Locality Clinical Lead

NELFT NHS FOUNDATION TRUST; Southend-on-Sea; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider is seeking a Locality Clinical Lead in Southend-on-Sea to oversee mental health support for children and young people. This role involves managing a clinical caseload, supervising junior staff, and collaborating with educational agencies. Candidates should have professional registration and relevant experience in therapeutic practices. The organization promotes a supportive work environment and offers flexible working arrangements and development opportunities.

Benefits

Flexible working opportunities

Access to health and wellbeing support

Support for the Armed Forces community

Qualifications

• Current professional registration with a regulatory body.
• More than 2 years post-qualification experience working therapeutically.
• In-depth knowledge of evidence-based practice with children.

Responsibilities

• Manage a clinical caseload with diverse mental health needs.
• Supervise junior staff and trainee Emotional Mental Health Practitioners.
• Collaborate with partner agencies to develop training materials.

Skills

Evidence-based practice

Therapeutic work with children and families

Knowledge of CBT

Supervisory experience

Knowledge of low mood and anxiety interventions

Education

Professional registration with a regulatory body

Job description

Overview

The Locality Clinical Lead role is for an experienced Mental Health Practitioner with a UK Professional Registration. You will join our Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) – a new service designed to support children and young people with mild to moderate mental health and emotional wellbeing difficulties within education settings.

In this post you will be a senior clinical team member, hold a clinical caseload, supervise junior staff and trainee EMHPs, work alongside partner agencies to develop and co‑produce training materials, and support the delivery of whole‑school approach models for mental health.

Supervisory Requirement

The successful applicant must have completed the Supervisors Course, which is a fundamental requirement for the post.

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. Salaries do not include the High‑Cost Area Supplement (HCAS) to ensure fairness and consistency within our Trust.

Use of AI

Please see the attached document regarding acceptable use of AI during the recruitment process.

Benefits

• A long‑standing and award‑winning approach to equality and diversity with supportive networks for ethnic minority staff, staff with disabilities or long‑term/chronic conditions and LGBT staff.
• A commitment to supporting colleagues to achieve a work‑life balance, through flexible working opportunities and our efforts to support our working parents and carers; we have been recognised as a ‘Top 10 Family Friendly Employer’ by the Working Families Charity.
• Proactive health and wellbeing support, including access to our employee assistance programme, staff psychological support, individual wellbeing conversations and a network of health and wellbeing ambassadors.
• Link to detailed information about our wellbeing and benefits offer.
• As a flexible‑working friendly organisation, we want you to work in a way that best serves you and our patients; speak to us about how we might accommodate a flexible arrangement such as a job share, part‑time hours or another pattern.
• Support for the Armed Forces community: we have signed the Armed Forces Covenant, achieved a Gold Award under the Armed Forces Employer Recognition Scheme, have supportive policies and a guaranteed interview scheme for veterans, reservists and military spouses and give additional leave to Reservists.

Eligibility & Qualifications

• Current and in‑date professional registration with a regulatory body (e.g. ACP, UKCP, HCPC, BABCP).
• Substantial experience (more than 2 years post‑qualification) working therapeutically with children and families with mental health needs.
• In‑depth knowledge and experience of evidence‑based practice with children and families, including CBT.
• Experience of providing and receiving supervision, including CBT‑informed practice.
• Clinical experience and in‑depth understanding of effective use of routine outcome measures.
• Enthusiasm for and knowledge of early intervention and prevention, including low‑intensity support for emotional wellbeing and mental health difficulties in an education context.
• Knowledge of evidence‑based interventions for low mood, self‑harm, anxiety and common behaviour difficulties in young children in education settings.
• Knowledge and understanding of whole school approaches to emotional wellbeing and mental health.
• Experience of providing consultation in education settings.
• Experience of service development and multi‑disciplinary and multi‑agency working.
• Evidence of ongoing continuing professional development in a relevant subject.

About NELFT

Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We are CQC rated Good and strive towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT provides community and mental healthcare services to adults and children across North East London, Essex, Kent and Medway.

We invest heavily in your development because when you are valued and supported, we provide the best care to our patients. As a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and a Working Families Top 10 Employer for five consecutive years, we have achieved a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. We embed a just and compassionate culture here at NELFT.

Our MHSTs deliver evidence‑based individual and group interventions in educational settings for children aged 5‑18 with mild to moderate mental health difficulties and focus strongly on whole‑school approaches.

Our South East Essex MHST covers a large geographical area of Southend, Castlepoint, Rochford and Canvey Island. We are an early‑intervention, evidence‑based service with a friendly, multidisciplinary team that supports a healthy work‑life balance and encourages CPD.

We are the largest provider of MHSTs in England and are expanding with an aim to cover all secondary schools in Mid and South Essex by September 2025.

We are a welcoming team working hard to improve the mental health of our community.