Mental Health Practitioner

NHS; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Part time

Job summary

A health services provider in England is seeking a qualified Mental Health Practitioner to support children and young people through therapeutic interventions. This part-time, fixed-term position requires strong communication and organizational skills, along with a relevant qualification. Benefits include working in a supportive team dedicated to improving mental health outcomes. Applicants must have current UK professional registration.

Qualifications

• Experience working therapeutically with children and young people with mild to moderate mental health needs.
• Proven ability to deliver 1:1 therapeutic interventions with children and families.
• Strong knowledge of safeguarding and capacity and consent issues.

Responsibilities

• Deliver therapeutic interventions to children and young people.
• Conduct mental health assessments and manage risks appropriately.
• Collaborate with schools and families to support mental health outcomes.

Skills

Compassion

Communication

Organizational skills

Teamwork

Education

Relevant qualification such as EMHP, CYP IAPT, Registered Social Worker, or Registered Mental Health Nurse

Job description

Job summary

Empowering young minds and changing futures. You’re someone who cares deeply about making a difference not just for today, but for a young person’s entire future. You bring a blend of clinical expertise, compassion, and creativity, ready to meet children and young people where they are and help them move forward with confidence. You’ll need to be a qualified Mental Health Practitioner, confident in using therapeutic interventions like CBT or solution-focused techniques, and experienced in working with children, young people and families, especially those facing emotional or behavioural challenges. But it’s not just about what you know, it’s how you connect. You’re a natural collaborator, able to build trusted relationships with schools, families and multi-agency partners, and you understand the power of early support in educational settings. Safeguarding, risk management and communication come naturally to you, not as tick boxes, but as vital tools for building trust and safety. You’re reflective, adaptable and committed to learning, with the drive to grow professionally and the values to guide others through difficult moments with hope and respect.

This is part time, fixed term role to be worked over 3 days within our City & South EITSS team.

If you’re excited by the chance to work in an amazing supportive, forward-thinking team and to use your skills to help children and young people thrive - we’d love to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

We are looking for a compassionate, motivated, and skilled professional to join us as a Mental Health Practitioner. You’ll be passionate about improving mental health outcomes for children and young people, thrive in collaborative environments, and be ready to make a real difference in educational settings.

Essential Criteria

• Hold a relevant qualification such as EMHP, CYP IAPT, Registered Social Worker, or Registered Mental Health Nurse.
• Proven ability to deliver 1:1 therapeutic interventions with children, families, and groups, including parenting programs.
• Experience conducting mental health assessments, evaluating risks, and taking appropriate action.
• Strong knowledge of safeguarding, educational environments, and capacity and consent issues, including Gillick competence.
• Experience supporting children with social, emotional, or behavioural difficulties, anxiety, and mood disorders.
• Exceptional communication, organisational skills, and a self-motivated, team-focused approach.

Additional qualifications like a teaching degree, Youth Mental Health First Aid training, or an advanced degree are welcomed but not essential. Experience in healthcare or education settings, working with looked-after children or vulnerable groups, and monitoring outcomes would further enhance your application. Familiarity with delivering group interventions and navigating complex social systems is also beneficial.

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working therapeutically with CYP with mild to moderate mental health needs.
• Experience of delivery of evidence-based psychological intervention for anxiety and low mood in children and young people.
• Experience supporting CYPF to improve skills, knowledge & confidence in the self-management of mild mental health & emotional wellbeing issues.
• 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

Desirable

• Youth Mental Health First Aid trained.

Additional Criteria

• Ability to carry out 1:1 therapeutic emotional wellbeing interventions with children
• Ability to carry out 1:1 therapeutic emotional wellbeing advice and support with families
• Ability to take appropriate action to mitigate or manage risk
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Excellent time management and organisational skills
• Able to work all year round and flexibly as part of a team to best meet business need
• Ongoing commitment to maintain professional registration requirements

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer details

Compass

Address

2nd Floor St Katherine’s House, St Mary’s Wharf, Derby, Derbyshire, DE1 3TQ

Employer's website

https://www.compass-uk.org/