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East of England Community Health & Care NHS Trust; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough; On-site; AUD 49,000 - 57,000; Full time

Job summary

East of England Community Health & Care NHS Trust is recruiting a Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP) to join the Norfolk-based MHST team. The role involves delivering CBT-informed guided self-help and working across educational and healthcare settings to support children and young people with mild to moderate mental health difficulties.

Applicants should have a degree-level qualification or equivalent, and experience working with children and young people is preferred.

Qualifications

• Must have a degree-level qualification or equivalent in a relevant field.
• Experience of working with children and young people is desirable.
• Understanding of the English educational system is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Deliver evidence-based interventions for children and young people in educational settings.
• Provide assessments and guided self-help under supervision.
• Support staff in education settings to address mental health and wellbeing.
• Maintain accurate records and participate in supervision and governance.

Skills

Degree-level collaboration

Experience with children/young people

Understanding education system (UK)

Education

Degree level or equivalent in child development/psychology/education

Job description

Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP)

Company:

Company: East of England Community Health & Care NHS Trust

A Vacancy at East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust (Cambridgeshire).

Do you want to be part of an exciting, dynamic & expanding children’s & young people’s Mental Health service, in an ‘Outstanding’ rated NHS Trust? We are looking for people who are as passionate about high quality, early intervention mental health care as we are.

The role is an exciting opportunity to deliver evidence-based early interventions for children, young people & their families, working across both Educational & Healthcare settings.

You will receive training in delivering Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) informed guided self‑help for mild to moderate mental health problems.

You will gain their (funded) Diploma at the University of East Anglia, whilst working clinically within either a new or established Mental Health Support Team (MHST).

Posts are available in various location across Norfolk (including Kings Lynn, Breckland, Norwich, Broadland, Great Yarmouth).

Please specify your preferred location/s. (There is a separate advert for this role in the Waveney area).

This is a two‑part interview process, and both parts must be attended for consideration for successful appointment of this post.

Part 1: Either 4th, 7th, 10th, 11th, 21st or 22nd September

If we receive a high number of applications we reserve the right to close this vacancy at any point after 14.08.2026.

Successful candidates will be employed by East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust who deliver MHST services across Norfolk & Waveney.

During the training year, post holders will participate in 64 University days. The method of delivery is likely to be a blend of face‑to‑face learning (requiring travel to the University of East Anglia in Norwich) and online delivery.

Successful candidates will be employed on a full time one year training contract at Agenda for Change (AfC) Band 4. Upon successful completion of the training year (passing both UEA requirements and service requirement), a permanent AfC Band 5 EMHP contract will be offered.

All applicants must demonstrate in their application the ability to work at degree level or have an equivalent level of relevant experience, with a proven record of previous learning or formal study in child development, wellbeing, psychology, mental health or education.

Furthermore, experience of working with children and young people and an understanding of the educational system in England is highly desirable. All applicants must be able to demonstrate they can balance the conflicting demands of academic study and clinical work.

We encourage you to watch these two short videos which give an insight into the role.

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.

Please be aware that East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust will never ask applicants to pay fees at any stage of the recruitment process, including job applications, sponsorship arrangements, or employment offers. All recruitment communications and job applications should only be made through our official careers website and published contact details.

If you receive a suspicious job offer or recruitment‑related communication, do not make any payments, share personal information, or provide identity documents. We encourage you to report the matter to your local police or relevant law enforcement agency. Any concerns relating to potential recruitment fraud should also be reported to our Local Counter Fraud Specialist (LCFS) as soon as possible.

Job Overview

To allow the postholder, under supervision and with support, to develop knowledge and practice skills in:

Delivering evidence‑based intervention for children and young people in education settings with mild to moderate mental health difficulties.

Helping children and young people within these settings who present with more severe problems to access more specialist services.

Supporting and facilitating staff in education settings to identify and where appropriate manage issues related to mental health and wellbeing.

Working with and within education environments to provide better access to specialist mental health services.

To evidence development of skills along with associated knowledge to evidence progression towards an academic qualification and practical application.

Main Duties

Therapeutic assessment and intervention

Be educationally supervised, supported and reviewed to provide assessments and deliver outcome focused, evidence‑based interventions in educational settings for children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties.

Developing skills in supporting children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties and supporting their parents/carers, families and educators in the self‑management of presenting difficulties.

Show evidence in a variety of forms that at all times assessment and intervention is provided from an inclusive values base, which recognises and respects diversity.

Discuss with supervisors and agree to accept appropriate referrals for children and young people in educational settings, according to agreed local and national referral routes, processes and procedures.

