Senior Mental Health Support Team (MHST) Practitioner

Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHSFT; Doncaster; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading mental health service provider in Doncaster is seeking a Senior Mental Health Support Team Practitioner to join their dynamic team. The successful candidate will work closely with young people to deliver compassionate mental health support within educational settings. Applicants should hold a relevant degree and possess strong skills in caseload management and assessment. This challenging yet rewarding role offers opportunities for professional growth and the chance to make a significant impact on young lives.

Qualifications

• Post-qualification experience, especially with young people with mild to moderate mental health problems.
• Experience managing high caseloads.
• Engagement in advanced level practice with professional autonomy.

Responsibilities

• Work in educational and health settings to support MHST model.
• Integrate into established mental health support team.
• Implement patient-centered assessment and care planning.

Skills

Support change and improvement

Motivate others

Good assessment skills

Manage caseload

Good clinical reasoning skills

Work autonomously

Effective communication

Time management

IT literate

Education

Relevant health/social care degree or equivalent

Specialist qualification in CBT or equivalent

Qualification in supervision

Job description

Senior Mental Health Support Team Practitioner

Closing date: 01 January 2026

Band: 6

Base: Doncaster

Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust has been delivering Mental Health Support Teams (With Me in Mind) in Rotherham, Doncaster and North Lincolnshire schools and colleges since 2019. Doncaster has continued to expand the service with additional teams joining in 2022, 2025 and next year (2026 Wave 14). The project is underpinned by national strategies and initiatives for transforming children and young people's mental health.

We now have four established Mental Health Support Teams working across Doncaster's education settings. We are looking to recruit a practitioner who is enthusiastic, kind, compassionate and resilient. We seek practitioners from multi-disciplinary backgrounds with a core profession such as social work, mental health nursing or learning disability nursing with a wide breadth of mental health knowledge and experience.

Main duties of the job

Practitioners will work in both educational and health settings within Doncaster to support the implementation of the MHST model. Successful candidates will integrate into our well‑established mental health support team and complement the early‑intervention offer in our local areas.

Should you have any queries or require further information, please contact Richard Bryan, Clinical Lead Doncaster at [e-mail] or 01302 796191. We reserve the right to close a vacancy before the advertised closing date if necessary, so please apply as soon as you can.

About us

Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH) employs around 4,000 talented colleagues who are appreciated, valued and respected.

Our portfolio includes mental health, physical health, learning disability and drug and alcohol services. We are committed to developing our people and conduct a learning half‑day every month. We are passionate about enhancing the quality of our service and attract the right colleagues to support our vision and values.

Job responsibilities

Full responsibilities and person specification are contained in the attached job description. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if there are a high amount of applications.

Qualifications

• Relevant health/social care degree or equivalent (e.g., RMN, Occupational Therapist, Social Worker, Clinical Psychologist, Psychotherapist) with professional registration.
• Specialist qualification in CBT, FT or other appropriate therapy degree or equivalent.
• Qualification or completed formal training in supervision.

Experience

• Demonstrable post‑qualification experience, especially with young people with mild to moderate mental health problems and working with children and families.
• Experience managing and prioritising a high caseload.
• Experience of multi‑disciplinary working.
• Engagement in an advanced level of practice with professional autonomy.
• Providing patient‑centred assessment, care planning, implementation and evaluation with children, young people, parents and families using mental health nursing skills.
• Capability to undertake risk assessments and develop appropriate plans in partnership with the young person, families and other agencies.
• Providing supervision to junior staff.
• Planning and delivering presentations and training to groups.
• Providing comprehensive family work in a child and family setting.

Knowledge

• Theoretical and practical knowledge in child and adolescent mental health and key drivers in the field.
• Competence in decision making regarding ongoing patient care based on clinical and risk factors.
• High level of problem‑solving and planning skills.
• Effective communication with all disciplines and agencies.
• Awareness of own competency level and how to seek appropriate help.
• Understanding of confidentiality and risk management.
• Clinical audit, research and clinical governance principles.
• Understanding of child protection/safeguarding policies and reporting concerns to appropriate agency.
• Knowledge of wider NHS and social care policy and public relations.
• Research, audit and quality improvement methodologies.
• Understanding of assessment of children suspected of ADHD/ASD.

Skills

• Support change and improvement; act as a role model.
• Motivate others; good planning and organisational skills.
• Good assessment skills selecting treatments from a range of options.
• Manage caseload and prioritise under time pressures.
• Good clinical reasoning skills.
• Work autonomously with flexible problem‑solving.
• Multi‑agency teamwork.
• Effective communication (oral and written).
• Provide clinical supervision.
• Time management.
• IT literate – use of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, email and internet.
• Understand assessment of children suspected of ADHD/ASD.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a submission to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any prior convictions.

Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust