Education Mental Health Practitioner/Children's Wellbeing Practitioner

NELFT NHS Foundation Trust; Chelmsford; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking organization dedicated to transforming children's mental health. As an Education Mental Health Practitioner, you'll provide vital support to children and young people facing mental health challenges. Your role will involve delivering evidence-based interventions, collaborating with families, and ensuring effective communication within educational settings. This position offers a chance to make a meaningful impact in the lives of children while working in a supportive and flexible environment. Embrace the opportunity to grow professionally and contribute to a healthier future for young minds in your community.

Benefits

Flexible working

Comprehensive induction program

Continual Professional Development (CPD) opportunities

Qualifications

• Completion of a 1-year EMHP or CWP course is essential.
• Must be registered with BABCP or BPS as a low intensity practitioner.

Responsibilities

• Assess and deliver evidence-based interventions for children with mental health difficulties.
• Work in partnership with families to develop intervention plans.
• Provide information and support for psychological treatments.

Skills

Excellent oral and written communication skills

Good level of IT skills

Ability to tolerate anxiety

Education

HEE/NHSE commissioned Education Mental Health Practitioner course

Registration with BABCP or BPS

Tools

Systmone

Job description

Band 5

Main area Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP) or Children's Wellbeing Practitioner (CWP) - Mid Essex MHST Grade Band 5 Contract Permanent Hours

• Full time
• Part time
• Job share
• Flexible working

37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday 09:00 - 17:00) Job ref 395-EC074-25-B

Site Mid Essex MHST (covering the areas of Braintree, Chelmsford, Maldon) Town Chelmsford Salary £29,970 - £36,483 per annum (pro rata) Salary period Yearly Closing 13/05/2025 23:59

Job overview

NELFT is the largest provider of Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) in England. Our Southend, Essex and Thurrock services cover 144 schools currently. We currently cover 48% of secondary and primary school within Southend, Essex and Thurrock.

The MHST deliver evidence-based individual and group interventions in educational settings for children experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties aged 4 to 18 years old. The teams also have a strong focus on whole school approaches to improve mental health outcomes for children and young people.

The Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP)/ Children's Wellbeing Practitioner (CWP) role will work with schools and colleges as part of a Mental Health Support Team (MHST) to provide expert emotional wellbeing and mental health support as part of plans to transform children and young people’s mental health through the NHS Long-Term Plan.

The teams will build on the support already in place from school counsellors, nurses, educational psychologists, and the voluntary sector to support those with mild to moderate mental health issues in school and will help children and young people with more severe needs to access the right support and provide a link to CAMHS.

Interviews will take place face-to-face on either the 20th or 21st March 2025.

Main duties of the job

• Assess and deliver outcome focused, evidence-based interventions to children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties recognising own limitations and seeking advice when necessary.
• Work in partnership with children, young people, and families in the development of plans
• for the intervention and agreed outcomes. This will include continuously evaluating and acting on outcomes and activity.
• Undertakes accurate assessment of risk to self and others.
• Through close case management and supervision, escalate cases where the level of need becomes beyond scope, or more severe ensuring adherence to other relevant elements of service delivery.
• Provide a range of information and support for evidence based psychological treatments, primarily guided self-help. This work may be face-to-face or by telephone.
• Attend multi-disciplinary meetings relating to CYP in treatment, where appropriate.
• Initiate referrals to other health professional specialist services and agencies.
• Act as an autonomous, registered practitioner who is legally and professionally accountable for their own unsupervised actions. Practitioners will be guided by the professional code of conduct
• Communicate complex patient related information facilitating positive outcomes and ensuring collaborative working.

Working for our organisation

Starting with NELFT

NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop-in sessions focusing on engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.

Probationary Period

This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff).

Use of AI

Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Mid Essex Mental Health Support Team (MHST) covers a large geographical area incorporating the districts of Braintree, Chelmsford and Maldon. We are an early intervention and prevention evidence-based service and as a team we are supportive and passionate in what we deliver. We are a friendly team of professionals who come from multidisciplinary backgrounds. We recognise the needs for a healthy work life balance, and we will consider flexible working applications in line with the trust policies and process. We encourage Continual Professional Development (CPD) and are keen to support our staff to grow and progress.

Please see person specification and job description for full details.

Certificates of Sponsorship

Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for all job roles. Please check your eligibility under the UKVI points based system.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Successful completion of the HEE/NHSE commissioned 1yr Education Mental Health Practitioner’ course/Children's Wellbeing Practitioner course.
• Appropriate registration with either the BABCP or BPS as a low intensity practitioner.
• Applicant can demonstrate they are in process of their application with the BABCP or BPS

Skills

• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Good level of IT and IT skills
• Ability to tolerate anxiety without recourse to premature action whilst appreciating the role of the supervisor.

Experience

• Experience of the delivery of specific therapeutic interventions to children, young people, or their families (e.g. CBT, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)
• Ability to conduct mental health assessments, risk assessments and communicate appropriately with children, young people and parents
• Ability to work within educational settings to increase mental health awareness within the staff group
• Applicant has 1 year post qualification experience
• Worked within an educational setting

Knowledge

• Knowledge of safeguarding issues
• An awareness of NHS priorities
• Knowledge of capacity and consent issues including Gillick competence
• Knowledge of educational environments
• Knowledge of electronic record systems, ie Systmone

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.