Emotional Health and Wellbeing Practitioner

The Children's Society; Gateshead; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

36 days’ annual leave

Enhanced maternity/paternity leave

Pension matched up to 8%

Free counselling service

Skills development

2 days of paid volunteering

Job summary

The Children's Society is seeking an Emotional Health and Wellbeing Practitioner to join the Gateshead Time service. You will support young people aged 11-18, or up to 25 with SEND, through drop-in and structured sessions in a community setting.

You will build meaningful relationships quickly, discuss concerns, assess risk, and arrange further support as needed. A passion for youth wellbeing and relevant qualifications are essential.

Qualifications

• Passion and working knowledge of young people and emotional wellbeing.
• Able to develop good relationships with CYP and families.
• Experience with ages 11–25 who have emotional health and wellbeing needs.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct low level support that is person centred.
• Lead drop-in sessions, one-to-one meetings and ongoing support.
• Deliver group-based work and interactive workshops.

Skills

Empathy for youth

Relationship building

IT skills

Intervention knowledge

Education

Relevant qualification in Health/Social Care or Counselling

Job description

Emotional Health and Wellbeing Practitioner (6232)

35 hours per week, Mon-Fri with flexibility to work evenings and weekends

Location: Regus, Metrocentre

Benefits include but not limited to:

• 36 days’ annual leave [full time roles only], inclusive of flexible bank holidays, increasing with length of service
• Enhanced maternity/paternity leave
• We match up to 8% pension
• Free counselling service
• Opportunities to develop and widen your skills
• 2 days of paid volunteering time per annum to support another part of the organisation

About us:

The Children's Society has been helping children and young people in this country for over 140 years. We deliver essential local services that provide safe, trusted support to children and young people during times of significant need.

Our Youth Impact domain creates impact for children and young people. With highly skilled and experienced staff working across England and Wales, we provide direct support to children, young people, parents and carers, as well as conduct research and influence Government to make changes. We also provide training for professionals. Our value driven team change the lives of children in this country for the better - and with your help and expertise, tomorrow we can support even more.

About the role:

Do you want to support a team who work with children and young people who are experiencing emotional wellbeing difficulties?
This role sits within our Gateshead Time service, which is an open access, community based service providing Emotional Wellbeing support to young people and young adults aged 11 to 18, or up to 25 for young adults with SEND. We are a Gateshead service and work right across the area within the community.
We offer drop in sessions where young people can drop in and meet trained staff one to one. Young people can come along and talk through what they are struggling with. The service holds no waiting lists and therefore the ability to build relationships quickly, identify risks, and process further support is vital.
Alongside our drop-in support, we also offer young people more structured one-to-one sessions, group-based work, and interactive workshops.

We are looking for a Wellbeing Practitioner that:

• Has a genuine passion and working knowledge of young people and emotional wellbeing.
• Able to develop good relationships with CYP and families.
• Experience of working in settings with people age 11-25 who have emotional health and wellbeing difficulties.
• Able to provide direct low level support that is person centred.
• A good working knowledge of Emotional Health Issues that young people face today, including interventions on how to support young people in overcoming these challenges.
• Due to the fast paced environment and use of computers for record keeping, you will need to have a good level of IT skills.

It would also be an advantage if you have any of the following skills and competencies:

• Qualification in one of the following; Health or Social Care related, Youth Worker, Counselling or equivalent.
• Experience of working within a drop in model.
• Understanding of NICE guidelines and how this impact practice.

The Children's Society runs over 100 local services that help thousands of young people who desperately need our support, and we campaign to get laws and policies changed to make children’s lives happier and safer.

Every day we’re changing the lives of children in this country for the better – and with your help, tomorrow we can be there for even more.

The Children's Society is committed to safeguarding and protecting the children and young people we work with. As such, all posts are subject to a safer recruitment process, which includes the disclosure of criminal records, vetting checks, and the provision of appropriate references. The number and type of references required may vary depending on the nature and responsibilities of the role, ensuring that each appointment is carefully assessed. We have a comprehensive range of policies and procedures in place to promote safeguarding and safer working practices across all areas of our organisation.

Closing date: Midnight on the 6th October 2026

Interviews:Interview date TBC

The Children's Society is committed to safeguarding and protection of the children and young people we work with. As such, our safer recruitment process includes a Basic or Enhanced DBS check, 5 years of references, and additional vetting checks relevant to the role. We have a comprehensive range of policies and procedures in place to promote safeguarding and safer working practices across all areas of our organisation.

In support of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, shortlisting is carried out on an anonymised basis. Personal details are hidden from the shortlisting panel, and candidates are referenced by a candidate number only. As part of this process, we ask that your CV is anonymised before submission - this means removing personal information such as your name, contact details, age, and any other identifying details.

AI tools can support your application but only when used appropriately. You’re welcome to use them to improve clarity, structure, and research. However, overuse or misuse (e.g. inventing experience or using AI during assessments) may lead to rejection at any stage. We want to hear the real you - authenticity matters.