MHST Senior Practitioner/Supervisor

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust; Watford; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Enhanced DBS disclosure

Travel to schools

Job summary

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) seeks an experienced supervisor for its Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) to lead and develop evidence-based CBT interventions in school settings. You will support children, young people, families, and school staff while delivering clinical supervision to practitioners and ensuring high-quality care.

The post includes operational management elements, travel to education settings, and induction via MHST service.

Qualifications

• Core postgraduate qualification in low intensity CBT.
• (EMHP or CWP) or accredited CBT qualification.
• Significant post-qualification clinical experience.
• UK professional registration.

Responsibilities

• Provide consultations to education colleagues and embed whole school wellbeing approach.
• Develop and deliver evidence-based time-limited interventions in education settings.
• Evidence outcomes of the MHST service.
• Provide clinical supervision to Mental Health practitioners.

Skills

Low intensity CBT

EMHP qualification

CBT supervision

Clinical supervision

School-based work

Risk assessment

Leadership/management

Travel to schools

Education

Postgraduate Diploma Educational Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP)

Postgraduate Certificate/Diploma in CYP Wellbeing Practice (CWP)

Accredited CBT qualification

UK professional registration

Tools

Microsoft Office

Electronic patient record system

Job description

As part of Hertfordshire CYPMHS transformation, our priority is simple: to increase access and availability of mental health and wellbeing support for children and young people. Driven by this goal and in line with NHS long term plans, we have an exciting opportunity for a supervisor to work at the forefront of innovation in Children's and Young Peoples Mental Health and to play an instrumental role in a forward-thinking service delivering interventions into schools and other settings in Hertfordshire. We are seeking a flexible, motivated, enthusiastic and experienced practitioner with the genuine passion and skills to support both children and young people, parent/carers and the wider workforce. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced practitioner looking to develop their leadership and supervisory skills and as such duties will include elements of operational management in support of the Team Leader.Main duties of the job You will play a key role in a creative environment where evidence-based practice, fresh ideas, and new ways of working are embraced to improve outcomes for children and young people.

Supervisors will play a key role in:

• Forming strong working relations with a variety of stakeholders
• Providing consultations to education colleagues and support education settings to embed a whole school approach to wellbeing
• Developing and delivering evidence-based time limited interventions to young people within education settings
• Evidencing the outcomes of the MHST service
• Providing clinical supervision to Mental Health practitioners., You will be expected to work in schools closely with school staff to support children and young people, their families and staff to foster a whole school approach to mental well-being.
• Core postgraduate qualification in the provision of low intensity CBT, e.g., - Postgraduate Diploma Educational Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP programme) - Or Postgraduate Certificate/Diploma in Child and Young Persons Psychological Wellbeing Practice (CWP) - Or an accredited CBT qualification
• Significant post-qualification clinical experience.
• Experience of, or a willingness to undertake a Psychological Therapies or CYP IAPT postgraduate supervision qualification.
• Please note if you do not have a supervision qualification, you will be expected to undertake a 1-year postgraduate certificate supervision training.
• Supervision training will be provided by UEA, Norwich with a course start date of 19th January 2027. Most teaching days will fall on a Thursday. The successful candidate will be expected to start their induction with the MHST service on 4th January 2027.
• Proven experience delivering evidence-based CBT interventions for mild to moderate mental health difficulties, including anxiety, low mood and behavioural challenges, both on an individual basis and within group settings.
• The ability to provide effective clinical support, supervision, and leadership to colleagues, promoting high-quality, evidence-based care across Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs)., Full, enhanced and current satisfactory DBS disclosure for the role
• Ability and willingness to work outside office hours when required by the role., Computer literate in the use of Microsoft office software and ability to enter clinical notes on the electronic patient record system.
• Car driver with the ability to travel to meet the requirements of the post (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010 which prevents you from driving), Ability to integrate and analyse information gathered from triage calls and assessments, to create comprehensive psychological formulations and care plans to meet the needs of children and young people., Core postgraduate qualification in the provision of low intensity CBT, e.g., - Postgraduate Diploma Educational Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP programme) - Or Postgraduate Certificate/Diploma in Child and Young Persons Psychological Wellbeing Practice (CWP) - Or an accredited CBT qualification
• Psychological Therapies or CYP IAPT postgraduate supervision qualification. Please note if you do not have a supervision qualification, you will be expected to undertake a 1-year postgraduate certificate supervision training.
• Documented evidence of continued professional development.
• Appropriate UK professional registration

Desirable criteria

• Senior Wellbeing Practitioner postgraduate training., Knowledge of legislation related to children and young people's mental health and social care e.g. Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, Care Act, Child Protection and Safeguarding of Vulnerable Children etc.
• Knowledge of the core EMHP functions
• Ability to deliver care with respect, dignity and compassion which is recovery focused.
• Ability and confidence to manage own caseload, work autonomously in the community and use own initiative.
• Ability to deal sensitively with stressful situations including; staff and organisational problems; child abuse; family breakdown; mental ill health and risk of self-harm.

Desirable criteria

• Ability and skills to teach and train others using multi-media materials suitable for presentation within public, professional and academic settings.
• Knowledge of recent developments and research in mental health/learning disability provision for young people, including government initiatives., Significant post qualification experience delivering EMHP or CWP guided self-help interventions; Senior Wellbeing Practitioner or CBT interventions.
• Experience of completing triage calls and initial assessments with children and young people presenting with mild to moderate mental health difficulties.
• Experience working with parents (parent led interventions) and involving parents in assessments and where appropriate interventions with young people.
• Experience and knowledge of implementing safeguarding procedures for children and adults.
• Experience of completing comprehensive risk assessments and managing risks, including implementing safety plans with children and young people.
• Experience of working in a multi- ethnic community in a culturally sensitive manner.
• Experience of working with and making adjustments for SEND and neurodivergent children and young people
• Experience of providing case management and clinical skills supervision to trainee and/or qualified practitioners. If not, a willingness to complete a postgraduate certificate in supervision.

Desirable criteria

• Experience of supporting children and young people in an educational setting., Ability to communicate complex and sensitive information clearly, both verbally and in writing, to service users, families, carers, and professionals.
• Ability to communicate sensitive information to children and young people, carers and colleagues in a way that addresses psychological resistance.
• Ability to contain and have difficult conversations with service users, colleagues, supervisees and other staff.
• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non- professional groups.
• Ability to communicate in a respectful, culturally sensitive manner to service users, families, carers and colleagues

Desirable criteria

• Ability to fluently speak another language, Good time management and prioritisation skills including the ability to manage and plan own diary to accommodate assigned tasks., Ability to personally manage a sensitive, traumatic and potentially emotionally distressing caseload including disclosures of risk to self, abuse and safeguarding disclosures., Welcoming
• Kind
• Positive
• Respectful
• Professional, You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is an outstanding organisation with ambitions to match. We are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of "Outstanding" from the Care Quality Commission, and our aim is to be the leading provider of mental health and specialist learning disability services in the country.

Our family of over 3500 members of staff provide health and social care for over 400,000 people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. We also deliver a range of nationally commissioned specialist services including Tier 4 services for children and young people, perinatal services, plus medium and low secure learning disabilities services. The care we provide makes a fantastic difference to the lives of our service users, their families and carers - everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout