MHST Education Mental Health / Children\'s Wellbeing Practitioner

Become part of our team. We care for you as much as you care for others. There’s a place for you at CNWL. We’re passionate about delivering first-class patient-centred, safe and effective care, whether it is in a hospital setting, in a community clinic or in the patient’s own home. Patients are at the heart of everything we do.

Providing top quality care depends on our ability to employ the best people. We’re always looking to recruit outstanding people who will go the extra mile to support our patients, colleagues, teams and the Trust. With every new employee we’re hoping to find our future leaders and we’ll support our staff by providing opportunities to develop your career. With a diverse culture and equally diverse range of opportunities across mental health, community services, addictions, eating disorders, learning disabilities and more – whatever stage of your career you’re at, there’s always a place for you at CNWL.

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.

Job overview

Applicants must be a qualified and registered Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP) or a qualified and registered Children and Young People Wellbeing Practitioner (CWP) with experience of working within CYP Mental Health Services in the provision of both individual and group treatments. Mental health professionals with post graduate experience of working with young people with emotional and mental health issues and with experience of delivering evidenced-based CBT interventions for mild to moderate mental health issues such as anxiety, low mood and behavioural problems to CYP both individually and in groups may also apply.

The purpose of the team is to:

• Provide evidence-based interventions for mild to moderate mental health issues.
• Support the senior mental health lead in each education setting to introduce or develop their whole school or college approach.
• Give timely advice to school and college staff, and liaise with external specialist services, to help children and young people to get the right support and stay in education.

Main duties of the job

You will be part of an established Mental Health Support Team (MHST) created to improve access and availability of mental health and wellbeing support for children and young people and to deliver evidence-based low intensity interventions into schools enabling lifelong aspirations. You will work alongside other EMHPs and CYPWPs, Senior Wellbeing Practitioners and Team Leaders.

The post holder will undertake assessments of children and young people and deliver evidence-based low intensity group and individual interventions to children and young people with mild to moderate anxiety and depression and/or behavioural difficulties and their families and carers. You will also provide training and consultation to schools and other agencies about mental health in children and young people and support schools in identifying specific areas of need as part of the whole school approach to mental health.

Person specification

Education and qualification

• Qualified Education Mental Health Practitioner or CYP Wellbeing Practitioner.
• Post Graduate Qualification or Degree level Mental Health Nursing, Social Work, Occupational Therapy or equivalent substantial experience.
• Registered with a relevant professional body or pending completion.

Experience

• Experience of working with children and young people, their families and others in a healthcare or school setting.
• Experience of working with children and young people who have social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.
• Experience of working with anxiety and affective disorders.
• Experience of the delivery of specific low intensity therapeutic interventions to children, young people or their families (e.g. CBT, solution focused brief therapy).
• Ability to conduct other group therapeutic interventions with children and their families.

Skills

• Ability to work within educational settings to increase mental health awareness within the staff group.
• Ability to make an assessment of risk and to record and communicate it appropriately.

Knowledge

• Knowledge of safeguarding issues.

Communication

• Personal ability to travel to meet the requirements of the post.

CNWL (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust) has almost 8,000 staff providing integrated healthcare to a third of London's population, Milton Keynes and areas beyond. We involve service users, carers, the public, staff and partner organisations in the way that we are run. Our catchment area spans diverse communities, with over 100 first languages spoken. It contains areas of great affluence as well as areas of much deprivation. We are committed to providing services that meet the needs of the people who use them, and we actively encourage involvement from local people who can help make a difference. We’re proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME and people with disabilities to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.

We offer a generous relocation package (subject to eligibility assessment) and flexible working options, including bank assignments for most roles. For more information on these and other benefits of working for us, see our Benefits, Reward and Wellbeing page.

Become part of our team. We care for you as much as you care for others. CNWL NHS Foundation Trust are committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We follow safe recruitment practices to protect children and vulnerable adults.

Due to the high response levels we receive for some vacancies, we may expire any of them prior to the advertised closing date and advise you to submit your application as soon as possible.

Our Agenda for Change employment contracts are subject to a contractual 13 week probationary period. If you are offered a job, information will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.