Qualified Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP)

West Sussex County Council; Horsham; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in England seeks an Education Mental Health Professional (EMHP) to join their Mental Health Support Team. The role involves working with children and young people, conducting mental health assessments, and delivering interventions based on the CBT model. Candidates must have a Post Graduate Diploma in Education Mental Health and experience in educational settings. The position offers a full-time contract with a salary range of £32,597 to £35,412 per annum, alongside a supportive environment and multiple development opportunities.

Benefits

Employer Pension Contribution: 18.70%

27 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Supportive working environment

Qualifications

• Experience working with children and young people in an educational setting.
• Ability to deliver evidence-informed interventions under supervision.
• Demonstrated integrity and awareness of others.

Responsibilities

• Conduct mental health assessments, including risk assessments.
• Deliver evidence-based interventions and support emotional wellbeing.
• Collaborate with various mental health professionals.

Skills

Communication skills

CBT-informed therapeutic assessments

Interpersonal skills

Ability to work flexibly

Time management

Education

Post Graduate Diploma in Education Mental Health

Job description

The Opportunity

Salary: NJC Grade 8 £32,597 to £35,412 per annum

Contract Type: Permanent

Working Pattern: 37 hours per week, full time, Monday to Friday, 09:00-17:00

Location: Mid-Sussex (base location County Hall North, Horsham)

Please note:

• You must be able to travel throughout the county including to locations that are not always accessible by public transport.
• There is a regular and intrinsic requirement to communicate in English with members of the public.

Closing date: 18 February 2026

Interview date: 02 March 2026

Are you looking for the next stage in your career?

Do you hold a Post Graduate Diploma in Education Mental Health?

Do you have experience working with children and young people in an education setting?

As an Education Mental Health Professional (EMHP), you will be based within our Mental Health Support Team (MHST), working alongside various mental health professionals.

You will work in education settings and in the community delivering a range of evidence informed interventions, under supervision. You will undertake mental health assessments (including risk assessments), and interventions based on the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) model.

You will work directly with children and young people of primary and secondary school age, and in some cases their parents and carers. You will support MHST work to develop and deliver whole school approaches to emotional wellbeing and mental health.

If you are interested in making a difference to children's lives whilst working in a supportive team with a role that offers variety and challenge, we would love to hear from you.

For more information on the Key Skills, Qualifications and/or Experience required, please refer to the Job Description attached.

About Us

Our Mental Health Support Team is made up of over 70 professionals, and we are continuing to increase our services to support the growing needs of our communities in West Sussex.

You will be working within our Mental Health Support Team (MHST) on exciting new initiatives and an important strand of the Government's 2017 Green Paper 'Transforming Children and Young People's Mental Health Provision'.

We fulfil 3 core functions:

• Delivering evidence-based interventions in education settings (primary and secondary schools and colleges) for mild to moderate mental health issues.
• Supporting the senior mental health lead in each education setting to introduce or develop their whole school or college approach.
• Giving timely advice to school and college staff, and liaising with external specialist services, to help children and young people to get the right support and stay in education.

For more information, please visit our Instagram WS Thoughtfull page and our WSCC Services for Education website.

About You

Development Opportunities

Education Mental Health Practitioners make a real difference in supporting Mental Health in Children and Young People.

We have many development and progression opportunities within our Mental Health Support Team:

• Qualified Education Mental Health Practitioner from £32,597 per annum.
• Qualified Mental Health Practitioner from £39,862 per annum.
• Senior Mental Health Practitioner from £48,226 per annum.

We are looking for someone who:

• Is self-motivated and an effective team player.
• Demonstrates integrity, openness, and an awareness of others.
• Has excellent time management, organisational, and communication and interpersonal skills.
• Has a good knowledge of the education system and of evidenced based Mental Health interventions and a passion for bringing the two together.

You will need to be able to demonstrate personal resilience as some cases may be sensitive, traumatic, or potentially emotionally distressing. You will need to be able to travel independently to carry out assessments, and there will be periodic physical requirements to this role.

Key Skills (used for shortlisting):

• Ability to carry out low-intensity, CBT-informed 1:1 therapeutic mental health assessments and interventions with children and young people, and/or their families, in line with EMHP training.
• Ability to work flexibly with a range of professionals and other adults including teachers, parents / carers, social workers, and other mental health professionals in the best interests of the child or young person, communicating complicated or sensitive information effectively.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to quickly build effective therapeutic rapport with a child, young person and / or their parents.
• Ability to effectively manage an allocated caseload.
• Ability to positively make use of clinical and peer group support supervision.
• Ability to complete and maintain data recording and paperwork appropriate to the work undertaken. Ability to assess risk and to record and communicate it appropriately and take necessary actions.
• Please note you will need a Post Graduate Diploma in Education Mental Health Practitioner qualification.

Please refer to the key skills in your cover letter as these will be used for shortlisting criteria.

Benefits

As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance, and are rewarded for the work they do.

For a full list this can be found at our Rewards and Benefits page.

Upon joining us you will have access to a range of benefits including the following:

Employer Pension Contribution: 18.70% (this alters per annum on the 1 April each year).

Annual leave: 27 days holiday + Bank Holidays = 35days

How to Apply

The reference number for this role is CAFHE06081.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.

This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check, five years referencing, and an occupational health check.

Equity, inclusion, and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.