Education Mental Health Practitioner

Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust; Liverpool; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in Liverpool is seeking a qualified Education Mental Health Practitioner to join their Mental Health Services Team. The role involves delivering evidence-based interventions for children and young people in schools, supporting educational staff, and managing mental health assessments. Candidates should possess a relevant postgraduate qualification and experience in health or social care. This position promises collaborative work in diverse educational environments.

Qualifications

• Registration with BABCP or BPS.
• Training in Nursing, Social Work, Occupational Therapy, or Counselling.
• Experience in engaging with school-aged children.

Responsibilities

• Deliver evidence-based interventions for children and young people.
• Support educational staff in mental health management.
• Manage own caseload and maintain accurate records.

Skills

Engaging with families from diverse communities

Delivering evidence-based interventions

Case management

Assessment of mental health needs

Education

Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Health Practice for Children and Young People

Psychology or other Health-related undergraduate degree

Job description

Overview

Permanent - Band 5 Education Mental Health Practitioner. This is an exciting opportunity for a qualified Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP) to join our Mental Health Services Team (MHST) working with schools across Sefton. From April 2024, EMHPs were required to be registered with either the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) or the British Psychological Society (BPS) as a requirement of this post. The closing date is 10 October 2025.

We are looking for individuals who have skills and experience in engaging families who are from communities that may be at increased risk of social exclusion or marginalisation. Postholders will work as part of an integrated multi-disciplinary team. They will act as case managers for children and young people with mild to moderate mental health problems and deliver evidence-based interventions alongside or under supervision of senior CAMHS practitioners.

Main duties of the job

• Delivering Evidence-Based Interventions for children and young people with mild to moderate mental health problems in education settings.
• Helping children and young people within these settings who present with more severe problems to rapidly access more specialist services.
• Supporting and facilitating staff in education settings to identify, and where appropriate, manage issues related to mental health and wellbeing.
• Working with and within educational environments to afford better access to specialist mental health services.
• Working with low level risk and recognising higher level risk, escalating this appropriately to relevant services (e.g., CAMHS / Child Care Services / MASH).
• The post holder will be developing policies and protocols with Mental Health Leads in schools around Mental Health.

About us

Alder Hey MHST is part of the Schools Mental Health Team within Sefton CAMHS, alongside key stakeholders and partners as part of the Whole School Approach in Sefton.

Job responsibilities

Delivering outcome-focused, evidence-based interventions in educational settings for children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties. Develop skills in supporting children and young people, their parents/carers, families, and educators in the self-management of presenting difficulties. Develop and practice evidence-based skills and work in partnership with children and young people and where appropriate parents/carers to formulate and develop agreed treatment plans. Incorporate participation and inclusivity when delivering services which recognise and respect diversity. Discuss with supervisors and agree to accept appropriate referrals for children and young people in educational settings, according to agreed local and national referral routes, processes, and procedures. Undertake accurate assessments of risk to self and others. Learn, understand, rationalise, and adhere to the protocols within the educational setting to which the post holder is attached. Engage with more senior staff in the signposting of referrals for children and young people with more complex needs to the relevant service. Gain and practice a range of interventions related to provision of information and support for evidence-based psychological treatments. Practice, reflect on and demonstrate the ability to manage one\'s own caseload in conjunction with the requirements of the team. Attend multi-disciplinary and multi-agency meetings relating to referrals or children and young people in treatment, where appropriate, both for personal development and to benefit discussion with supervisors. Keep coherent records of all clinical activity in line with health and education service protocols and use these records and outcome data to inform decision making. Complete all requirements relating to data collection. Show evidence of working within a collaborative approach, involving a range of relevant others when indicated. Specifically, work in collaboration with teachers and other educational staff, parents, children, young people and the wider community to enhance and broaden access to mental health services. Contribute to the development of individual or group clinical materials or training materials and go on to develop further such materials as falls within own degree of competence. Deliver interventions either on an individual basis or within a group format. Deliver psychoeducation workshops to young people and school-based staff.

Person Specification

Education and Training

• Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Health Practice for Children and Young People (EMHP Qualification)
• BABCP and/or BPS registered/registerable or working towards registration
• Training in Nursing, Social Work, Occupational Therapy, Counselling or within a Psychological Therapy
• Psychology or other Health-related undergraduate degree
• BABCP accreditation

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Alder Hey Children\'s NHS Foundation Trust