MHST Senior Wellbeing Practitioner

East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust (Cambridge); Peterborough; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust (Cambridge) seeks a Band 6 Senior Wellbeing Practitioner to join the MHST based in Hampton, Peterborough, with travel to allocated schools across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

The role delivers evidence-based early interventions to children, young people and families in educational and health settings, while supporting trainee staff and supervising EMHPs. A key part is developing the service and ensuring timely access to care.

Qualifications

• Core professional qualification in mental health and professional registration.
• Two years+ experience as a Band 5 or equivalent clinician.
• Experience delivering evidence-based interventions for children and adolescents.
• Experience in providing supervision.

Responsibilities

• Deliver early interventions in schools and healthcare settings.
• Provide supervision and mentorship to EMHPs and trainees.
• Carry out assessments and CBT-based interventions for children and young people aged 4–19.
• Support rollout of MHSTs across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
• Collaborate with education, health services and families.

Skills

Risk assessment

Supervision

Leadership

Training delivery

Team working

Education

Core professional qualification in mental health

Job description

East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust (Cambridge)

MHST Senior Wellbeing Practitioner

The closing date is 22 November 2026

We have an exciting opportunity for a Band 6 Senior Wellbeing Practitioner to join the Peterborough Mental Health Support Team with a team base in Hampton, Peterborough.

The Senior Wellbeing Practitioner role is an opportunity to deliver evidence-based early interventions to parents and young people, working across both educational settings and healthcare sectors. This role also helps to develop and support colleagues by offering supervision and supporting trainee staff with their learning and understanding of the role. You will be part of the senior team helping to develop and improve our service to deliver effective interventions in a timely way.

Mental Health Support Teams work in collaboration with education settings to provide early intervention to children, young people and their families/carers for mild to moderate mental health difficulties.

The role requires the applicant to travel around the area to allocated schools.

Main duties of the job

You will be working in a creative environment where evidence-based interventions, new ideas, ways of working and supporting children and young people (CYP) are actively encouraged. The approach requires flexibility and adaptability, and a passion for working with CYP in education settings.

The post holder will work as an autonomous Practitioner in education and health care settings alongside a team of mental health professionals and within the scope of their job description.

The post holder will carry out assessments, develop and deliver evidence-based interventions to children, young people, parents and carers. The interventions address mild to moderate mental health difficulties (anxiety, worries and fears, behaviour, low mood). Supporting staff is also a key element of this role and the post holder will offer case management supervision and clinical skills supervision.

The post holder will receive regular supervision to support them in their work.

About us

Rated 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission, we are proud to provide high quality innovative services across most of the east of England that enable people to receive care closer to home and live healthier lives.

There's one reason why our services are outstanding - and that's our amazing staff who, for the seventh year running, rated us incredibly highly in the national staff survey. If you share our passion for innovative and high-quality care delivery, then please submit your application and join us on our exciting journey as a leading-edge specialist community provider. All are welcome to apply and our promise to you is a culture which prioritises staff engagement and development.

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose:

To work in an exciting service which we will be delivering across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough: The Mental Health Support Team (MHST). MHSTs will be based within schools, ensuring children and young people receive faster access to earlier mental health support. You will be one of the key team members in the setup and running of this new service.

In this role you will support and provide a high-quality service to students (and their families) experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties. This will be done through the supervision and line management of trainee and qualified Educational Mental Health Practitioners (EMHPs), and through direct delivery of evidence-based interventions to support the recovery of young people referred to the service, utilising skills and knowledge of CBT and child and adolescent mental health practice, and knowledge of whole school approaches to mental health. This work will be in accordance with clinical governance processes and professional standards.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Clinical

Under the direction of the MHST Senior Clinician, be accountable and responsible for a defined clinical caseload

Provide screening, assessment, psychosocial formulations and interventions (e.g. psycho-educational interventions, Guided Self Help, CBT, solution focused work, systemic work and group support), and to measure outcomes for all interventions, for mild to moderate mental health difficulties in educational settings

Provide a service that is comprehensive and accessible to the whole school community, targeting mild to moderate mental health problems in children and young people aged 4 to 19 years old

Provide a service that is equitable and non-discriminatory in terms of age, gender, ethnicity and disability or any other protected characteristic

Support professionals in making appropriate referrals and in carrying out the mental health aspects of their own roles. To liaise closely with other professionals including colleagues in the Emotional Health and Wellbeing Service, YOUnited, Paediatricians, Specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health services, school counsellors, Childrens Services and other voluntary agencies

Make appropriate referrals to other service providers in the statutory and voluntary sectors and redirect clients to other sources of appropriate support within the local community as required

To provide consultation as required to other professionals (such as teachers and Family Workers) around mental health issues in children and young people in educational settings

Clinically develop the provision of group work for children/young people and training for teaching staff, to include training and mentoring EMHP colleagues in order to improve the quality of the group work and training that we deliver

To work creatively with other members of the team to create training packages for teachers and support/awareness sessions for young people and parents/carers

Develop a local knowledge of the locality and its services and facilities, particularly in relation to mental health issues

To deliver psychoeducation and support to parents/carers and teachers, conveying formulations with sensitivity in easily understood language

To enhance emotional wellbeing and to promote or build resilience in children and young people through educational workshops, assemblies and PSHE lessons

Conduct risk assessments, prepare risk management plans and initiate appropriate action where indicated (including referrals to relevant secondary care services)

To actively contribute to team multi-disciplinary working

Demonstrate appropriate understanding of the legal and ethical issues in providing mental health care to children and/or adolescents

Demonstrate an understanding of the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and the Care Act. The post holder will also understand Safeguarding Children and Adults and Child Protection procedures

The post holder will be required to work with young people whose behaviour is personally challenging and deal with frequent exposure to highly distressing or highly emotional circumstances

To support the rollout of further MHSTs across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

Clinical Supervision and Training

Undertake appropriate clinical supervision on a regular basis in accordance with the relevant professional guidelines and policies

Provide clinical and case supervision to Education Mental Health Practitioners (EMHPs) and Trainee EMHPs. This will involve supervising two elements of their practice:

a. Low intensity cognitive behavioural informed interventions and;b. Whole School Approach to mental health in education settingsc. Attend the EMHP Supervisors Course at the University of East Angliad. Offer training to Education staff and other agencies in CBT based interventionse. Attend locally organised and national training appropriate to the work role

Professional

Take personal (unprompted) responsibility for achieving agreed clinical activity

To develop an area of interest, in discussion with the Clinical & Team Lead to the level whereby the post holder could become a resource of information for the whole service

Adhere to the policies and procedures of the Trust and the Service

Maintain appropriate clinical records in keeping with service operational policy

Participate in setting and reviewing of objectives for the post on an annual basis

Participate in activities of continuing professional development (CPD) on an annual basis

Attend, organise and chair meetings as appropriate

Communication

Establish and maintain positive working relationships with professionals, agencies, charities and teams who also provide services to children and/or adolescents in the community. These relationships are a key part of the role in which you will be representing East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust and will benefit the child/adolescent and/or family

Be able to clearly and effectively communicate both clinical and non-clinical information with those receiving care, their families/carers and with other professional colleagues as appropriate

The post holder will be able to demonstrate a high level of interpersonal skills, self-awareness and empathy in all communications

Represent the team at meetings as delegated by the Senior Clinician and/or Clinical & Team Lead and contribute effectively to the meeting agenda

People Management

Ensure that clinically supervised staff maintain appropriate clinical records, including outcome data, in keeping with service operational policy

Participate in regular audits of clinical activity, quarterly reporting, research projects and utilise data from the services Key Performance Indicators to enhance individual practitioners and the teams clinical practice

Take a lead or assist in the management and organisation of work as required, utilising the teams resources to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of high-quality patient care

Balance conflicting demands, including delegating work and understanding Service Key Performance Indicators

Participate in service development and make an active contribution to pursuing the aims, objectives and overall strategy of the EHWS and the Trust

Research & Development Activity

To lead and participate in regular audits, quarterly reporting, and research projects for the improvement of the teams clinical practice

To collaborate with other team members in the design and implementation of audit and research projects

Clinical and Practice Governance

Participate fully in providing quality care in line with local and national guidelines e.g. NICE Guidance & Quality Standards relating to children and/or young people with mental health difficulties and social care difficulties

Observe and maintain strict confidentiality with regards to any patient/family/staff records and information in line with the requirements of the Data Protection

Any data that is taken/shared as part of a phone call or transported, faxed or transferred electronically must be undertaken with regard to the Trust Information Governance and Information Security policies

The post holder must adhere to the Trust risk assessment and risk management processes

The post holder must adhere to infection control policies and procedures

It is a condition of your employment that you are currently registered with the relevant professional body, and it is your responsibility to maintain your professional registration

Undertake mandatory training and any other training relevant to the role as required by East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust

Provide patients and their families/carers with information on standards they should expect from the team

The post holder is required to participate in relevant emergency preparedness processes and Business Continuity for their team and the EHWS

Person Specification

Qualifications & Training

• Core professional qualification relevant to mental health e.g. nursing with specialism in mental health or learning disability nursing, Occupational Therapy, Social Work.
• Evidence of continued professional development
• A qualification in provision of supervision
• Registration with relevant professional body

Experience

• Two years+ experience as a Band 5 or equivalent clinician
• Able to demonstrate an appropriate level of knowledge of mental health practice from previous experience
• Demonstrate effective risk assessment and risk management experience
• Experience of providing supervision
• Experience in the delivery of evidence-based interventions for children and adolescents
• Experience in working in a team and partnership working
• Experience of delivering training
• Experience of leadership
• Experience in developing others

Knowledge & Skills

• Able to effectively prioritise own workload and use team resources effectively
• Ability to use outcome measures for both clinical and audit purposes
• Risk assessment knowledge and skills
• Ability to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults
• Sound knowledge of national legislation and drivers and other legislation related to the care of children and young people, educational provision and mental health
• Knowledge of NICE, CQC standards and regulations

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.

East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust (Cambridge)

£39,959 to £48,117 a yearper annum, pro-rata