MHST Specialist Practitioner

Nhs-1; Mansfield; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 48,000; Part time

Job summary

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is recruiting a Specialist Practitioner for the Mansfield & Ashfield MHST, delivering early intervention support to children and young people in school and community settings.

The role is 22.5 hours per week, hybrid working between schools and community venues, with a focus on brief, evidence-based interventions and collaboration with CAMHS and education staff.

Qualifications

• You must be a Registered Nurse, hold a DipSW or equivalent social work qualification (CSS, CQSW, degree in social work), or be an Allied Health Professional registered with the HCPC.
• Experience delivering therapeutic work to children, young people and families with emotional or mental health difficulties within a CAMHS setting.
• Experience of working within educational settings in a similar capacity is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Deliver one-to-one work with children and young people within the Mansfield & Ashfield area.
• Contribute to the whole school approach, advising and supporting education staff to promote positive mental health.
• Provide brief, early-intervention focused interventions to meet emerging emotional and wellbeing needs of pupils.
• Collaborate with a wide range of agencies to ensure high-quality, joined-up support.
• Support involvement in parent sessions, wellbeing groups, and school-based drop-ins.

Skills

Registered Nurse

DipSW or equivalent social work

Allied Health Professional (HCPC)

Education

Registered Nurse

DipSW or equivalent social work qualification (CSS, CQSW, degree in social work)

Allied Health Professional registered with the HCPC

Job description

Employer Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Lindsay Close Town Nottinghamshire Salary £39,959 - £48,117 per annum (pro rata for part time) Salary period Yearly Closing 24/09/2026 23:59

Job overview

This is an exciting opportunity to join a developing Mental Health Support Team (MHST), delivered as a joint initiative between health and education.

We are pleased to offer a 22.5‑hour‑per‑week Specialist Practitioner role within the Mansfield & Ashfield locality.

We are seeking a motivated and skilled practitioner to work within our project schools across Mansfield and Ashfield, delivering early intervention support and evidence-based treatment to children and young people.

The MHST works closely with staff in education settings to promote positive mental health and wellbeing for pupils, their families, and school communities. As part of this role, you will develop strong partnerships with schools to support the early identification of need and ensure timely, effective interventions.

Main duties of the job

The Mental Health Support Team (MHST) is a new and evolving service which is available in certain schools in the Nottinghamshire areas. Nottinghamshire Healthcare have been a trailblazer site for the Mental Health Support Team project and have hosted the first operational MHST nationally in December 2019.

We are an early intervention wellbeing service aimed at providing support for children young people and families around low-level emotional wellbeing needs, such as anxiety, low mood, managing emotions, and sleep. We link in directly with Nottinghamshire CAMHS teams and provide 'in school' sessions to promote a positive mental health.

Please note that this post does not meet the pay level required for a Skilled worker visa.

Successful applicants with no prior NHS experience would normally be placed at the bottom of the band in line with Agenda for Change. This salary is below the minimum salary required for sponsorship for a Skilled Worker / Health & Care visa. In these circumstances the Trust would not, therefore, be able to sponsor for a Skilled Worker / Health & Care visa.

Applicants requiring a Skilled Worker Visa can determine the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship against the relevant criteria here https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa

Working for our organisation

#TeamNottsHC comprises over 11,000 dedicated colleagues who #MakeADifference every day. We deliver intellectual disability, mental health, community health, forensic, and offender healthcare services across Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and South Yorkshire. Our care is provided from over 200 sites, spanning community locations, acute settings, and secure environments, including prisons.

We are one of the largest mental health and community Trusts in the East Midlands and one of Nottinghamshire's biggest employers. We also host national and regional services, such as the National High Secure Deaf Service and the Nottingham Centre for Transgender Health.

We offer a variety of employee-led staff networks, including Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) groups, the Green Champions network, the Freedom to Speak Up network, the Health and Wellbeing Champions network, and the Menopause Champions network. These networks play a vital role in supporting our diverse workforce and promoting a culture of inclusivity.

The health and wellbeing of colleagues is a top priority. We invest significantly in this through our in-house occupational health and staff counselling services, supported by a dedicated Health and Wellbeing team.

The Trust is committed to reducing its carbon emissions, with a specialised Energy and Environmental team working to ensure compliance with environmental legislation, enhance our environmental performance, and achieve our net-zero commitment.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The role of the Specialist Practitioner within the Mansfield & Ashfield area will include both one‑to‑one work with children and young people.

