
- CAMHS Crisis and Home Treatment Teams – intensive community support, urgent assessment, alternatives to admission
- Inpatient CAMHS (Tier 4) – general adolescent units, low secure, PICU, eating disorder inpatient, specialist schools-linked
- Eating Disorders (CAMHS-ED) – specialist community and inpatient eating disorder services
- Neurodevelopmental Services – ADHD and autism assessment pathways within CAMHS
- Looked After Children (LAC) and CAMHS – specialist teams supporting children in care
- CAMHS Liaison – paediatric liaison teams in acute hospitals
- Forensic CAMHS – youth offending teams, secure and low secure settings
CAMHS Practitioner Roles We Place:
CAMHS services employ practitioners from a range of professional backgrounds. We place:
- Registered Mental Health Nurses (RMNs) – the most common professional background across community and inpatient CAMHS
- Registered Learning Disability Nurses (RNLDs) – particularly in neurodevelopmental and specialist CAMHS settings
- Social Workers – in community CAMHS, LAC teams, and complex case coordination
- Occupational Therapists – within CAMHS teams focusing on functional and neurodevelopmental assessment
- Clinical and Counselling Psychologists – in community, inpatient and specialist CAMHS services
- Psychotherapists and CBT Therapists – running therapeutic groups and individual therapy within CAMHS
- Healthcare Support Workers – in inpatient CAMHS units and residential settings
- CAMHS Practitioners (non-specified) – a range of experienced clinicians with relevant CAMHS background working across assessment and treatment roles
Qualifications We Look For:
Every CAMHS practitioner we place holds:
- Registration with the appropriate professional body (NMC, HCPC, BACP, UKCP or equivalent)
- Enhanced DBS with children’s barred list – essential for all CAMHS placements
- Relevant post-qualification experience working with children and young people in a mental health setting
- Current mandatory training appropriate to the role and setting
- Inpatient CAMHS roles: experience of working in safe therapeutic environments with young people in acute mental health crisis
Locum CAMHS Opportunities:
CAMHS locum work offers the chance to build a broad range of clinical experience across different service models and patient populations – from community outpatient caseloads to acute inpatient environments. Demand for experienced CAMHS practitioners is strong across the UK, particularly at Band 6 and Band 7 level.
We have active CAMHS requirements across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow and beyond.
Lets start the search for your next role in CAMHS
CAMHS Pay Rates (2025/26):
Locum Band 5 CAMHS practitioners typically earn £24–£28 per hour. At Band 6 – the core working level across community and inpatient CAMHS – rates are usually £28–£34 per hour. Experienced Band 7 practitioners, including team leads and specialist clinicians, typically earn £35–£48 per hour depending on setting and specialism.
Inpatient CAMHS roles, crisis and home treatment, and eating disorder inpatient services often attract the higher end of these ranges, reflecting the clinical intensity and unsocial hours involved. For permanent salaried roles, Band 5 runs from £31,049 to £37,796 (2025/26); Band 6 from £38,682 to £46,580; Band 7 from £47,810 to £54,710.
Our consultants can advise on current going rates for your specific background, setting and region.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Do all CAMHS roles require enhanced DBS with children’s barred list? Yes. An enhanced DBS check with the children’s barred list is a non-negotiable requirement for all CAMHS placements – community and inpatient. We verify this as part of our compliance process before anyone starts work.
- Do you place CAMHS support workers as well as qualified practitioners? Yes. We place healthcare support workers and HCAs in inpatient CAMHS settings, as well as qualified practitioners across all CAMHS roles.
- Can you provide urgent or short-notice CAMHS cover? Yes. Once a practitioner is registered and compliant with us, we can respond quickly to urgent staffing needs. Contact us directly for time-critical requirements.
- Do you place CAMHS practitioners in inpatient as well as community roles? Yes. We recruit across the full spectrum of CAMHS settings – outpatient, community, crisis, and inpatient Tier 4.
- What areas do you cover? We place CAMHS practitioners across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Glasgow, Cardiff and beyond.
Your future starts here!
Discover our latest opportunities or register with us today to unlock your potential!
Testimonials:
Latest Roles
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B6 – CAMHS Practitioner – Shropshire
Are you a Band 6 Community Nurse with CAMHS assessment experience looking for your next opportunity? Band 6 – Community Nurse Service: BeeU Assessment Team […]View B6 – CAMHS Practitioner – Shropshire job -
Band 6 CAMHS Practitioner – Manchester – Locum
Hunter Gatherer Mental Health are recruiting for a Band 6 CAMHS Practitioner locum job in Manchester, supporting a specialist NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health […]View Band 6 CAMHS Practitioner – Manchester – Locum job