Mental Health Practitioner

Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust; Stevenage; On-site; GBP 49,000 - 57,000; Full time

Job summary

Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust is recruiting for a Mental Health Practitioner (Band 7) to provide skilled CAMHS support, triage and brief interventions for children and families. The role includes clinical supervision and consultation to the wider professional network, with a focus on delivering high-quality, safe care within the First and Secondmented term.

The post emphasizes collaboration, adherence to national guidelines, and development of integrated practice within the service.

Qualifications

• Postgraduate qualification in child mental health or equivalent.
• Experience of working with children and young people in CAMHS or related settings.
• Training in interventions such as CBT, attachment-based, systemic psychotherapy, psychology or creative therapy.

Responsibilities

• Deliver a high-quality CAMHS service to children and families.
• Carry out specialised triage, clinical assessments and formulation with brief interventions.
• Provide mentoring, case support and clinical supervision to the team.
• Develop and present information about child mental health support within and beyond the service.
• Facilitate access to Specialist CAMHS and other relevant provisions.

Skills

CAMHS triage & assessment

Brief intervention therapy

Mentoring & supervision

Consultation with professionals

Team collaboration

Education

Postgraduate qualification in child mental health

Job description

Main area Mental Health Practitioner Grade NHS AfC: Band 7 Contract 12 months (Secondment or Fixed Term Contract) Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 812-26-KR-MHP-B

Site Starfish House Town Stevenage Salary £49,387 - £56,515 per annum pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 30/08/2026 23:59 Interview date 07/09/2026

Job overview

Step2 is an Early Intervention Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service which is working towards improving the mental health and emotional wellbeing of children and young people in Hertfordshire. The service works with children aged 0 – 19.

The post will provide highly skilled Child & Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHS) support to the Universal Children’s Workforce to increase their capacity to identify and manage children’s mental health needs, through liaison and joint working between services.

The post holder will carry out skilled mental health triage and assessments and offer brief intervention - group and 1:1 - therapy to children and families where a more targeted response is required. The post holder will provide consultation to team members and external professional and non-professional groups to address the mental health needs of children and young people. This fixed term role will focus primarily on the provision of treatment

*Proposed interview date: 7th September 2026*

HCT will prioritise recruitment of workers living in England under the new immigration rules for care workers effective from 9 April 2025. Employers must first prove that they have attempted to recruit a worker from within England who needs new sponsorship. This ensures that those who came to the UK to pursue a career in adult social care can do so.

Main duties of the job

• Deliver a quality service in line with the organisation's objectives and performance indicators.
• Carry out specialised triage, clinical assessments and formulation, and brief interventions.
• Work in partnership with and provide consultation to other professionals.
• Provide mentoring, case support and clinical supervision. Develop and present information about mental health support for children and young people within and outside of the service.
• To facilitate appropriate access to Specialist CAMHS and other relevant provision according to level and nature of need.
• Contribute to the promotion and participation in integrated practice and multi agency support team models.
• Responsible for the safe provision, use, maintenance and storage of equipment and materials for self and others.
• Maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and exercise professional self-governance in accordance with professional codes of practice.
• Plan and deliver treatment interventions in line with Best Practice and local and National Guidelines.
• Promoting and embedding Children’s IAPT values within the service and wider workforce.
  

Working for our organisation

A big thank you for considering joining us at Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust.

You’ll find it a great place to work with many benefits offered to you as a member of our staff.

We put our patients, their families and carers at the centre of our vision - Outstanding Services and Healthier Communities.

Our staff are proud to be Pioneering, Caring and Inclusive in their work to help achieve the Trust vision.

We welcome diversity in our workforce and are interested in applicants from all backgrounds.

We don’t want you to miss out so we’d like you to know that if we have a high level of interest in this role, the vacancy may close prior to the advertised closing date, so please make your application as soon as possible -

You can apply to Access to Work to get money for communication support at a job interview - please use this link for more information: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-communication-support-at-a-job-interview-if-you-have-a-disability-or-health-condition-access-to-work

The use of AI is monitored and if you have used it then you are required to declare this, as well as what type of AI tools you have used and for what purpose. We reserve the right to further test your individual knowledge and skills in relation to the requirements for the post through robust and thorough interview and assessment.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

We will communicate any interview arrangements with applicants via e-mail so it is advisable that you check the email address you give on your application on a regular basis.

Staff recruited from outside the NHS will usually be appointed at the bottom of the pay band. All new appointments (excluding Medical & Dental roles) are subject to a 13 week probation period.

We are proud to be an armed forces friendly employer and support the employment of the armed forces community, including veterans, spouses and partners. For more information, [e-mail]

Staff are required to hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car to use with business insurance (unless the member of staff has a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).

Person specification

Qualifications and Training

• Qualification relevant to child mental health at postgraduate level or accredited as a mental health practitioner. Training in a specific mental health intervention such as CBT, attachment focused, systemic psychotherapy, psychology or creative therapy.
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Evidence of experience working with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Knowledge

• Knowledge of legislation and policy and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to the client group and mental health
• Knowledge of the different presentations of neurodiversity.
• Knowledge and experience of supporting children and young people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and their families

Experience

• Significant post qualification experience of working with young people and families in a brief intervention model, whilst maintaining professional boundaries.
• Experience of working with children and families in the community
• Experience of professional consultation and multi-disciplinary working.
• Experience of mentoring and clinical supervision of others
• Experience of assessing and intervening with a pre-school client group and offering attachment-focused interventions
• Experience of working with young people who have neurodevelopmental difficulties.

Skills and Abilities

• Ability to develop a trusting therapeutic relationship and experience in working with children and young people with complex needs, safeguarding and contextual difficulties. Ability to work with people whose behaviour is personally challenging and with support, deal with frequent exposure to highly distressing or highly emotional circumstances.
• The ability to work and co-operate actively as a member of a team and with the wider professional network including other agencies.
• Ability to follow and apply service processes and procedures. Ability to be flexible and respond to rapid changes.
• Ability to work in isolation and manage own caseload timely and efficiently as well as maintaining intense concentration on a frequent basis.
• Understands the impact on equality, diversity and inclusion issues in all aspects of service delivery and planning.

Personal Qualities

• Ability to contain and work with organisational stress and ability to “hold” the stress of others
• Ability to use effective time management and organisational management skills
• Willingness to uphold the Trust’s values
• Eligible to live and work in the UK
• Hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car to use for business purposes (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010)

We will communicate any interview arrangements with applicants via e-mail so it is advisable that you check the email address you give on your application on a regular basis.

Staff recruited from outside the NHS will usually be appointed at the bottom of the pay band. All new appointments (excluding Medical & Dental roles) are subject to a 26 week probation period.

We are proud to be an armed forces friendly employer and support the employment of the armed forces community, including veterans, spouses and partners. For more information, contact [e-mail]

Applications from qualified job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications, subject to you meeting minimum criteria of the role and salary threshold. Please visit the Gov.UK website for detail.

If applicable to the role, staff are required to hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car to use with business insurance (unless the member of staff has a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).

In submitting an application form, you authorise Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust to confirm any previous NHS service details via the Electronic Staff Record Inter Authority Transfer process should you be appointed to the post.

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.