Education Mental Health Practitioner (Recruit to Train)

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals; Lancashire; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Lancashire invites applications for six trainee Educational Mental Health Practitioners. The role supports children and young people with mild to moderate mental health needs and leads a training year at Edge Hill University.

You will work in schools across the Fylde Coast, balancing university study with clinical practice, under supervision, and progress to a Band 5 through completion of the Postgraduate Diploma.

Qualifications

• Postgraduate level study in Education Mental Health Practice.
• Minimum level 4 qualification evidenced.
• Learning or formal study in child development and mental health.

Responsibilities

• Engage with children and young people to deliver 1:1 and group interventions.
• Work with families to increase good mental health.
• Deliver a whole school approach in allocated schools.
• Maintain clinical records and engage in supervision.

Skills

Communication skills

Teamwork

Learning ability

Time management

Clinical records

Education

Postgraduate level study in Education Mental Health Practice

Qualified in related area (education/psychology)

Job description

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Education Mental Health Practitioner (Recruit to Train)

NHS AfC: Band 5

Main area Therapy, education, mental health support team, psychology Grade NHS AfC: Band 5 Contract Permanent: This role is for a recruit to train Education Mental Health Practitioner. For the training year you will be paid as a Band 4. Min grade value is £28,392. Max grade value is £39,043. This would be in line with annex 21 of Agenda for Change where you would commence the role as a Band 4 until the successful completion of the Postgraduate Diploma: Education Mental Health Practitioner with a Higher Education Institution and then a transition to Band 5 will take place. Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Some evening and weekend working may be required) Job ref 382-NBC193-26

Site Mental Health Support Team Town Blackpool Salary £32,073 - £39,043 pa Salary period Yearly Closing 23/11/2026 23:59

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is situated on the west coast of Lancashire, with services covering the local authority areas of Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre. The Trust is part of the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System (ICS) supporting a population of around 1.6 million people.

We have three main hospitals providing acute services to around 330,000 local residents. The organisation also provides specialist tertiary care for cardiac and haematology services, delivers community health services to over 445,000 residents including those in North Lancashire and hosts the National Artificial Eye Service across England. Plus, we provide urgent and emergency care services to an estimated 18 million people who visit the seaside resort each year. We employ over 7000 people from 68 different countries.

We welcome and encourage application from anyone with protected characteristics, as well as supporting reservists and Veterans who are looking for a rewarding and challenging career within the NHS.

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals encourages flexible working in all our roles to support staff in maintaining healthy home-life balance. Working patterns such as: part time working, self-rostering, compressed hours, annualised hours, term time, reverse term time and flexitime working can be explored.

Job overview

Support and Help In Education (SHINE) Mental Health Support teams has an exciting opportunity to join the team as we expand across the Fylde Coast providing support across the Fylde Coast. Assisting with transforming children and young people’s mental health and emotional wellbeing services, providing early intervention and faster access to the right support at the right time.

As the team continues to grow, there is now the opportunity for six trainee Educational Mental Health Practitioner's (EMHP) to join our existing teams to deliver increased support across the Fylde Coast. You will undertake a training year at Edge Hill university, spending part of the week at university and the remainder of the week in clinical practice.

The Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs), work in both education and healthcare settings to support children and young people with emotional wellbeing and mental health needs, along with their families and carers.

The postholders will work under the direction of the Service Lead and other senior staff within the team, across primary schools, secondary schools, special schools and our Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) within the Fylde Coast footprint. Joint working with Options4CYP (Children and Young People) and other teams in the wider Fylde Coast system will be essential, to support the emotional wellbeing and mental health needs of the children and young people.

Main duties of the job

To engage with the Post Graduate Certificate in Education Mental Health Practice

To work with children and young people to assess and deliver 1 to 1 and group interventions for children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties

To work with families and carers to increase good mental health.

To deliver and integrate a whole school approach into the ethos of allocated schools.

To complete consultations to advise staff on how to support children and young people and signpost to relevant services.

To undertake and engage in regular caseload management supervision and clinical skills supervision

To use electronic clinical systems to keep accurate notes and other records.

See job description for full details.

