Education Mental Health Practitioner

Main area: Therapy, education, mental health support team, psychology

Grade: NHS AfC: Band 5

Contract: Permanent. It would be beneficial to have the essential qualifications; however, applicants not in possession of the Education Mental Health Practitioner Qualification may apply. This would be in line with annex 21 of Agenda for Change where you would commence the role as a Band 4 until the successful completion of the Postgraduate Diploma: Education Mental Health Practitioner with a Higher Education Institution and then a transition to Band 5 will take place.

Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Some evening and weekend working may be required)

Job ref: 382-NBC42-26

Employer: Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Site: Mental Health Support Team

Town: Blackpool

Salary: £32,073 - £39,043 pa

Salary period: Yearly

Closing: 05/07/2026 23:59

Job overview: Support and Help In Education (SHINE) Mental Health Support teams has an exciting opportunity to join the team providing support across the Fylde Coast. Assisting with transforming children and young people’s mental health and emotional wellbeing services, providing early intervention and faster access to the right support at the right time. As the team continues to develop, there is now the opportunity for qualified Educational Mental Health Practitioners (EMHP) to join our existing teams to deliver increased support across the Fylde Coast.

Main duties of the job:

• To work with children and young people to assess and deliver 1 to 1 and group interventions for children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties.
• To work with families and carers to increase good mental health.
• To deliver and integrate a whole school approach into the ethos of allocated schools.
• To complete consultations to advise staff on how to support children and young people and signpost to relevant services.
• To undertake and engage in regular caseload management supervision and clinical skills supervision.
• To use electronic clinical systems to keep accurate notes and other records.

Person specification:

• Successful completion of the NHSE commissioned Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP) or willingness to complete the PG Cert in EMHP at a designated HEI.
• Professional Registration with an approved organisation such as BABCP or BPS.
• Proven record of previous academic attainment.
• Good solid basic literacy and numeracy qualifications at a minimum of level 2.

• Experience of working with children and young people, their families and others.
• Experience of working and liaising with a wide variety of agencies and stakeholders.
• Experience of working with children and young people who have social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.
• Experience of delivering low intense cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to children/young people.
• Knowledge of the educational system in England.
• Knowledge of children and young people, gained through academic study in child development, child wellbeing or mental health.
• Experience of working in or with school/education settings.
• Experience of working with anxiety disorders.
• Experience of working with affective (mood) disorders.
• Experience of providing specific therapeutic interventions to children, young people or their families (e.g. High intense CBT, solution focused brief therapy).
• Knowledge of educational environments.
• Knowledge of safeguarding issues.
• Knowledge of capacity and consent issues including Gillick competence.

• Experience of working with children and young people.
• Ability to learn in a variety of settings and using a variety of learning methods.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent time management and organisational skills.
• Self-motivated Team Player.
• Ability to keep clinical records to a high standard in line with policies.
• Ability to carry out 1:1 therapeutic mental health interventions with families.
• Ability to conduct mental health assessments of children and young people.
• Ability to undertake and record Routine Outcome Measures.
• Ability to make an assessment of risk and to record and communicate it appropriately in line with school/college and Blackpool Teaching Hospitals policies and procedures.
• Ability to personally manage a sensitive, traumatic and potentially emotionally distressing caseload.
• Able to travel to meet the requirements of the post.
• Able to meet the physical requirements of the role after reasonable adjustments have been made for any illness or disability.
• Ability to conduct group parenting programmes.
• Ability to work within educational settings to increase mental health awareness within the staff group.
• Ability to take appropriate action to mitigate or manage risk.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.