Mental Health Worker

Kent And Medway Mental Health Nhs Trust; Aylesford; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust is inviting applications for a Band 5 Mental Health Worker within the Ashford Community Children and Young People’s Mental Health Service (CYPMHS). The post involves managing a defined caseload under supervision and delivering person-centred care to children, young people and families.

You will contribute to assessments, planning, delivery and evaluation of care, with opportunities for professional development, clinical supervision and career progression

Qualifications

• Experience working with children/young people with complex mental health needs.
• Ability to determine appropriate treatment plans and autonomously perform assessments.
• Experience working with families of children and young people with mental health problems.

Responsibilities

• Deliver clinical interventions within CYPMHS pathways under supervision.
• Routinely measure clinical outcomes and apply CYP-IAPT guidance.
• Promote mental and emotional health of children, young people, and families in the community.
• Undertake initial school and community assessments and provide early interventions.
• Provide direct services in a supportive environment using best available evidence.
• Hold a full, valid UK driving licence and have access to a vehicle for business use.

Skills

Communication skills

Risk management

Independent working

Verbal and written communication

Education

Graduate training

Registration eligibility

Job description

Job summary

Are you a compassionate and motivated newly qualified healthcare professional, such as a nurse, social worker, or occupational therapist, fully registered with the relevant professional or regulatory body (e.g. HCPC, NMC) and committed to delivering high-quality care?

Do you want the opportunity to help shape innovative mental health services for children and young people across Kent and Medway?

We are offering a fixed-term opportunity for a Band 5 Mental Health Worker to join our Ashford Community Children and Young People’s Mental Health Service (CYPMHS). This is an exciting opportunity to become part of a diverse, supportive, and forward-thinking organisation dedicated to delivering high-quality, person-centred mental health care that promotes recovery, dignity, resilience, and independence.

You will manage a defined caseload under the supervision of a senior clinician. As a valued member of the multidisciplinary team, you will play an active role in the assessment, planning, delivery, and evaluation of care for children, young people, and their families. You will be expected to communicate clinical findings effectively, contribute to service development and quality improvement initiatives, and promote best practice, patient safety, and positive service user experiences at all times.

This role offers excellent opportunities for professional development, clinical supervision, and career progression within a supportive team environment.

Main duties of the job

• You will be responsible for delivering clinical interventions within individual care pathways within CYPMHS, receiving clinical supervision from Care Pathway Workers or a senior psychological practitioner within CYPMHS.
• To routinely measure clinical outcomes and deliver evidence-based clinical interventions, both in-line with the CYP-IAPT programme within CYPMHS.
• Promoting the mental and emotional health of children, young people and families in the community through clinical interventions in the care pathway.
• To undertake initial school based and community-based assessments and to deliver a range of early interventions to children and young people with a range of emotional and psychological difficulties.
• Providing a direct service to children and young people and their families, in an accessible and less stigmatizing environment, based on the best available research evidence, within clinical governance.
• The post holder must hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car/vehicle to use for business purposes (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).

About us

We are Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust. We care for the mental health and wellbeing of people across Kent and Medway.

Our teams support children, young people and adults with a wide range of mental health needs. We also provide specialist services, including all-age eating disorder services and neurodevelopmental assessments for children and young people, such as autism and ADHD.

Because we work across the whole county and across hospital and community settings, we can make care more joined up and easier to access for the people we serve.

Our vision is simple: we are here to help communities not just live with mental illness, but live well. It's why we're passionate about working with communities to make mental health care better for everyone. Everything we do is guided by our values: caring, inclusive, curious and confident.

Join us if you share our passion for better mental health care and want to be part of a team that's working well together.

Details

• Date posted: 29 October 2026
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 5
• Salary: £32,073 to £39,043 a year per annum
• Contract: Fixed term
• Duration: 12 months
• Working pattern: Full-time
• Reference number: 380-CED082
• Closing date: 11 November 2026

Person Specification

Experience (Essential)

• Experience of working with difficult, disturbed or challenging children/young people requiring skilled and complex interventions.
• Experience of assessments carried out autonomously in order to determine the most appropriate treatment plan from a range of options for the child/young person.
• Experience of working therapeutically with parents/carers/ families of children and young people with complex mental health problems.

Knowledge and Skills (Essential)

• Knowledge of Legislation in relation to children and adolescents and safeguarding procedures and policies.
• Knowledge of risk management and ability to monitor and assess risk and act accordingly to ensure safety.
• Skills in the ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside
• Capacity to work alone, involving other colleagues and manager as relevant.

Training, Qualifications and Registration (Essential)

• To be eligible for registration as a full member of the appropriate professional body (e.g. HCPC, NMC) where appropriate.
• Successful completion of a graduate training (e.g. nursing, social work, occupational therapy) or equivalent substantial

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 (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

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

Contact

For questions about the job, contact: Integrated Team Manager Lianne Fitzmaurice, [e-mail], 03003001982