Job summary
In line with the government's priority to increase access and availability of mental health and wellbeing support for children and young people, the new Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP) role is an exciting opportunity to deliver evidence-based early interventions, working across both educational settings and healthcare sectors in England.
We are recruiting a trainee EMHP to join Islington's School Wellbeing Service (SWS). The successful applicants will be passionate about mental health in schools, widening access to services and enjoy inter-agency working.
Main duties of the job
The successful applicants will join one of our two locality teams in Islington's Schools Wellbeing Service. The teams deliver preventative and early intervention mental health work to all the borough's mainstream schools. This work includes workshops, assemblies, groups and individual interventions with children, young people, family members or school staff, as well as whole-school approaches to mental health.
The post holder will, under supervision, deliver groups, workshops and 1:1 brief therapeutic interventions with young people and/or their parents/carers. Other duties include liaison with school staff, contributing to whole-school approaches for mental health, screenings and assessments, observations, joint working, service development work (e.g. producing new workshops), clinical communication via notes, reports and letters, etc.
Dual Application Process
This EMHP post is a training position. Any students applying for this Programme need to also secure a place on the Educational Mental Health Practitioner PG Dip course at Kings College London. You are required to make a separate application for the university course. Further information can also be found on the KCL CYP-MH website here: https://www.kings-cyp.com/page/emhp.
Please complete your course application as soon as possible.
About us
The SWS is part of the national Mental Health Support Teams initiative, aiming to improve access to help and the general culture of emotional support within primary and secondary schools. This is a great time to join our service. We are a strong, well established friendly team with professionals from a wide range of therapeutic backgrounds and experiences. We are excited about developing the MHST in Islington so that more children and families can receive this vital support at an earlier stage in their schools.
We are committed to supporting EMHPs on their training journey and offer additional training opportunities and reflective spaces to support your wellbeing and further promote your development as a practitioner while working with us. We work in partnership with Whittington Health and LB Islington and as a result you will benefit from opportunities to work collaboratively with other professionals involved in early, preventive support for children and families. We are dedicated to promoting equal opportunities in our employment practice and service delivery. We are keen to recruit applicants that reflect the local community and support them to remain in post.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The training programme for this post will consist of academic and supervised practice learning across mental health services and educational settings, such as primary and secondary schools, and further education colleges.
Delivery of the programme will be provided through a combination of taught days within Kings College London, independent self-guided study days, and experience gained in education wellbeing and mainstream mental health services.
A Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner will be expected to work under supervision as part of a dynamic mental health team in a creative environment where evidence-based interventions, new ideas, ways of working and supporting children and young people (CYP) are actively encouraged. This approach requires flexibility and adaptability, and above all a passion for working with CYP in educational settings. Over the course of the training year, the post-holder will, under supervision, develop knowledge and practice skills to employ a range of evidence-based interventions for common mental health problems via direct individual and group support for children, young people, and their parents, in line with the university expectations.
The Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner role will:
- Work closely alongside a team of mental health professionals delivering a wide range of evidence informed interventions, under supervision.
- Develop and practice evidence-based skills under supervision to work directly with children, young people, and families.
- Develop and practice evidence-based skills under supervision to carry out holistic and child-centered mental health assessments, including risk assessments.
The Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner is required to:
- Demonstrate the ability to work at degree level or have an equivalent level of relevant experience, with a proven record of previous learning or formal study in child development, wellbeing, or mental health.
- Experience of working with CYP, their families, and carers.
- Experience of working and liaising with a wide variety of agencies and stakeholders.
- Experience of working with CYP who have social, emotional and/or mental health difficulties.
Successful candidates will attend a one year post graduate diploma in Education Mental Health Practice through Kings College London specifically for the role. The course fees are fully funded, and the salary support for the job post will be funded at NHS Agenda for Change (AfC) at beginning Band 4. There will be a strong expectation for trainees to continue in post on successful completion of the one year training, with a salary increase to NHS Band 5 scale for the second year onwards.
For the training year, successful candidates will be employed by Islington Schools Wellbeing Service and located in educational settings.
Data Protection Notice
As you also apply for a training course that is delivered by Kings College London, your data may be shared with them for the purpose of processing your application (shortlisting) and enrolling you onto this Programme.
Please see the Job Description and the Person Specification attachments for full details of this role.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The training programme for this post will consist of academic and supervised practice learning across mental health services and educational settings, such as primary and secondary schools, and further education colleges.
Delivery of the programme will be provided through a combination of taught days within Kings College London, independent self-guided study days, and experience gained in education wellbeing and mainstream mental health services.
A Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner will be expected to work under supervision as part of a dynamic mental health team in a creative environment where evidence-based interventions, new ideas, ways of working and supporting children and young people (CYP) are actively encouraged. This approach requires flexibility and adaptability, and above all a passion for working with CYP in educational settings. Over the course of the training year, the post-holder will, under supervision, develop knowledge and practice skills to employ a range of evidence-based interventions for common mental health problems via direct individual and group support for children, young people, and their parents, in line with the university expectations.
The Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner role will:
- Work closely alongside a team of mental health professionals delivering a wide range of evidence informed interventions, under supervision.
- Develop and practice evidence-based skills under supervision to work directly with children, young people, and families.
- Develop and practice evidence-based skills under supervision to carry out holistic and child-centered mental health assessments, including risk assessments.
The Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner is required to:
- Demonstrate the ability to work at degree level or have an equivalent level of relevant experience, with a proven record of previous learning or formal study in child development, wellbeing, or mental health.
- Experience of working with CYP, their families, and carers.
- Experience of working and liaising with a wide variety of agencies and stakeholders.
- Experience of working with CYP who have social, emotional and/or mental health difficulties.
Successful candidates will attend a one year post graduate diploma in Education Mental Health Practice through Kings College London specifically for the role. The course fees are fully funded, and the salary support for the job post will be funded at NHS Agenda for Change (AfC) at beginning Band 4. There will be a strong expectation for trainees to continue in post on successful completion of the one year training, with a salary increase to NHS Band 5 scale for the second year onwards.
For the training year, successful candidates will be employed by Islington Schools Wellbeing Service and located in educational settings.
Data Protection Notice
As you also apply for a training course that is delivered by Kings College London, your data may be shared with them for the purpose of processing your application (shortlisting) and enrolling you onto this Programme.
Please see the Job Description and the Person Specification attachments for full details of this role.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Demonstrate the ability to work at degree level or have an equivalent level of relevant experience, with a proven record of previous learning or formal study in child development, wellbeing, or mental health.
Desirable
- Further relevant degree qualification
- Teaching qualification
- Youth Mental Health First Aid trained
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with children and young people, their families and others
- Experience of working with CYP who have social, emotional and/or mental health difficulties
- Experience of working with children and their families in an education or healthcare setting
- Understanding of children and young people's development, wellbeing and mental health
- Knowledge of the educational system in England
Desirable
- Experience of the delivery of specific therapeutic interventions to children, young people or their families (e.g. CBT, solution focused brief therapy)
- Knowledge of safeguarding issues
- Knowledge of capacity and consent issues including Gillick competence
- Experience of working with Looked after children or other vulnerable groups
- Knowledge of outcome measurement and analysing data for specific child and family interventions as well as service provision
Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Ability to personally manage a sensitive, traumatic and potentially emotionally distressing caseload
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Computer literate. Skills in using IT, including office applications
- Demonstrate an understanding of and an ability to incorporate cultural sensitivity and responsiveness to your work with colleagues and clients
- Ability to work flexibly and adapt work to school and community based contexts
Desirable
- Ability to deliver specific therapeutic interventions to children, young people or their families (e.g. CBT, solution focused brief therapy)
- Ability to conduct group parenting programmes
- 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
- Ability take appropriate action to mitigate or manage risk
- Experience of navigating complex social systems and environments, who may have conflicting priorities or agendas
Personal qualities
Essential
- Self-motivated
- Excellent time management and organisational skills
- Team player
- Able to travel to meet the requirements of the post
- Proven commitment to continuous professional development
- Able to meet the physical requirements of the role after reasonable adjustments have been made for any illness or disability
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Demonstrate the ability to work at degree level or have an equivalent level of relevant experience, with a proven record of previous learning or formal study in child development, wellbeing, or mental health.
Desirable
- Further relevant degree qualification
- Teaching qualification
- Youth Mental Health First Aid trained
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with children and young people, their families and others
- Experience of working with CYP who have social, emotional and/or mental health difficulties
- Experience of working with children and their families in an education or healthcare setting
- Understanding of children and young people's development, wellbeing and mental health
- Knowledge of the educational system in England
Desirable
- Experience of the delivery of specific therapeutic interventions to children, young people or their families (e.g. CBT, solution focused brief therapy)
- Knowledge of safeguarding issues
- Knowledge of capacity and consent issues including Gillick competence
- Experience of working with Looked after children or other vulnerable groups
- Knowledge of outcome measurement and analysing data for specific child and family interventions as well as service provision
Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Ability to personally manage a sensitive, traumatic and potentially emotionally distressing caseload
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Computer literate. Skills in using IT, including office applications
- Demonstrate an understanding of and an ability to incorporate cultural sensitivity and responsiveness to your work with colleagues and clients
- Ability to work flexibly and adapt work to school and community based contexts
Desirable
- Ability to deliver specific therapeutic interventions to children, young people or their families (e.g. CBT, solution focused brief therapy)
- Ability to conduct group parenting programmes
- 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
- Ability take appropriate action to mitigate or manage risk
- Experience of navigating complex social systems and environments, who may have conflicting priorities or agendas
Personal qualities
Essential
- Self-motivated
- Excellent time management and organisational skills
- Team player
- Able to travel to meet the requirements of the post
- Proven commitment to continuous professional development
- Able to meet the physical requirements of the role after reasonable adjustments have been made for any illness or disability
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
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.