You may also have opportunities to contribute to the whole school approach, providing advice, guidance and support to education staff to promote positive mental health across school communities.

Interventions delivered will be brief, early‑intervention focused, and designed to meet the emerging emotional and wellbeing needs of pupils.

Each participating school signed up to access the MHST service will have a designated Mental Health Lead who can refer directly into the service. You will work closely with these leads as part of supporting the development of a sustainable whole-school approach to mental health.

You will collaborate with a wide range of agencies to ensure high‑quality, joined‑up support is provided. Working alongside junior team members, you will help deliver parent sessions, wellbeing groups and individual support. The role also includes participation in duty responsibilities and facilitating school-based drop‑ins.

To be considered, you must be a Registered Nurse, hold a DipSW or equivalent social work qualification (CSS, CQSW, degree in social work), or be an Allied Health Professional registered with the HCPC.

You must also have experience of delivering therapeutic work to children, young people and families with emotional or mental health difficulties within a CAMHS setting.

Experience of working within educational settings in a similar capacity is desirable.

A full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle for business use is required for this post. Reasonable adjustments will be made in line with the Equality Act 2010.

The MHSTs operate across Nottinghamshire, with bases in Mansfield and Nottingham. The main base for the Admin team is Highbury Hospital, Nottingham, NG6 9DR.

This role works as a hybrid role of school based and community working

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for further details.

Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. The cost of the DBS application is £26.40 (standard) or £54.40 (enhanced), this cost will be deducted from your salary over the first 2 months of employment.

You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. An annual fee of £16 per year applies.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Relevant Professional qualification e.g. RMN. RN, HV, OT, clinical psychology, Social Worker at degree level or higher; teaching qualification
• Registration with relevant professional body.
• Educated to Degree level.
• Qualification in therapeutic approaches with children and families eg CBT systemic, solution focused, play therapy.

Experience

• Experience of Multi agency work, in particular in schools
• Skills and experience of working with children, young people and families around a range of emotional/mental health, behavioural and additional health or developmental needs
• Experience of teaching groups of professionals and parents
• Evidence of the ability to use and provide clinical supervision
• Community experience, working in schools and with families

Knowledge

• Knowledge of relevant legislation and documents pertaining to children (e.g., Children's Act, Mental Health Act, NSF, Every Child Matters, Future in Mind)
• Knowledge and experience of provision of a holistic emotional/mental health assessment Knowledge and experience of the provision of different models of therapy and interventions
• Ability to manage a defined caseload if required.
• Organise own work schedule
• Ability to maintain accurate case records in line with Trust policies and procedure
• Ability to be an autonomous practitioner whilst being able to work as an integral part of a multi agency locality team
• Ability to use electronic data recording systems.
• Knowledge and application of behaviour programmes and support for parents of children with emotional health problems.

Skills

• Ability to identify training needs and prepare and deliver training for teachers, young people and their families.
• Ability to offer individual and group therapeutic interventions.
• Providing clinical supervision and mentorship to junior staff.

Contractual Requirements

• To work flexibly regarding location and hours
• A full UK driving licence and vehicle for business use is required for this post; however reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled individuals in line with the Equality Act 2010.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to be able to work in the community & transport needed equipment for training and consultation from your vehicle to place of work in the community (e.g., laptops, projectors, flip charts).

Additional Information

• We reserve the right to close the post early once we have received a sufficient number of applicants.
• The Trust believes in treating everyone with dignity and respect and encourages applications from all sectors of the community. We guarantee an interview to candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum essential criteria.
• In submitting an application form, you authorise Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to confirm from your previous or current NHS employer and other prior employers; previous NHS service details and personal data held about you. This data will be transferred using NHS Electronic Staff Record and third party systems via an automated process and only used for the purposes of obtaining and maintaining accurate employment records, should you be appointed to the post. Should you require any further information please refer our Privacy Policy shown on the Trust website, please click here for more information.
• For eligible posts, DBS disclosures are mandatory before commencement of employment. If you are in a position that is deemed a regulated adult and/or child care role, you will not be able to start your employment until we have received a satisfactory DBS Disclosure. The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Convictions which would otherwise be considered as 'spent' will also be checked as part of an Enhanced DBS Disclosure.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.