Whole School Approach Practitioner

NHS; Swindon; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Whole School Approach Practitioner within the Be U Swindon Mental Health Support Team. This full-time role involves supporting schools to improve the emotional wellbeing of children and young people through collaborative interventions and evidence-based practices. The successful candidate will join a dynamic team dedicated to mental health support and community engagement.

Qualifications

• Experience working with children, young people, and families in education or health care settings.
• Knowledge of mental health disorders in children and young people.
• Understanding of safeguarding policies and legislation.

Responsibilities

• Support the Whole School Approach coordinator in enhancing emotional wellbeing.
• Develop and implement therapeutic interventions and training.
• Conduct mental health assessments and manage caseload effectively.

Skills

Communication

Time Management

Risk Assessment

Education

NVQ3, HNC, HND or equivalent qualification relevant to health or education

Job description

An exciting opportunity has become available within the Be U Swindon Mental Health Support Team for a full time Whole School Approach (WSA) Practitioner, under expert supervision and as part of a dynamic and evolving mental health support team. The successful post holder will offer support to our partnership schools across Swindon by using the Whole School/College Approach to improve the emotional wellbeing of children and young people within education. As a WSA Practitioner you will be joining a diverse team offering both clinical and non-clinical support to children, young people and their families across Swindon.

Main duties of the job

Supporting the Whole School Approach coordinator, the successful candidate will work in partnership with the whole school system including Senior education staff, Education Mental Health Leads, teaching professionals, CYP, parents/carers and pastoral support staff to enhance a culture that is more resilient to understand and manage emotional wellbeing.

About us

ABL is an exciting fast-paced, growing communityhealth organisation. As an experienced, CQC registered, provider of communityhealth services, we are passionate about delivering evidence based, innovative,effective and relevant health care services in partnership with individuals,communities and stakeholders.

We are a values drivenorganisation, dedicated to reducing health inequalities and improving peopleslives. We would love to hear from you if you would like the opportunity to workwith in a close team of committed professionals and you share our values ofdesigning and delivering health services.

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:Helping to develop and embed new systemwellbeing approaches through a menu of packages to school staff, parents, youngpeople and families alongside other members of the MHST team.Lead alongside the WSA coordinator in thedevelopment and implementation of a social prescribing framework to facilitateeducation settings with the tools to signpost CYP to appropriate meaningfulactivity and social wellbeing resources.You will work in collaboration with EducationMental Health Practitioners, Childrens Wellbeing Practitioners and mentalhealth professionals to deliver whole school approach interventions includingpsychoeducational group work, workshops, assemblies and staff training.To support the whole school approachcoordinator by giving advice to other professionals regarding mental health andwellbeing and to attend and represent Be U Swindon at regular signposting and promotionalevents. This includes delivering group-based sessions and linking with systempartners to attend promotion events.To promote social inclusion, community accessand participation through the provision of whole school interventions and incollaboration with stake holders.

Therapeutic Responsibilities

Work ineffective, evidence-based partnership with children, young people, theirfamilies and their educators in the development of delivering a system led wholeschool approach to mental health and wellbeing.

Support and empower children, young people, their parents/carersand families and their educators to make informed choices about theinterventions being offered.

To always operate from an inclusive values base, which recognisesand respects diversity.

To support in developing and embedding the EBSA (emotional basedschool avoidance) model across educational settings as part of the wider serviceremit.

To work in conjunction with education providers to evaluate thewhole school culture towards mental wellbeing and to develop and implement coproducedaction plans.

Undertake and record accurate assessments of risk and operateclear risk management processes in line with locally agreed proceduresincluding the safeguarding protocols of the educational setting and LocalSafeguarding Board guidance.

Adhere to all regulations, processes, and procedures within theeducational service to which the post holder is attached and within the organisationwhere the post-holder is employed including (but not limited to) HR policies,training requirements, referral protocols, and emergency procedures.

To lead on whole school approach group activities to both CYP andprofessionals of different age groups and audience sizes.

Practice, evidence and demonstrate an ability to manage ones owncaseload in conjunction with the requirements of the team.

To engage in ongoing evaluation and modification of whole schoolapproach intervention plans as determined my current need.

Keep clear, professionally coherent records of all activity inline with both health and education service protocols and use these records andoutcome data to inform decision making.

Complete all requirements relating to data collection.

Work within a collaborative approach involving a range of relevantothers when indicated.

