MHST Locality Clinical Lead

NELFT NHS Foundation Trust; Colchester; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) is expanding its Mental Health Support Teams in North East Essex to back schools and families. The Locality Clinical Lead will work with a multidisciplinary team to deliver evidence-based interventions for 5–18 years in educational settings, including CBT-informed approaches and supervision, with emphasis on early intervention.

The role focuses on improving whole-school wellbeing, leading service development, and fostering collaboration across

Qualifications

• Current, in-date professional registration with a regulatory body (ACP/UKCP/HCPC/BABCP).
• Substantial post-qualification experience (>2 years) working therapeutically with children and families.
• In-depth knowledge of evidence-based practice with children and families (including CBT).
• Experience providing and receiving supervision (CBT-informed).
• Experience with routine outcome measures.
• Knowledge of early intervention and low-intensity emotional wellbeing support in education contexts.
• Knowledge of evidence-based interventions for mood, self-harm, anxiety and behaviour in young children in education settings.
• Knowledge of whole-school approaches to emotional wellbeing and mental health.
• Experience of consultation in education settings.
• Experience of service development and multi-disciplinary/multi-agency working.
• Ongoing continuing professional development in a relevant subject.
• Leadership and supervision experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical leadership within the MHST to support education settings.
• Offer CBT-informed supervision and guidance to staff.
• Oversee the routine outcome measures to monitor progress.
• Support early intervention and low-intensity emotional wellbeing in schools.
• Collaborate across multi-disciplinary and multi-agency teams.
• Lead service development and family-centered approaches.

Skills

Therapeutic leadership

CBT knowledge

Supervision

Outcomes measures

Early intervention

Education settings

Leadership

Education

Regulatory body registration (ACP/UKCP/HCPC/BABCP)

Job description

Join the North East Essex Mental Health Support Team (MHST)

North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) is one of the largest providers of Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) in England. We are currently going through a significant expansion of the team in North East Essex and we will be supporting all mainstream education provisions by January 2028. We are therefore seeking to increase and diversify our Clinical Leadership team and welcome applications from a range of backgrounds across both mental health and education.

The Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) deliver evidence-based interventions for children and young people aged 5 to 18 years experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties. Our work includes both individual and group interventions delivered within educational settings, alongside a strong commitment to developing whole-school approaches that promote positive mental health and emotional wellbeing.

About the North East Essex MHST

The North East Essex MHST serves a large geographical area, covering Colchester and Tendring. As an early intervention and prevention service, we are passionate about improving outcomes for children, young people and their families through timely, evidence-based support.

We are a friendly, supportive, and multidisciplinary team made up of professionals from a variety of backgrounds. We value collaboration, innovation, and maintaining high standards of care, while fostering a positive and inclusive working environment.

Why Join Us?

At NELFT, we recognise the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance and welcome flexible working requests in line with Trust policies. We are committed to the professional development of our staff and actively encourage Continual Professional Development (CPD), providing opportunities for growth, learning, and career progression.

Above all, we are a welcoming and dedicated team, working together to make a meaningful difference to the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people across our communities.

The Locality Clinical Lead should:

• Have a current and in date professional registration with a regulatory body (e.g. ACP, UKCP, HCPC, BABCP)
• Have 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.
• Hold evidence of ongoing continuing professional development in a relevant subject.
• Leadership and supervision experience.

Working for Us

Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London and Essex. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.

The Trust has award-winning equality and diversity initiatives, along with staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest significantly in your development because when you feel valued and supported, we can deliver the highest quality care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been recognised in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for five consecutive years, and hold a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Through our staff networks and training opportunities, we strive to foster a just and compassionate culture at NELFT.

Our Values 2025 - 2030

Working with our colleagues, patients and carers we have co‑produced three new values that we aim to embed within our culture here at NELFT. They are:

• We are kind.
• We are respectful.
• We work together with our communities.

These three values help us to strive to provide the best care by the best people.

NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers, and attend a number of drop‑in sessions focusing on engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Goodmayes Hospital.

Probationary Period

This post will be subject to a probationary period.

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. When calculating the basic salary for sponsorship, HCAS (High‑Cost Area Supplement) is not included to ensure fairness and consistency within our Trust.

Use of AI

We value applications that genuinely reflect each candidate’s own skills, experience and motivations. We therefore strongly discourage the use of AI‑generated content in applications.

Applications should be written in your own words and accurately represent your knowledge, skills and experience.

We reserve the right to reject an application where we reasonably believe AI has been used to generate or materially contribute to its content.

Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about this role and working at North East London NHS Foundation Trust. We encourage you to refer to this when completing your application.

We welcome your application even if you do not meet all the criteria listed in the person specification. Please apply as soon as possible as some posts close early to limit the number of applications.

For an informal chat or to arrange a visit, please contact:

Name: Sarah McGuinness or Anthony Scrafton

Job title: NEE MHST Operational Manager and Essex Wide MHST Education Lead

Contact Number:

Email: [e-mail] and [e-mail]