Team Lead Mhst

Dorset Healthcare University Nhs Foundation Trust; Merley; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a proactive Team Lead for the Mental Health Support Team (MHST) to drive clinical leadership, staff development and high-quality, child-focused services in educational settings.

You will lead and supervise practitioners, foster collaboration with schools, families and partner agencies, and promote safe, evidence-based practice in line with NICE and CYP-IAPT principles, contributing to service improvement across Dorset.

Qualifications

• Significant post-qualification experience in mental health services, including CAMHS or youth-focused services.
• Experience leading, supervising and developing staff within a multi-agency environment.
• Strong skills in clinical assessment, risk management and safeguarding.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day clinical, operational and professional leadership for the MHST.
• Supervise and develop practitioners, promoting high support and high challenge.
• Strengthen links with schools, families and partner agencies to improve pathways and wellbeing.
• Ensure NICE-aligned practice and CYP-IAPT principles across services and training of education staff.

Skills

Clinical leadership

Team supervision

Risk assessment

Stakeholder collaboration

Staff development

Policy adherence

Education

Professional qualification and registration

CAMHS experience

Job description

Job summary

Are you a confident and experienced mental health professional with a passion for leadership and improving outcomes for children, young people and families?

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an exceptional Team Lead for our Mental Health Support Teams (MHST). This is an exciting opportunity to lead and develop an innovative service delivering early intervention and mental health support within educational settings.

We are looking for an inspiring leader with experience of managing and developing staff within children's services. You will provide visible leadership, professional confidence, creating a culture of high support and high challenge where colleagues are empowered to deliver excellent care and achieve positive outcomes.

As Team Lead, you will be committed to delivering a high-quality, timely, child and family-focused service that is compassionate, responsive and evidence based.

You will be confident in assessing and managing risk, supporting others to make sound clinical decisions, and ensuring safeguarding is embedded throughout practice. Working closely with schools, families and partner agencies, you will strengthen pathways, promote emotional wellbeing and drive service improvement.

This role will suit a proactive, collaborative team player with excellent communication and relationship-building skills. It offers a fantastic opportunity to shape services and make a difference to children, young people and families across Dorset.

Main duties of the job

As Team Lead for the Mental Health Support Team (MHST), you will provide day-to-day clinical, operational and professional leadership, ensuring the delivery of a safe, effective and child and family-focused service for children and young people within educational settings.

You will lead, supervise and develop practitioners, creating a supportive and accountable culture that enables high-quality, timely and evidence-based care. You will promote professional development, support clinical decision-making and ensure staff feel empowered to achieve the best outcomes for children and young people.

Working closely with schools, families, health colleagues, social care and voluntary sector partners, you will strengthen relationships, improve pathways and promote whole-school approaches to emotional health and wellbeing. You will also provide consultation, training and advice to education staff, parents and carers.

The postholder will ensure high standards of clinical practice, safeguarding and risk management, with care delivered in line with NICE guidance, CYP-IAPT principles and Trust policies. You will support service development, monitor performance and outcomes, and contribute to continuous quality improvement. You will also deputise for the Clinical Lead when required and play a key role in shaping the future development of the MHST service across Dorset.

About us

At Dorset HealthCare, we're on a mission to empower people to make the most of their lives through outstanding, joined-up healthcare services. We are a forward-thinking NHS Trust providing integrated community and mental health services, specialist inpatient care and community hospital services to almost 800,000 people across Dorset.

Rated'Outstanding' by the CQC, we are proud of the care we provide and the difference our staff make every day. With over 7,000 colleagues, we are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where diversity is celebrated, everyone feels valued, and staff are supported to achieve their full potential.

As Team Lead for the Mental Health Support Team (MHST), you will join a passionate and innovative service committed to delivering high-quality, timely, child and family-focused support within educational settings. You will lead and develop a dedicated team, fostering a culture of high support and high challenge while helping to shape and improve services for children and young people.

In return, you will have opportunities to further develop your leadership skills, drive service improvement and work alongside colleagues across health, education and partner organisations. This is an opportunity to make a real difference to children, young people and families while contributing to our vision of being better every day through excellence, compassion and expertise.

Job responsibilities

For the main duties and responsibilities for this role please read the attached job description and person specification. When completing your application please ensure your supporting statement reflects the criteria set out in these documents by showing how your experience and skills apply to this post.

We understand that using AI can be a useful and supportive tool when completing your application. However, we have also seen an increase in the over‑reliance of AI tools which is negatively impacting applications as they remove candidates individuality, and it becomes much harder to get a sense of who you are and your authentic experience. If you do use AI, it should be used to enhance your application and not to create your supporting statement in its entirety. If we suspect you have used AI to create your supporting statement and this does not match your experience, we may withdraw your application.

As part of our vision to have a skilled, diverse and caring workforce, Dorset HealthCare offers support for people getting into work. We offer an employability service to support individuals with application writing, interview skills and other employment support. If you would like or know of anyone who would value this support, please do contact [e-mail]

Visa sponsorship

Please note visa sponsorship for this role is unfortunately not available. Ensure you hold valid right to work in the UK and will not require sponsorship if successful.

Person Specification

Essential

• Ability to travel across the county to meet the needs of the service.
• Relevant professional qualification and current registration with appropriate professional body
• Significant post-registration experience working within mental health services, including experience within Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) or services supporting children and young people.
• Experience of working collaboratively with education, health, social care and other partner agencies.
• Strong clinical assessment, formulation and intervention skills in relation to children and young people's emotional wellbeing and mental health.
• Ability to confidently assess, manage and oversee clinical risk, while supporting others to make safe and effective decisions.
• Sound knowledge of safeguarding children and young people, including relevant legislation, policy and best practice.
• Experience of delivering consultation, training and advice to professionals, parents and carers.
• Experience of working/knowledge of working with educational settings
• Experience of managing change and of service development
• Experience of working in a multi-agency setting
• Experience of leading, managing and developing staff, including providing supervision, support and performance management.

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.