Mental Health School Practitioner

Esland Group; Congleton; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 27,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company sick pay

Life insurance 4x salary

Induction training

Career development

Cycle to work

EAP & Online GP

Green Hybrid/EV car scheme

Refer a Friend £500

Monthly recognition awards

Employee benefits scheme

Job summary

Esland Group’s Daven School (Congleton) is seeking an experienced Mental Health Practitioner to support pupils aged 8 to 18 with SEMH and SEND. The role is permanent, full-time, based on site in Congleton, with a core schedule 8:30am–4:30pm.

You will deliver therapeutic interventions, work with teachers and external professionals, and maintain safeguarding standards while contributing to a positive, child-centred learning environment.

Qualifications

• Relevant higher education qualification in a related field (Counselling, Therapeutic Counselling, Youth Work, Mental Health, Social Care, Education, Child Development, Play Therapy, ELSA etc.).
• Paid, professional experience of working with children and young people with SEMH, SEND or trauma histories
• Understanding of attachment, trauma and child development
• Ability to build therapeutic relationships
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• A full UK driving licence

Responsibilities

• Build safe, trusting and therapeutic relationships with children and young people.
• Deliver individual and group interventions tailored to the emotional, developmental and relational needs of pupils.
• Use trauma-informed, attachment-aware and evidence-informed approaches to support emotional wellbeing and regulation.
• Support children and young people to develop emotional literacy, resilience, self-awareness and coping skills.
• Adapt interventions according to developmental stage, neurodiversity and individual needs.
• Participate in the school referral process and clinical meetings.
• Maintain accurate record keeping in line with legislation and school policy
• Work collaboratively with teachers, pastoral staff, families and external professionals.
• Ensure safeguarding and child protection considerations underpin all aspects of practice.
• Maintain a commitment to continued professional development

Skills

Communication skills

Therapeutic relationships

UK driving licence

Education

Higher education qualification in a related field

Job description

Description

Are you an experienced children's mental health/therapeutic practitioner who is looking for the next step in their career? Would you like to be part of a highly valued, child focused team? If so, we would love to hear from you?

Department: Education

Location: Daven School - Congleton

Compensation: £25,242 - £27,247 / year

Description

Are you an experienced children's mental health/therapeutic practitioner who is looking for the next step in their career? Would you like to be part of a highly valued, child focused team? If so, we would love to hear from you?

Role: Mental Health Practitioner

Location: Esland Daven School (Congleton)

Contract: permanent, full time

Hours: full time, Monday to Friday (core hours between 8:30am and 4:30pm)

Salary: £25,242 to £27,247 depending on experience and qualifications

Role Start Date: in line with successful candidate availability

Esland are driven to changing children’s’ lives for the better by providing best-in-class specialist services.

We are excited to announce that due to growth, we are seeking a Mental Health Practitioner to support the pupil's of our Congleton school. This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of a dedicated, specialist provision supporting vulnerable young people aged 8 to 18 years who have SEND and SEMH needs.

The successful candidate will be seeking a long term career within the school and will work therapeutically with our children, providing support and assessing their emotional, developmental and daily needs.

We think that our teams are the best in the industry - if you want to join us, there has never been a better time!

Key Responsibilities for a Mental Health Practitioner:

• Build safe, trusting and therapeutic relationships with children and young people.
• Deliver individual and group interventions tailored to the emotional, developmental and relational needs of pupils.
• Use trauma-informed, attachment-aware and evidence-informed approaches to support emotional wellbeing and regulation.
• Support children and young people to develop emotional literacy, resilience, self-awareness and coping skills.
• Adapt interventions according to developmental stage, neurodiversity and individual needs.
• Participate in the school referral process and clinical meetings.
• Maintain accurate record keeping in line with legislation and school policy
• Work collaboratively with teachers, pastoral staff, families and external professionals.
• Ensure safeguarding and child protection considerations underpin all aspects of practice.
• Maintain a commitment to continued professional development

The above list is an accurate representation of the role responsibilities but is not exhaustive.

What we can offer a Mental Health Practitioner:

• A competitive annual salary between £25,242 and £27,247 (reviewed annually)
• Company sick pay
• Life insurance to the value of 4 times your basic salary
• Comprehensive, paid induction training and ongoing training within the role
• Fantastic opportunities for career development, we promoted over 100 colleagues last year
• Cycle to work scheme
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) including our Online GP 24/7, 365 days a year
• Access to our Green Hybrid and EV car scheme
• A £500 bonus via our 'Refer a Friend’ scheme
• Monthly recognition awards
• Access to big-brand deals and discounts via our employee benefits scheme E-Together
• The opportunity to make a real difference to a child's life!

Requirements for a Mental Health Practitioner

Essential

• A relevant qualification (higher education) in a related field (Counselling, Therapeutic Counselling, Youth Work, Mental Health, Social Care, Education, Child Development, Play Therapy, Creative Therapy, ELSA etc.)
• Paid, professional experience of working with children and young people with SEMH, SEND or trauma histories
• Understanding of attachment, trauma and child development
• Ability to build therapeutic relationships
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• A full, UK driving licence

Desirable

• TISUK Diploma
• Therapeutic counselling qualification
• Experience working in therapeutic schools
• Knowledge of PACE, Polyvagal Theory or Dyadic Developmental Practice
• Experience delivering individual and group interventions

Successful employment is subject to satisfactory Full Enhanced Disclosure, right to work and reference checks in line with government regulations and Safer Recruitment Practices.

All young people are equally entitled to have their needs met in a fair and balanced way. Esland employees are responsible for promoting equal opportunities for all and for challenging any behaviour or practice which discriminates against any young person or colleague on the grounds of race, religion, disability, age, gender, sexual orientation, or any other perceived difference.