Working for our organisation

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is ideally situated just a forty five minute drive from Manchester. The Trust provides services to the 440,000 residents of Blackpool, Fylde & Wyre and North Lancashire, as well as specialist tertiary care for Cardiac and Haematology patients.

As one of the United Kingdom’s largest coastal resort, Blackpool has plenty to offer its residents –it’s not just a good place to work; it’s a great place to live. In addition to its bustling centre and historic seafront, the town is world famous for its many attractions, including the famous Blackpool Tower. Blackpool also offers a number of scenic cycling routes round our local parks and across the surrounding countryside, as well as boasting panoramic views of the coast on its picturesque Promenade. Further afield, Blackpool also benefits from less than three-hour connections via rail to Edinburgh in the north and London in the south.

Some evening and weekend work will be needed to meet the needs of the service.

As this is a school-based service, the post holder will be expected to take their annual leave predominantly in the school holidays.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To work with children and young people to assess and deliver 1 to 1 and group interventions for children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties

To work with families and carers to increase good mental health.

To deliver and integrate a whole school approach into the ethos of allocated schools.

To complete consultations to advise staff on how to support children and young people and signpost to relevant services.

To undertake and engage in regular caseload management supervision and clinical skills supervision

To use electronic clinical systems to keep accurate notes and other records.

Please see full Job Description and Person Specification attached.

Person specification

Education & Qualification

• Ability to study successfully at Postgraduate level (demonstrable through presence of existing qualifications)
• Proven record of previous academic attainment- minimum of level 4 qualification
• Previous learning or formal study in Child Development, Wellbeing, Psychology, Mental Health, or a related area.

Experience & Knowledge

• Knowledge of child and adolescent mental health
• Appreciation of the current issues, dynamics and risks impacting children and young people’s mental health
• Knowledge of children and young people gained through academic study in child development, child wellbeing or mental health
• Knowledge of the educational system in England
• Knowledge of Increasing Access to Psychological Therapies and Mental Health Support Teams
• Experience of working with children and young people who have social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties
• Experience of working in a community-based service/setting
• Knowledge of the range of educational environments in England
• Knowledge of safeguarding issues
• Knowledge of capacity and consent issues including Gillick competence
• Experience of working with children and young people, their families and others
• Experience of working and liaising with a wide variety of agencies and stakeholders

Skills & Ability

• Ability to learn in a variety of settings and using a variety of learning methods
• Ability to study as a self-motivated learner who can formulate their own progress towards learning objectives and negotiate pathways to achievement with supervisory teams
• Ability to keep clinical records to a high standard in line with policies
• Ability to undertake Routine Outcome Measures
• Excellent communication, time management and organisational skills
• Experience of engaging children, young people, and families
• Ability to work as a member of a multi disciplinary team and contribute to the team’s development
• Ability to complete academic tasks within specified timeframe
• To be able to actively engage in individual and group supervision, reflecting on personal and professional issues
• Proven ability to manage independent study and complete academic work
• Ability to personally manage a sensitive, traumatic, and potentially emotionally distressing caseload
• Able to meet the physical requirements of the role after reasonable adjustments have been made for any illness or disability
• Ability to work independently in schools and education settings with the support of clinical and management supervision
• Ability to work remotely, travelling across the locality to attend meetings and appointments as part of a community-based outreach offer to schools
• Ability to provide a full enhanced DBS
• Experience of delivering training and /or group work

You are encouraged where possible, to register for the DBS update service. This is an annual registration fee of £15. By registering for the update service you will not have the additional cost of repeated disclosures.

Should you withdraw your application, you may be required to reimburse the cost of the DBS check.

DBS checks remain free of charge for volunteer positions.

By submitting an application for this vacancy you are confirming your agreement to the above in the event you are successfully appointed.

The DBS Code of Practice can be accessed here.

Please ensure that you read the Person Specification attached below as your application will be judged against this.

Please note that every effort will be made to keep the vacancy live until published closing date, though there may be instances where such interest is generated, that for administrative reasons the post may close earlier.

Please note that in line with national NHS guidelines this Trust operates a strict non-smoking policy. Members of staff are not permitted to smoke on Trust premises or grounds at any time nor take breaks during working hours for the purposes of smoking.

The Trust does not offer interview expenses to shortlisted candidates unless indicated in the advert.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.