MHST Senior Clinician and Supervisor | NELFT NHS Foundation Trust

North East London NHS Foundation Trust; Colchester; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading mental health service provider is seeking a Senior Mental Health Practitioner to support children in educational settings across Colchester, England. The ideal candidate will have current UK professional registration and experience in delivering mental health interventions to children. This role also involves supervisory responsibilities within a multidisciplined team, making it crucial for candidates to demonstrate both autonomous and collaborative working skills. The position offers an exciting opportunity to impact young people's mental health positively.

Qualifications

• Current UK professional registration required.
• Experience in delivering mental health interventions to children and young people.
• Ability to work autonomously and as part of a multidisciplinary team.

Responsibilities

• Hold a caseload of children and young people with mental health difficulties.
• Work in partnership with schools and families to co-produce training materials.
• Provide clinical supervision to junior and trainee staff.

Skills

Experience in delivering mental health interventions

Ability to work with families and partner agencies

Knowledge of evidence-based interventions

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

Autonomous work

Education

Current UK professional registration

Job description

Overview

Join the Leading Provider of MHSTs in England

At NELFT, we’re proud to be the largest provider of Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) in England. Our services across Southend, Essex, and Thurrock currently support 144 schools, covering 48% of all primary and secondary schools in the region. Our MHSTs deliver evidence-based individual and group interventions within educational settings, supporting children and young people aged 4 to 18 who are experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties. We also champion whole-school approaches to promote positive mental health across entire school communities.

We’re looking for a dedicated and experienced Mental Health Practitioner with current UK professional registration to join our expanding Mental Health Support Team (MHST). This is a fantastic opportunity to take on a senior clinical role, supporting children and young people across educational settings while helping shape the future of mental health care in schools.

Responsibilities

• As a Senior Mental Health Practitioner, you will: Hold acaseloadof children and young people (CYP) with mild to moderate mental health difficulties completing assessments, risk assessments and creating collaboration care plans.
• Work in partnership with schools, families, and partner agencies to co-produce training materials and deliver whole-school interventions
• Be enrolled on the EMHP Supervisors Course (if not already completed) — fully funded as part of the MHST programme
• Support the Locality Clinical Lead with formulation, treatment planning, and management strategies
• Provide caseload management and clinical supervision to junior and trainee staff
• Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team within your locality and across other MHSTs in Essex
• Demonstrate the ability to work both autonomously and collaboratively within a team

Requirements / Qualifications

• Current UK professional registration
• Experience in delivering mental health interventions to children and young people
• Ability to work in schools and with families and partner agencies
• Willingness to undertake EMHP Supervisors Course (if not already completed), fully funded as part of the MHST programme
• Knowledge of evidence-based interventions and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
• Ability to work autonomously and as part of a multidisciplinary team

Starting with NELFT

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 in engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes.

Probationary Period

This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff).

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nX8CImoDX8

Collaboration and Role Scope

The Senior Clinician and Supervisor would work closely with the MHST Clinical Lead, the MHST Operational Manager, and other clinical colleagues/partner agencies. The role is predominantly supervisory; however, the post holder will deliver clinical interventions, both targeted and under the Whole School Approach, to maintain professional registrations and continue to develop. The post holder will need to remain current in evidence-based interventions and have a good working knowledge of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. Supervisors are also key to service development in progressing and adapting interventions to ensure we are an inclusive service and contributing to research and development of the MHSTs nationally.

Application and Closing Date

Please see person specification and job description for full details and responsibilities required for this role.

Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

This advert closes on Friday 3 Oct 2025