Under supervision, undertake accurate assessments of risk to self, others and from others.

Learn, understand, rationalise and adhere to the protocols within the educational service to which the postholder is attached.

Engage along with more senior staff in the signposting of referrals for children and young people with more complex needs to the relevant service.

To engage in robust managerial and clinical supervision to work safely within the scope of their practice.

Gain and practice a range of skills to enable delivery of interventions related to provision of information and support for evidence based psychological treatments, primarily guided self‑help.

Practice, evidence, reflect on and demonstrate an ability to contribute to the management of one’s own caseload in conjunction with the requirements of the team.

Keep coherent records of all training and clinical activity in line with both health and education service protocols and use these records and outcome data to inform decision making.

Complete all requirements relating to data collection.

Show evidence of working within a collaborative approach, involving a range of relevant others when indicated. Specifically, work in collaboration with teachers and other educational staff, parents, children, young people and the wider community to enhance and broaden access to mental health services.

Contribute to the development of individual or group clinical materials or training materials and go on to develop further such materials as falls within own competence.

Training and Supervision

Attend and fulfil all the requirements of the training element of the post including practical, academic and practice‑based assessments.

As well as attendance at UEA for training, you will also be required to fulfil private study re‑quirements to enhance learning and prepare assignments for examination, for at least one day a week. Expectation will be that you will be required to study outside of contracted work hours.

Apply academic learning from UEA directly into practice.

Receive practice tutoring in relation to UEA course work to meet the required standards.

Prepare and present case load information to supervisors within the service on an agreed and scheduled basis, in order to ensure safe practice and the governance obligations of the trainee, supervisor and service are delivered.

Respond to and evidence the implementation of improved practice through supervisor feed‑back.

Engage in and respond to personal development supervision to improve competences and practice.

Be involved in the evaluation of the course.

Disseminate research and service evaluation findings through presentations and supervisory discussions.

Professional

Ensure the maintenance of standards of own professional practice according to both EEC and UEA in which they are enrolled.

Ensure appropriate adherence to any new recommendations or guidelines set by the relevant departments.

Ensure that confidentiality is always protected.

Ensure that any risks or issues related to the safety and wellbeing of anyone the postholder comes into contact with, in the course of their professional duties, are communicated and shared with appropriate parties in order to maintain individual safety and the public interest.

Ensure clear objectives are identified, discussed and reviewed with supervisor and senior colleagues on a regular basis as part of continuing professional development.

Participate in individual performance review and respond to agreed objectives.

Keep all records up to date in relation to Continuous Professional Development and the requirements of the post.

Attend relevant opportunities for further development in line with identified professional objectives.

Communication

Effective communication to a wide range of audiences, including colleagues, children, young people and families, both verbal and written communication.

Research & Development Activity

To utilise theory, evidence‑based literature and research to support evidence‑based practice in individual work and work with other team members.

Participate in clinical and other audits as required.

Clinical and Practice Governance

Work collaboratively with your supervisor with other agencies in the health and social care system to ensure effective progress for clients through the care pathway.

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

To be accountable to the Service Manager for the delivery of an effective MHST service across Cambridgeshire & Peterborough.

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

The post holder must participate in clinical and safeguarding audits as required.

The post holder is required to participate in relevant emergency preparedness process for their team.

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.

Ensure that any risks or issues related to the safety and wellbeing of anyone the postholder encounters, in the course of their professional duties are communicated and shared with appropriate parties in order to maintain individual safety and the public interest.

The post holder must adhere to infection control policies and procedures.

Keep up to date with your Continuing Professional Development (CPD), participate in your annual appraisal and respond to clearly identified and agreed objectives, reviewed on a regular basis with line manager.

Participate in clinical and management supervision as per Trust policy.

Ensure appropriate recording of meetings, supervision and maintenance of clinical records.

Keep all records up to date in relation to Continuous Professional Development and the requirements of the post and ensure personal development plans maintain up to date specialist knowledge of latest theoretical and service delivery models/developments.

Provide clients and their families/carers with information on standards they should expect from the service.

Participate in clinical supervision on a regular basis.

Information Technology

To use a computer as necessary for clinical work, including literature searches, word processing, delivery of remote interventions and training.

Inputting data, emailing, report writing and other tasks as necessary for the efficient running of the service.

Input data on to SystmOne and other data collection platforms as needed in compliance with Trust Information Governance (and all relevant legislation) standards.

This advert closes on Friday 14 Aug 2026

East of England Community Health & Care NHS Trust

East of England Community Health & Care NHS Trust