Mental Health Worker: Full-Time (Oxfordshire) in Botley

Mental Health Worker: Full-Time (Oxfordshire)

Full-time Permanent Entry Level

Posted 16 Sep 2026

Description

Mental Health Worker

(known as Behaviour Support Professional)

The role of Behaviour Support Professional will require you to participate in the design and delivery of interventions which support 4-18 year olds with a complex range of needs to engage in education. The interventions will facilitate positive behavioural change in the lives of some of the most vulnerable young people in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, many of which are subject to Child in Need Plans, Child Protection Plans, have an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or are on the Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) waiting list.

The majority of your time will be focused on planning, delivering and evaluating one-to-one sessions with young people. You will work in small groups of two or three staff for each young person you work with. As part of this teamwork you will contribute to assessment, target setting, intervention planning and risk assessing. You will be led in each intervention by a Lead Mental Health Worker who will direct and oversee the intervention work. An essential part of the role is to have an understanding and implementation of safeguarding measures, ensuring that you are confidently liaising with the DSL (Designated Safeguarding Lead) when necessary and escalating where appropriate to keep young people safe.

To ensure that the support and intervention offered is holistic you will also be required to engage with other professionals and agencies as well as work closely with the young person's family, school, and community. The result will be an effective and holistic intervention delivered with professionalism, passion, and sensitivity, all with the long-term goal of achieving sustainable behavioural change with the young person. You can expect to deliver up to eight sessions per week to young people.

The delivery of sessions takes place in a range of settings; including young people's homes, within schools, and the community. The span of our services is across the county, into neighbouring counties (across BOB – Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire), so the role will require you to travel. All travel time (except commuting) will be within your working hours and expenses (outside of your commute) reimbursed.

In addition to one-to-one support, the role may also require you to support the development and delivery of our mental health awareness projects, such as Make Me Smile and our Summer Projects, under the supervision of the project lead, and clinically supported within your monthly supervisions. This will involve facilitating small-group activities and conversations for groups of young people.

You will receive regular monthly clinical supervision and line management support, alongside having the opportunity to liaise with the Lead Practitioners for peer support in order to enhance your practice and develop your CPD portfolio.

You will also be expected to take an active role to input into One-Eighty's social media platforms to help promote the charity and its impacts on young people. This includes offering intervention case studies and content, and liaising with the Development Team. Furthermore, as part of a small but growing charity, you will be required to take an active role in supporting the charitable arm of the organisation, through participating in fundraising events and initiatives. This may involve supporting the team with ideas, organising, and liaising with personal contacts. You will be a constant advocate for the charity and be expected to present yourself as a professional member of the team, demonstrating the values and ethos at all times.

The role is as demanding as it is rewarding and exciting. No day will be the same, and no young person we work with leaves unchanged.

Person Specification

• Education or training in a relevant subject area e.g., psychology courses, youth work, ELSA or similar training.
• Experience of working with children with a range of challenging behaviours.
• An ability to effectively engage and connect with teachers, students, and families.
• A desire to work directly with young people for most of your working week.
• Ability to evidence an understanding of the need to safeguard children and young people including adhering to policies and procedures.
• Experience of effective teamwork.
• Ability to show resilience and clear thinking when working with challenging young people.
• Competent use of MS Office Suite.
• A Full UK driving licence and access to a car - able to acquire business insurance to allow you to transport young people.

Preferred Criteria

• Degree or further training in a relevant subject e.g., psychology or similar (social work, sociology, education, youth work, nursing).
• Experience of working with children who have Special Educational Needs.
• A track record of effective support to highly vulnerable young people.
• Good knowledge of existing behaviour support programmes and services.
• Experience of adapting resources or techniques to meet the needs of children and young people (for one-to-one and/or group-based settings).
• Ability to think and write reflectively in order to improve your practice.
• Knowledge of the curriculum and how it might be adapted to individual children.

Equality, inclusivity and diversity (EDI) at One-Eighty

We have an EDI committee that is working hard to make One-Eighty more accessible in a range of ways. One focus area is diversity in our workforce and therefore we are committed to doing all we can to ensure that our staff, trustees and volunteers reflect the diverse individuals we work with. We encourage all applications, regardless of age, disability, gender, gender reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.

We would especially welcome male applicants, people from BAME communities and backgrounds, and people living with disability. You are currently not as well represented in our organisation as we would like, and will bring the varied experience, skills and viewpoints we are seeking.

Induction

During induction, all staff take part in a thorough internal training period and are required to complete a shadowing checklist before working autonomously. This is monitored and assessed by your line manager.

PLEASE NOTE

that this job description outlines the key accountabilities of, and output required from, the post-holder. It is not a definitive summary and the role may well change and evolve over time. Our main office is currently in Botley, Oxford but the role requires travel throughout the county of Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire (travel expenses are paid). We have access to office space in Aylesbury if you would prefer to use this on a day-to-day basis, otherwise working from home between sessions is encouraged.