Children and Young People Mental Health Practitioner

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership; Chester; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 48,000; Part time

Job summary

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP) is recruiting for a Band 6 Children and Young People Mental Health Practitioner in West Cheshire. The role is part-time (30 hours per week) based in Chester, with core hours Monday–Friday 9am–5pm.

Salary is £39,959–£48,117 per annum pro rata, with yearly pay, closing 06/11/2026 23:59. You will work within a multidisciplinary team delivering evidence-based therapies, undertaking assessments, and contributing to safe care pathways for

Qualifications

• Experience working with children and young people experiencing mental health difficulties.
• Knowledge of evidence-based therapies (CBT, DBT, EMDR, Systemic Practice).
• Strong risk management and communication skills.
• Commitment to high-quality, person-centred care and ongoing learning.

Responsibilities

• Improve pathways for children and young people’s mental health services.
• Undertake mental health assessments and provide interventions & formulations.
• Assess and manage risk for children and young people with MH needs.
• Work in a fast-paced environment with multidisciplinary colleagues.

Skills

Mental health assessments

Interventions & formulations

Risk management

Communication & person-centred care

Continuous learning

Education

Nursing, Social Work, or OT or allied health qualification

Tools

IT skills / clinical systems

Job description

Band 6

Main area Children and Young People Mental Health Practitioner Grade Band 6 Contract Permanent Hours Part time - 30 hours per week (Core hours are Monday-Friday 9am-5pm) Job ref 373-CYP1620

Site Marsden House Town Chester Salary £39,959 - £48,117 per annum pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 06/11/2026 23:59

Job overview

Be the difference in a young person's life.

Join our West Cheshire Children and Young People's Mental Health Service (CYPMHS), where you'll work alongside experienced clinicians from a range of professional backgrounds, helping children, young people and families navigate mental health challenges and achieve positive outcomes.

As part of our supportive multidisciplinary team, you'll deliver evidence-based interventions, undertake assessments, manage clinical risk and contribute to truly life-changing work. No two days are the same, with opportunities to provide therapy, family work, consultation, group interventions and multi-agency collaboration.

We're looking for someone who is committed, compassionate and eager to continue developing their skills through training and professional development opportunities.

You'll need:

• A recognised qualification in Nursing, Social Work, Occupational Therapy or another relevant Allied Health Profession
• Experience working with children and young people experiencing mental health difficulties
• Knowledge and experience of evidence-based therapies such as CBT, DBT, EMDR or Systemic Practice
• Strong risk management and communication skills
• A commitment to high-quality, person-centred care and continuous learning

If you're ready to join a team that's changing lives, building resilience and creating brighter futures for children and young people across West Cheshire, apply today.

Main duties of the job

Do you want to improve the pathways for children and young people’s mental health services?

You will have: -

• A high level of enthusiasm and dedication to providing quality, community based mental health services to children, young people, and their families
• Experience in undertaking mental health assessments and providing interventions & formulations to address the needs of the client group
• Experience of working with children and young people who, due to their mental and emotional health needs, present with a level of clinical risk
• Experience of working under pressure and in a demanding, fast paced environment
• To have the skill to adapt and the flexibility to think on your feet due to the nature of your role
• Access to transport or have the ability to travel to a variety of venues as part of the working day

Are you interested? Any informal enquiries and visits to the team are welcomed.

Working for our organisation

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership (CWP) provides health and care services for a population of over one million people, including mental health, learning disability, community physical health and all-age disability care, as well as the provision of three GP surgeries in Cheshire.

We employ around 4,500 staff across 73 sites and have services across Wirral and Cheshire, as well as Trafford, Warrington, Bolton, Halton, Liverpool and Stockport.

Our aim is to help improve the lives of everyone in our communities, adopting a compassionate, person-centred approach to everything we do. We are rated as Outstanding for Caring by the Care Quality Commission, with a Good rating overall.

As a Disability Confident Employer, Rainbow Badge Scheme member, Veteran Aware organisation and proud holder of the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award, CWP is committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible and developing a culture that values differences, and welcome applications from people who have direct experience of accessing our services.

