Job summary
Education mental health practitioners (EMHPs) work across education and healthcare to provide mental health support for children and young people in schools and colleges.
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Qualified Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP) within the Halton Mental Health Support Teams in schools service. In line with the government's priority to increase access and availability of mental health and wellbeing support for children and young people, the EMHP role is an exciting opportunity to deliver evidence-based early interventions for children and young people.
Please note that the advert may close early if we receive a significant number of applications.
Main duties of the job
Successful candidates will be employed on a full-time basis based within Warrington and will play a key role as member of the Warrington Mental Health Support Team. They will have the responsibility for delivering the 3 core functions of an MHST to support the mild to moderate mental health and wellbeing needs for children and young people in allocated schools.
Potential candidates will have already successfully completed the HEE commissioned 1yr 'Education Mental Health Practitioner' course or the 'Children's Wellbeing Practitioner' course. Those currently undertaking the EMHP training will also be considered.
About us
Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.
We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.
At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.
Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.
Job description
Job responsibilities
As an Education Mental Health Practitioner, the post holder will provide high standards of evidence-based client centred care to children and young people with mild to moderate mental health needs within the THRIVE Framework for service delivery.
The post holder will be expected to provide interventions to children and young people and their families/ carers referred into the service.
As the post is identified within the CYPMH strategy, it is expected the role will continue to develop in line with national and local initiatives.The post holder will demonstrate an attitude which respects and values service users and their carers.
The post holder will embrace the core values of the organisation and adopt the principles of Recovery and THRIVE. These principles will recognise the need to:
Promote safe practices Value the aims of service users Work in partnership and offer meaningful choice Be optimistic about the possibilities of meaningful change Value social inclusion
PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Clinical
1. To hold a caseload of both specialist and generic work dependent on clinical competence and experience.2. To undertake assessments and treatment based upon a conceptual framework and employing research-based evidence.3. To provide direct therapeutic interventions in line with the grading of the post, including assessments, formulation and therapeutic input into children, young people and families referred into the service with mild to moderate mental health problems. Delivering evidence-based intervention for children and young people in education settings. Help children and young people within these settings who present with more severe problems to rapidly access more specialist services. Support and facilitate staff in education settings to identify and where appropriate manage issues related to mental health and wellbeing. Working with and within education environments to afford better access to specialist mental health service.4. Undertake risk assessments and care plans accordingly, in line with the THRIVE framework5. To work in ways that are sensitive to the needs of children and young people and families from a wide range of racial, cultural, and religious backgrounds.6. To participate directly in the teams duty rotas in line with the grading of the post.7. To exercise responsibility within supervisory, managerial and accountability structures, for the assessment, treatment, and discharge of clients.8. To deliver care, ensuring effective assessment, care planning and risk management processes are maintained. Involve the views of children, their families, referring agents and other professionals involved in the network of care.9. To produce a clinical formulation and intervention plan founded on evidence-based practice in co-operation with the child young person and carers.10. To hold responsibility for standards of clinical practice within area of work.11. To work jointly and collaboratively with other team members in order to enhance and develop the provision of services to young people and their families. To have an effective knowledge base of other modalities to engage and work effectively with colleagues in other disciplines.12. Undertake risk management for all children including the protective and risk factors present in the network of significant relationships.13. Identify and respond appropriately to child protection issues, as described with the guidelines of Local Safeguarding Childrens Board and Merseycare NHS Foundation Trust safeguarding policies.14. Maintain clear and comprehensive electronic clinical records, to ensure information is accurate and complies with Data Protection Act and professional body and Trust standards.15. To engage with using routine outcome measures as clinically appropriate including their use in clinical practice and inputting data into clinical records.16. To work collaboratively with children, young people and their families and contribute to the trusts service user participation agenda.
Job description
Job responsibilities
As an Education Mental Health Practitioner, the post holder will provide high standards of evidence-based client centred care to children and young people with mild to moderate mental health needs within the THRIVE Framework for service delivery.
