Senior Mental Health Practitioner - Hillingdon CAMHS MHST

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.

This is a role within the Green Paper for Transforming children and young people’s mental health programme. The post holder will work within a Mental Health Support Team providing short‑term evidence‑based interventions to children and young people with mild to moderate anxiety and depression and/or behavioural difficulties and their parent(s)/carer(s). The post holder will work with children, young people and parents with different cultural backgrounds and ages, using interpreters when necessary and should be committed to equal opportunities.

The MHST works with young people with mild to moderate mental health presentations attending school/education settings in the Hillingdon area. 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.

The key roles and responsibilities of the Senior Mental Health Practitioner will include:

• Forming strong working relations with a variety of stakeholders.
• Working in partnership with schools/colleges and other educational settings.
• Providing training to team members and other professionals/trainees.
• Supervising junior staff in the team.
• Providing consultations to education colleagues and supporting education settings to embed a whole school approach to wellbeing.
• Developing and delivering evidence‑based individual and group time‑limited interventions to young people within education settings in accordance with Children and Young People’s IAPT principles.
• Holding a caseload of CYP with mild‑moderate mental health difficulties.
• Completing thorough assessments, risk assessments, care planning and reviews.
• Ensuring that there is accurate and timely documentation to a high standard, and that Routine Outcome Measures are completed.
• Evidencing the outcomes of the MHST service and feeding back this data to key stakeholders.
• Providing clinical supervision to Education Mental Health Practitioners and day‑to‑day clinical and supervisory support for the Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioners.
• Contributing to group supervision spaces within the team.
• Working as part of a senior team, supporting the Senior Clinical Supervisors and Service Development Leads to expand the service within the Harrow area and improve the quality of the service.
• Supporting and developing the interventions that can be delivered as part of the MHST within the education setting, including SEN settings.
• Appropriately raising and reporting safeguarding concerns where identified and supporting colleagues with this process.
• Safeguarding people by recognising and responding when an adult or child might be at risk from abuse but also recognising their own limits and asking for help and escalating concerns when necessary.
• Escalating safety concerns and, by doing so, acting as effective advocates for those who use our services.
• Being open and transparent about your own practice.
• Identifying areas where improvements in safety or quality can be made.
• Report to the Team Manager any areas of concern, which may affect the safe delivery of care and/or the safe working of other members of the team.
• Maintaining compliance with your mandatory and core training requirements.

Central and North West London NHS Trust is committed to providing safe, effective services and providing young people and families with a positive experience.

Person Specification:

• Relevant professional qualification in either: a.) Degree level Mental Health Nursing; Social Work; Occupational Therapy; Art Therapy; Drama Therapy; Music Therapy; LD Nursing. Or b.) Substantial consolidated experience qualified as EMHP or CWP.
• Additional qualifications or training in child and adolescent mental health gained through study.
• Registered with a relevant professional body.
• Formal CBT training or Post Graduate accredited training in CBT.
• Accredited courses / workshops in CYP‑IAPT principles.

Previous Experience and knowledge:

• Substantial consolidated experience working in child and adolescent mental health.
• Experience either working as a member of a multidisciplinary team or multi‑agency working.
• Good understanding of the range of child and adolescent mental health services and conditions.
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to children and adolescents and safeguarding procedures and policies.
• Knowledge and experience in mental health promotion work.
• Experience of working with schools to support CYP emotional wellbeing needs.
• Experience running therapy groups and/or training events.

Other:

• Able to travel to meet the requirements of the post.
• Team player.
• Excellent time management and organisational skills.
• Access to car or other motor vehicle for use for work purposes.

Clinical Skills:

• Ability to carry out 1:1 therapeutic mental health interventions with children and young people.
• Ability to conduct mental health assessments of children and young people.
• Ability to work within educational settings to increase mental health awareness within the staff group.
• Experience delivering trainings and psycho‑educational workshops about mental health issues.
• Experience of providing mental health consultation and signposting to education staff and other professionals.

Knowledge:

• Understanding how the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards impacts on their work and the people they are working with.
• Understanding the concept of quality and their role in improving safety, clinical outcomes and the patient experience.

Other Requirements:

• To work as part of a team and to be self‑motivated.
• To work under pressure and to achieve deadlines.
• Understanding of issues of confidentiality and information sharing.
• To be able to travel efficiently throughout the area.
• To have a wider knowledge about the Health Act and changes to NHS Commissioning.