All new starters will commence in post on one fixed start date each month, in line with our Prepare to Care (P2C) induction programme date. P2C offers up to 3 weeks training to support you to meet the induction / initial training requirements of the role.

Whether you are just starting out in your career or looking to use your existing skills and experience in a new role, you’ll find something to suit you at CWP.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please download a copy of the job description (see ‘documents to download’ section below) for full details of the main responsibilities for this role.

At CWP, our recruitment selection processes are based on both competence (see person specification for details) and values.

CWP recruits people that can demonstrate the Trust’s Values in their everyday life and we use a values-based approach in our interviews, which explores not only what you do but how and why you do it.

Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trust’s Values and think about how these align with your own personal values. The supporting information section in your application should reflect your understanding of the Trust’s Values and associated behaviours and you should provide examples from your work experience and/or personal life which demonstrate these values through your behaviours.

An applicant guide to help and support you through your recruitment journey can be accessed at the bottom of this page. Further help and support for completing your application can be accessed via our website. If you need any further guidance to help you complete your application, contact our recruitment team via email at: [e-mail] or by calling 01244 393100.

If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010, and you can show that you meet the ‘essential’ criteria described in the person specification for an available position, please answer ‘YES’ to the question: ‘Do you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme?’

Please inform the team if you have any special support needs to be considered as part of the interview and selection processes.

The trust offers a Guaranteed Interview Scheme to any armed forces community applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post and encourages applications from armed forces reservists or cadet force adult volunteers.

Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £16 per year applies.

New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.

Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.

Good luck with your application. We hope to welcome you to Team CWP very soon!

Person specification

Qualifications

• Professional Registration with recognised National Body (HCPC, NMC, Social Work England)
• Nationally recognised post-qualification, continuous professional development (CPD) related to the core profession (Social Work, Nurse, Allied Health Professional).
• Therapeutic Training to intermediate / diploma level

Knowledge and Expertise

• Demonstrable working knowledge of specialist therapeutic approaches e.g. CBT, Family Therapy
• Knowledge of Child Protection workings and Practice.
• Working knowledge of Children related legislation
• Experience of inter‑agency working
• Experience of writing, implementing and evaluating Care / Treatment Plans
• Experience of working with Students/ Learners
• Experience of providing clinical supervision

Experience

• Significant post qualification experience of working within a CYPMHS or Child Mental Health related field.
• Recognised experience of working within an environment where evidence based interventions have been delivered
• Undertaking formal and informal clinical risk assessments and risk management planning
• Undertaking mental health assessments
• IT skills, including using databases, Microsoft Office and clinical systems
• Post qualifying experience of working within NHS community CYPMHS

Trust Values

• Demonstrate alignment with Trust Values (6 C’s: Commitment, Communication, Care, Courage, Compassion, Competency)

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Name Jonathan Girvan Job title Operational Team Manager Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 01244393200 Additional information

If you consider yourself Neurodivergent and need help to complete your application form, please contact [e-mail] or telephone [phone]

Giving you time to care, space to think and opportunity to grow

We are Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP). We provide health and care services for local people, including mental health, learning disability, community physical health and all-age disability care – including the provision of three GP surgeries.

We have services across Wirral and Cheshire, as well as Trafford, Warrington, Bolton, Halton, Liverpool and Stockport. We also provide specialist services for the North West as a whole.

Our services are provided in partnership with commissioners, local authorities, voluntary and independent organisations, people who access our services, their carers and families. The Trust has over 14,500 members and employs more than 4,000 staff across 62 sites, serving a population of over one million people and highly specialist services for two million people.

We offer career opportunities to staff across a range of professions, including:

• Allied health professions - including occupational therapy, physiotherapy, podiatry, and speech and language therapy
• Medical - including psychiatry and general practice
• Pharmacy
• Clinical support roles
• Estates and facilities
• Support services roles - including HR, communications, ICT,finance and more

At CWP, we believe in giving our staff the time to care, the space to think and the opportunity to grow.

With vacancies across a range of professions, wherever you’re at in your career journey, you’ll find something to suit you. So why not join our team today?