The post holder will be expected to provide interventions to children and young people and their families/ carers referred into the service.
As the post is identified within the CYPMH strategy, it is expected the role will continue to develop in line with national and local initiatives.The post holder will demonstrate an attitude which respects and values service users and their carers.
The post holder will embrace the core values of the organisation and adopt the principles of Recovery and THRIVE. These principles will recognise the need to:
Promote safe practices Value the aims of service users Work in partnership and offer meaningful choice Be optimistic about the possibilities of meaningful change Value social inclusion
PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Clinical
1. To hold a caseload of both specialist and generic work dependent on clinical competence and experience.2. To undertake assessments and treatment based upon a conceptual framework and employing research-based evidence.3. To provide direct therapeutic interventions in line with the grading of the post, including assessments, formulation and therapeutic input into children, young people and families referred into the service with mild to moderate mental health problems. Delivering evidence-based intervention for children and young people in education settings. Help children and young people within these settings who present with more severe problems to rapidly access more specialist services. Support and facilitate staff in education settings to identify and where appropriate manage issues related to mental health and wellbeing. Working with and within education environments to afford better access to specialist mental health service.4. Undertake risk assessments and care plans accordingly, in line with the THRIVE framework5. To work in ways that are sensitive to the needs of children and young people and families from a wide range of racial, cultural, and religious backgrounds.6. To participate directly in the teams duty rotas in line with the grading of the post.7. To exercise responsibility within supervisory, managerial and accountability structures, for the assessment, treatment, and discharge of clients.8. To deliver care, ensuring effective assessment, care planning and risk management processes are maintained. Involve the views of children, their families, referring agents and other professionals involved in the network of care.9. To produce a clinical formulation and intervention plan founded on evidence-based practice in co-operation with the child young person and carers.10. To hold responsibility for standards of clinical practice within area of work.11. To work jointly and collaboratively with other team members in order to enhance and develop the provision of services to young people and their families. To have an effective knowledge base of other modalities to engage and work effectively with colleagues in other disciplines.12. Undertake risk management for all children including the protective and risk factors present in the network of significant relationships.13. Identify and respond appropriately to child protection issues, as described with the guidelines of Local Safeguarding Childrens Board and Merseycare NHS Foundation Trust safeguarding policies.14. Maintain clear and comprehensive electronic clinical records, to ensure information is accurate and complies with Data Protection Act and professional body and Trust standards.15. To engage with using routine outcome measures as clinically appropriate including their use in clinical practice and inputting data into clinical records.16. To work collaboratively with children, young people and their families and contribute to the trusts service user participation agenda.
Person Specification
Knowledge/ Experience
Essential
- Experience of mental health assessments and therapeutic interventions with children and young people with mental health problems and their families
- Experience of working with a wide variety of patient groups including a degree of professionalism in the face of emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
- Experienced in and the ability to undertake case management
- Experience of delivering training
- Experience in consultation to other professional and non-professional groups
- Interpersonal skills to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, in order to convey clinically sensitive information to family members of all ages and to a wide range of lay and professional persons, within and outside of the NHS
- Demonstrate the ability to co-ordinate care plan / risk management plan
- Awareness of legislation and strategic frameworks and their implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to the full range of client groups
- Knowledge of educational environments
- Knowledge of safeguarding issues
- Knowledge of capacity and consent issues including Gillick competence
Desirable
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of therapies in specific difficult to treat groups
- Knowledge of research design and methodology consistent with practice to at least Degree level or equivalent
- Knowledge of children services
Qualifications
Essential
- Successful completion of the HEE commissioned 1yr 'Education Mental Health Practitioner' (EMHP)and or Children and young people's wellbeing practitioner (CYWP) course
Desirable
- Must have professional qualification and registration with an appropriate accrediting body (i.e., HCPC), or equivalent from the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) approved accredited register
- A further relevant degree qualification
- Teaching qualification
- Youth Mental Health First Aid trained
Skills
Essential
- Ability to learn in a variety of settings and using a variety of learning methods
- Computer literate
- Ability to identify and provide appropriate means ofsupport to carers exposed to distressing situations and challenging behaviours
- Ability to identify and employ as appropriate clinical governance mechanismsforthe support and maintenance of clinical practice.
