B4-5 Educational Mental Health Practitioner

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; Wolverhampton; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A local healthcare trust in Wolverhampton is seeking Trainee Educational Mental Health Practitioners to support children and young people’s mental health. The role involves delivering evidence-based interventions and assessing mental health in educational settings. Candidates should have relevant experience or education in mental health or child development.

Qualifications

• Demonstrate the ability to work at degree level or have relevant experience.
• Experience of working with children and young people and their families.
• Experience liaising with various agencies.

Responsibilities

• Deliver evidence-informed interventions under supervision.
• Carry out holistic mental health assessments.
• Work as part of a dynamic mental health team.

Skills

Ability to work at degree level

Experience with children and young people

Liaising with stakeholders

Experience with mental health difficulties

Education

Relevant degree or equivalent experience

Job description

Overview

The trainee EMHP posts are training positions subject to successful completion of the course. Candidates will be expected to travel to Derby University in the first year to complete their training. Attendance at university can be up to five days per week initially but does reduce considerably over the course to become more practical based. Band 4 transitioning to Band 5 once all course modules are completed and full clinical hours are gained as part of the training year. The Mental Health Support Team for schools and colleges in the Black Country will be supporting approximately 300 settings in 2024 and is designed to deliver three core functions:

• Evidence-based interventions for mild-to-moderate mental health issues;
• To support the senior mental health lead in each school or college to introduce or develop whole school or college approach;
• Provide timely advice to school and college staff, and liaise with external specialist service to help children and young people to get the right support and stay in education.

With additional funding we are able to further expand our offer to educational settings from early 2026 and we therefore have an exciting opportunity for enthusiastic and committed individuals to join our team as a trainee Educational Mental Health Practitioners. During your training year you will develop skills and competencies to deliver short term interventions to young people in schools and colleges throughout the localities where they demonstrate a need for support with their emotional health and wellbeing. Some community work may also be required dependent on the needs of the young person and their family.

As a trainee Educational Mental Health Practitioner you will be expected to work under supervision as part of a dynamic mental health team in a creative environment where evidence-based interventions, new ideas and ways of working to support children and young people are actively encouraged. This approach requires flexibility and adaptability, and above all a passion for working with children and young people in educational settings. Over the course of the training year, the post-holder will, under supervision, develop knowledge and practice skills to employ a range of evidence based interventions for common mental health problems such as anxiety, low mood and friendship difficulties via direct individual and group support for children, young people and their parents, in line with the university expectations.

Responsibilities

• Work closely alongside a team of mental health professionals delivering a wide range of evidence informed interventions, under supervision.
• Develop and practice evidence-based skills under supervision to work directly with children, young people and families.
• Develop and practice evidence-based skills under supervision to carry out holistic and child-centered mental health assessments, including risk assessments.
• Work closely alongside a team of mental health professionals delivering a wide range of evidence informed interventions autonomously.
• Continue to develop and practice evidence-based skills to work directly with children, young people and families.
• Continue to develop and practice evidence-based skills to carry out holistic and child-centered mental health assessments, including risk assessments.

Qualifications

• Demonstrate the ability to work at degree level or have an equivalent level of relevant experience, with a proven record of previous learning or formal study in child development, wellbeing or mental health.
• Experience of working with children and young people, their families and the network around the child.
• Experience of working and liaising with a wide variety of agencies and stakeholders.
• Experience of working with children and young people who have social, emotional and/or mental health difficulties.
• Experience of working in or with education although this is not essential.

The salary range quoted is as per NHS Agenda for Change pay structures where applicable. This is based on the number of years' working directly within the NHS at the advertised pay band. Experience gained with other NHS Trusts will apply, but candidates without prior experience working direct for the NHS would normally be appointed at the lowest point unless they can demonstrate the equivalent experience and then be eligible for incremental increases in future years. Medical and Very Senior Manager roles are exempt from agenda for change and subject to alternative remuneration structures.

Contact Information

For more information and a confidential discussion please email Zoe Gilbert on [email protected] Any questions regarding application please contact our recruitment team on 01384 325028.

We reserve the right to bring the closing date forward for this vacancy at any time should we receive an overwhelming response of applications. We therefore encourage applicants to apply early if you wish to be considered for this post. If you do not hear from the Recruitment team within the advertised closing date please assume that you have been unsuccessful at the shortlisting stage. Please ensure that you check your emails on a regular basis for any recruitment updates regarding this vacancy. If you are not successful at the shortlisting stage and would like feedback, please contact the Recruitment Team directly for feedback.

Equal Opportunities Statement

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides specialist mental health, learning disability, and community healthcare services for the population of the Black Country.

Across the Black Country we provide:

• Adult and older adult mental health services
• Specialist learning disability services
• Mental health services for children and young people
• Community healthcare services for children, young people and families in Dudley

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was formed on 1 April 2020, with the merger of Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust. Combining resources, strategies and talented workforce enables us to deliver a wider variety of outstanding services that are based on best practice and are continually improving. We currently employ over 4,000 people and just like the population we serve, we are made up of diverse cultures and backgrounds. Whatever your role, working in a NHS Foundation Trust, like ours, is a demanding and extremely rewarding experience. Knowing that every day you can help to make a positive difference to someone's life is a very powerful feeling. We know that our Trust runs on this desire to help and support people, and our Trust vision expresses this. Our vision is to improve health and wellbeing for everyone, especially our colleagues to achieve the best possible work/life balance.

Successful applicants for clinical posts up to and including Band 4 are expected to hold the national Care Certificate qualification and will be supported to attain this once in post. The Trust is committed to equal opportunities, providing opportunities for flexible working and is a non-smoking organisation. As a Trust we are passionate about Anti‑Racism, Disability Inclusion, and LGBTQ+ Equality, and are committed to diversifying our staff team in all areas and at all levels of seniority to better reflect the diverse communities we serve. Therefore, we particularly welcome and encourage applications from people who belong to a minority or marginalised community, including from Black and Asian, Disabled (including hidden disabilities such as Neurodiversity, Mental Health, etc), or Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans or Queer (LGBTQ+) people. Furthermore, Disabled applicants have the option of requesting that their application is considered under our Guaranteed Interview Scheme (GIS). Please indicate your intention to apply under the GIS in the relevant section of your application. Regardless of whether you participate in the scheme or have shared a disability, you will be provided the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments to the interview process at each stage of the recruitment process. Due to the nature of the work some posts may be subject to a Standard Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, through the Disclosure and Barring Service as stipulated under part V of the Police Act 1997. Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar you from working with us; this will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances of your offences.