To plan and deliver a range of whole school approach interventionsand to contribute to the development of group materials or training materials,and in addition to develop such materials independently as falls within owndegree of competence, and under direction of the wider team.

To support education settings to embed place led ITHRIVE Gettingadvice signposting models, led with the WSA coordinator in the delivery of aWSA monthly forum.

Responsible for maintaining appropriate boundaries with allstakeholders and partners.

To support the WSA coordinator and MHST Strategic lead withstrategic representation with DFE and Senior MH lead education meetings.

To support the WSA coordinator to deliver and establish aneducation setting whole staff peer supervision model.

To support stakeholders through term and non-term time routines.

Professional

To ensure themaintenance of standards of own professional practice.

To ensure appropriate adherence to any new recommendations orguidelines set by the relevant departments.

To ensure that confidentiality is always protected.

To ensure that any risks or issues related to the safety andwellbeing of anyone the post holder comes into contact within the course oftheir professional duties are communicated and shared with appropriate parties tomaintain individual safety and the public interest.

To ensure clear objectives are identified, discussed, and reviewedwith supervisor and senior colleagues on a regular basis as part of continuingprofessional development.

Participate in individual performance/appraisal review and worktowards agreed objectives.

To participate regularly in the agreed systems for supervision.

Keep all recordsup to date in relation to Continuous Professional Development and therequirements of the post and ensure personal development plans maintains up todate specialist knowledge of latest theoretical and service deliverymodels/developments.

Attendrelevant educational opportunities in line with identified professionalobjectives.

To communicatein ways that recognise difference and to ensure that others feel included accordingto needs of recipient(s).

Person Specification

Job Specific Requirements

• The ability to travel independently across the service footprint.
• Work flexibly and adapt to suit service need.
• Must be willing to undertake an Enhanced DBS check.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent time management and organisational skills.
• Ability to personally manage a sensitive and potentially emotionally distressing caseload.

Qualifications

• NVQ3, HNC, HND or equivalent qualification relevant to health or education.

Experience

• NVQ3, HNC, HND or equivalent qualification relevant to health or education.
• A commitment to continuous professional development.
• Experience of working with children, young people and their families in an education or health care setting.
• Experience and understanding of safeguarding CYP and other relevant legislation and policies.
• Experience of the delivery of specific therapeutic interventions with children, young people or their families (e.g. CBT, solution focused brief therapy).
• Experience of working and liaising with a wide variety of agencies and stakeholders.
• Knowledge and understanding of low intensity CBT interventions.
• Experience of working with other vulnerable groups.
• Experience of monitoring and recording outcome measures for childrens emotional wellbeing.

Skills and Knowledge

• Knowledge and understanding of educational environments and systems including Whole School Approach.
• Knowledge and understanding of mental health disorders in children and young people.
• Knowledge of children and young people developmental needs and challenges to good emotional wellbeing.
• Highly developed knowledge of child and adult safeguarding.
• Ability to carry out 1:1 therapeutic mental health interventions with CYP and their families/carers.
• Ability to work within educational settings to increase mental health awareness within the staff group.
• Ability to conduct mental health assessments of children and young people.
• Ability to assess risk, to record and communicate it appropriately.
• Ability to take appropriate action to mitigate or manage risk.
• Knowledge of capacity and consent issues.
• including Gillick competence.
• Ability to conduct group therapeutic interventions with children and their families.
• Knowledge of children and young people gained through academic study in child development, child wellbeing or mental health.
• Knowledge of capacity and consent issues.
• including Gillick competence.
• Ability to conduct group therapeutic interventions with children and their families.
• Knowledge of children and young people gained through academic study in child development, child wellbeing or mental health.
• Knowledge of capacity and consent issues.
• including Gillick competence.
• Ability to conduct group therapeutic interventions with children and their families.
• Knowledge of children and young people gained through academic study in child development, child wellbeing or mental health.
• Knowledge of capacity and consent issues.
• including Gillick competence.
• Ability to conduct group therapeutic interventions with children and their families.
• Knowledge of children and young people gained through academic study in child development, child wellbeing or mental health.
• Knowledge of capacity and consent issues.
• including Gillick competence.
• Ability to conduct group therapeutic interventions with children and their families.
• Knowledge of children and young people gained through academic study in child development, child wellbeing or mental health.
• Knowledge of capacity and consent issues.
• including Gillick competence.
• Ability to conduct group therapeutic interventions with children and their families.
• Knowledge of children and young people gained through academic study in child development, child wellbeing or mental health.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

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.