Education Mental Health Practitioner/Children's Wellbeing Practitioner

NELFT NHS Foundation Trust; Maidstone; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Part time

Job summary

A mental health service provider in Maidstone is seeking candidates for a role in Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) to deliver mental health interventions in schools. Responsibilities include assessment and treatment for children and young people, working collaboratively with educational institutions, and participating in service development. Candidates should have a passion for mental health and a commitment to professional growth.

Qualifications

• Experience in assessment and treatment of children and young people.
• Ability to work collaboratively with schools and agencies.
• Commitment to professional development and service improvement.

Responsibilities

• Conduct assessments and treatment for children and young people.
• Work as part of a team with designated schools.
• Participate in local and county-wide meetings and forums.

Skills

Passion for participation

Ability to work in teams

Understanding of mental health

Job description

Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) support children, young people and their families that have links to identified school settings. Each designated MHST will work in collaboration with schools and other agencies who cover a population of up to 7,000 children and young people.

The service aims to cover 50% of the schools across Kent and Medway by 2026, increasing early access to services and offering greater preventative provision. We also work with schools to support their development of a Whole School Approach (WSA) to emotional wellbeing and mental health, as well as their development of curriculum content to ensure pupils are taught about mental health in the classroom.

We have vacancies in different parts of the county, including:

• Medway & Swale
• Maidstone
• Tonbridge
• Tunbridge Wells

You will be able to make your preference at interview. As part of the Kent Emotional Wellbeing Team and Medway Emotional Support Team, information is available for school staff, families, and professionals to find out more about the services provided.

The role involves:

• Assessment and Treatment of Children and Young People under the MHST 3 Core functions (Targeted Intervention, Whole School Approach & Consultation and Liaison)
• Working as part of a team with a set number of schools to deliver the core components of the service
• Active participation in local and county-wide meetings and supervision forums

Please see the corresponding job description for more details.

We hope successful candidates will come with a passion for participation and service development, as we have a number of research and co-production projects ongoing. It is also the aspiration that successful candidates will be keen to develop their skills further to consider exciting career prospects within MHST services.

Our values include being kind, respectful, and working together with our communities. These values help us strive to provide the best care by the best people.

Starting with NELFT, new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks. This includes mandatory training, systems training, and the allocation of equipment.

This post will be subject to a probationary period. We will consider part-time hours (30 hours plus) and flexible working pattern applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to promote a healthy work-life balance.