“I couldn’t do the job anymore”: A qualitative study exploring clinical psychologists’ experiences of working in and leaving CAMHS to work independently

Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative design with semi-structured interviews of ten participants was used. Interviews were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Findings
Results are represented within 5 themes and 14 sub-themes. Participants felt that over time there had been undesirable changes in CAMHS, which left them reminiscing about the past. Participants felt unable to do their job in CAMHS, meet the needs of children and young people and use their psychology skills. Participants emphasised the importance of colleagues and being part of an multidisciplinary team, which had been missed since working independently, but they also highlighted difficult relationships with managers. Participants felt that working at CAMHS had negatively impacted their emotional and physical well-being and their family life. In contrast, participants felt that working independently meant they could do the job they had wanted to be doing as a CP and had a better work–life balance.

Originality/value
This study had implications for services, where it would be beneficial for the experiences of CPs to be considered in relation to current practice with the view of improving the experiences of staff. Future research would benefit from exploring the experiences of CAMHS staff further.