- Demonstrate a commitment to always respecting and displaying the Trust Values
- Ability to personally manage a sensitive,traumatic and potentially emotionally distressing caseload
- Ability to carry out 1:1 therapeutic mental health intervention with children
- Ability to carry out 1:1 therapeutic mental health intervention with families
- Ability to conduct group parenting programmes
- Ability to work within educational settings to increase mental health awareness within the staff group
- Ability to conduct mental health assessments of children and young people
- Ability to make an assessment of risk and to record and communicate it appropriately
- Ability to take appropriate action to mitigate or manage risk
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Able to travel to meet the requirements of the post
- Team player
- Excellent time management and organisational skills
Values
Essential
- Continuous Improvement
- Accountability
- Respectfulness
- Enthusiasm
- Support
- High professional standards
- Responsive to service users
- Engaging leadership style
- Strong customer service belief
- Transparency and honesty
- Discreet
- Change oriented
Person Specification
Knowledge/ Experience
Essential
- Experience of mental health assessments and therapeutic interventions with children and young people with mental health problems and their families
- Experience of working with a wide variety of patient groups including a degree of professionalism in the face of emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
- Experienced in and the ability to undertake case management
- Experience of delivering training
- Experience in consultation to other professional and non-professional groups
- Interpersonal skills to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, in order to convey clinically sensitive information to family members of all ages and to a wide range of lay and professional persons, within and outside of the NHS
- Demonstrate the ability to co-ordinate care plan / risk management plan
- Awareness of legislation and strategic frameworks and their implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to the full range of client groups
- Knowledge of educational environments
- Knowledge of safeguarding issues
- Knowledge of capacity and consent issues including Gillick competence
Desirable
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of therapies in specific difficult to treat groups
- Knowledge of research design and methodology consistent with practice to at least Degree level or equivalent
- Knowledge of children services
Qualifications
Essential
- Successful completion of the HEE commissioned 1yr 'Education Mental Health Practitioner' (EMHP)and or Children and young people's wellbeing practitioner (CYWP) course
Desirable
- Must have professional qualification and registration with an appropriate accrediting body (i.e., HCPC), or equivalent from the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) approved accredited register
- A further relevant degree qualification
- Teaching qualification
- Youth Mental Health First Aid trained
Skills
Essential
- Ability to learn in a variety of settings and using a variety of learning methods
- Computer literate
- Ability to identify and provide appropriate means ofsupport to carers exposed to distressing situations and challenging behaviours
- Ability to identify and employ as appropriate clinical governance mechanismsforthe support and maintenance of clinical practice.
- Demonstrate a commitment to always respecting and displaying the Trust Values
- Ability to personally manage a sensitive,traumatic and potentially emotionally distressing caseload
- Ability to carry out 1:1 therapeutic mental health intervention with children
- Ability to carry out 1:1 therapeutic mental health intervention with families
- Ability to conduct group parenting programmes
- Ability to work within educational settings to increase mental health awareness within the staff group
- Ability to conduct mental health assessments of children and young people
- Ability to make an assessment of risk and to record and communicate it appropriately
- Ability to take appropriate action to mitigate or manage risk
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Able to travel to meet the requirements of the post
- Team player
- Excellent time management and organisational skills
Values
Essential
- Continuous Improvement
- Accountability
- Respectfulness
- Enthusiasm
- Support
- High professional standards
- Responsive to service users
- Engaging leadership style
- Strong customer service belief
- Transparency and honesty
- Discreet
- Change oriented
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.
