Education Mental Health Practitioner (Qualified)

Main duties of the job

You will be working within the Mental Health Support Team (MHST) providing early intervention and low‑intensity mental health support to children and young people in education settings. The role involves working closely with schools, families, and partner agencies to promote emotional wellbeing, deliver evidence‑based interventions, and support young people to access appropriate mental health support. As part of a multi‑disciplinary team, you will contribute to a whole‑school approach to mental health and help improve outcomes for children and young people. Access to a car is therefore essential for this post as some locations are not easily accessed via bus. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK as we do not provide sponsorship for working visas.

Job responsibilities

• Deliver a range of outcome‑focused, evidence‑based interventions in educational settings to children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties.
• Undertake and complete assessments, including accurate assessment of risk to self and others.
• Support children and young people, their families and educators in the self‑management of presenting difficulties.
• Work in partnership with children, young people, their families and educators in developing treatment plans for specific interventions.
• Demonstrate an inclusive values base, recognising and respecting diversity.
• Identify and accept appropriate referrals for children and young people in consultation with educational settings, according to agreed treatment pathways, processes, and procedures.
• Adhere to the policies and protocols within Alliance and the educational service to which the postholder is attached.
• Have knowledge and understanding of the local services and be able to signpost children and young people with more complex needs to the relevant service.
• Engage in robust managerial and clinical supervision, identifying the scope of practice of the individual postholder within the role, and working safely within that scope.
• Deliver a range of interventions related to the provision of information and support for evidence‑based psychological treatments, primarily guided self‑help.
• Manage one’s own caseload in conjunction with the requirements of the team.
• Attend multi‑disciplinary and multi‑agency meetings relating to referrals for children and young people in treatment.
• Keep coherent records of all clinical activity in line with Alliance 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 continue to develop such materials as falls within own degree of competence.

Training and supervision

• Prepare and present caseload information to supervisors within the service on an agreed and scheduled basis, to ensure safe practice and the governance obligations of the trainee, supervisor, and service.
• Engage in and respond to personal development supervision to improve competences and practice.

Professional

• Ensure the maintenance of standards of own professional practice according to Alliance Psychological Services Ltd.
• 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 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 and ensure personal development plans are maintained up to date specialist knowledge of latest theoretical and service delivery models/developments.
• Attend relevant educational opportunities in line with identified professional objectives.
• Work within Data Protection Act 1998 and Alliance Information Governance policies and procedures.

Partnership working

• Create and maintain effective working relationships with Headteachers, Deputy Heads, SENCOs, Pastoral Team, and wider teaching staff by providing advice and consultative support on emotional and mental health issues and in relation to appropriate referral pathways for children, young people and families with mental health needs.
• Liaise effectively with other local providers, including statutory, voluntary sector organisations and on behalf of the child, young person, or family.
• Build effective working relationships with other local children’s mental health providers including CaMHS and support the development of pathways of support.
• Attend multi‑disciplinary and multi‑agency meetings relating to referrals for children, young people, and families in treatment.
• With support ensure information sharing is achieved within partnerships to ensure young people and their families receive appropriate and timely support.

Safeguarding

• Responsible for safeguarding children and always promoting the welfare of children and young people and operating within local policies and procedures.
• Take appropriate safeguarding action to protect children & young people at risk of significant harm.
• Identify and support families in accessing Early Help Services.
• Share information with parents/carers or other agencies regarding the child’s wellbeing and progress keeping within the boundaries of confidentiality and information sharing protocols.

This job description is designed to identify principal responsibilities only. The post holder is required to be flexible in developing the role in accordance with changes in Alliance's organisational objectives and priorities.

Organisational responsibilities

• Values and behaviours – Demonstrate and be a role model for Alliance’s values, promote and encourage positive behaviours, enhancing the quality and integrity of the services we provide.
• Health, safety and wellbeing – Take responsibility for health, safety, and wellbeing in accordance with Alliance policies and procedures.
• Equality and diversity – Promote a society that gives everyone an equal chance to work and live free from discrimination and prejudice.
• Confidentiality – Work in a way that does not divulge personal and/or confidential information and follow Alliance's policies and procedures in relation to data protection and security of information.
• Performance management – Promote a culture wherein performance management is ingrained and the highest standards and performance are achieved by all.
• Ensure that mandatory training commitments are met and that the postholder keeps up to date with Alliance's policies and procedures.
• Contribute to Alliance’s appraisal processes to ensure continuous learning and improvement and to increase organisational performance.

Person specification

• Experience of working with children and their families in an educational setting.
• Experience of working and liaising with a wide variety of agencies and stakeholders.
• Experience of working with children who have social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.
• Experience of working with anxiety disorders.
• Experience of working with affective (mood) disorders.
• Experience of monitoring and recording outcome measures for children’s emotional wellbeing.
• Experience of the delivery of specific therapeutic interventions to children, young people, or their families (e.g., CBT, Parent‑Led CBT, Parent‑Led Conduct Difficulties).
• Experience of navigating complex social systems and environments, who may have conflicting priorities or agendas.
• Experience of working with looked‑after children.
• Experience of working with other vulnerable groups.
• Experience of being involved in multi‑agency meetings.
• Experience of young people’s participation and youth voice.

Other

• Full, enhanced, and current satisfactory DBS disclosure for the role.
• Ability to personally manage a sensitive, traumatic, and potentially emotionally distressing caseload.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Member or willing to be a member of a registered Professional Body e.g. BABCP, BPS.
• Self‑motivated.
• Full clean driving license required – Able to travel to meet the requirements of the post.
• Team player.
• Excellent time management and organisational skills.
• Able to meet the physical requirements of the role after reasonable adjustments have been made for any illness or disability.
• Proven commitment to continuous professional development.

Skills, competencies and knowledge

• Ability to carry out 1:1 therapeutic mental health intervention with children and families.
• Ability to work within educational settings and increase mental health awareness within the staff group and whole‑school approach.
• Ability to give advice and guidance to educational staff on the MHST offer using a consultation process.
• Ability to conduct mental health assessments of children and young people.
• Ability to assess risk, safety and to record and communicate it appropriately.
• Ability to take appropriate action to mitigate or manage risk.
• Ability to teach others about mental health issues as part of whole‑school approach.
• Ability to conduct group therapeutic interventions with children and their families.
• Knowledge of educational environments.
• Knowledge of safeguarding issues.
• Knowledge of capacity and consent issues including Gillick competence.
• Knowledge of the functional operation of specialist CAMHS teams.

Qualifications

• Successful completion of the HEE commissioned 1‑year Education Mental Health Practitioner course.
• Teaching qualification.
• Youth Mental Health First Aid trained.

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.

£31,049 to £35,000 a year Pro Rata to Hours Worked