Job summary
This is an exciting professional development opportunity for occupational therapists, arts therapists, psychologists, child and adolescent psychotherapists, systemic therapists, nurses and social workers with experience of delivering group work with children, young people and young adults.
Main duties of the job
You will be working as part of small course delivery teams (MHP and Peer trainer or trainee peer (aged 16-25yrs) and sometimes also a creative subject specialist) to write and deliver free courses for young people or their parents/carers to support their resilience and positively impact their emotional well being and mental health. Courses range from those with a strongly creative focus to those more overtly psychoeducational. All use fun and creativity to bring material alive and all utilise shared decision making principles. This includes seeking the views of course participants so that sessions can change as a result of their feedback.
As the mental health practitioner your central role is to ensure that:
- the content of the course is clinically accurate and relevant
- the Trainee peer or Peer Trainer is well supported and enabled to use their lived experience in the team
- the participants feel emotionally safe, including offering individual support where needed and intervening where risk and safeguarding concerns become apparent
- both the delivery team and participants are enabled to understand the group dynamics that emerge, supporting everyone to talk openly about feelings, and interpersonal interactions
Experience of working with young people and in a group setting is essential.
About us
Discovery College has a small but energetic and creative team of substantive staff and trainee peers and peer trainers (bank) aged 16-25yrs. This is a unique opportunity to work alongside young people who have experienced mental health challenges, as a colleague- developing; writing and delivering courses together and be part of an important social change to meaningfully value their lived experience (age and mental health related) both for their own development and that of the course participants . It's an opportunity to be creative and reach a broad range of young people in community and school based settings in an innovative way. We offer a lot of support to staff in the college, providing a safe space in which to further develop co-production and group work skills.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see attached Job Description for full details of the role and responsibilities.
Please Note:
I do not work on Wednesdays.
Contact the Discovery College on 0300 304 0235 discoverycollege@spft.nhs.uk
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see attached Job Description for full details of the role and responsibilities.
Please Note:
I do not work on Wednesdays.
Contact the Discovery College on 0300 304 0235 discoverycollege@spft.nhs.uk
Person Specification
Communication/ Relationship Skills
Essential
- Demonstrate highly developed verbal and written communication skills to convey complex, sensitive and/or contentious information to participants, their families/supporters and caring networks; partners and colleagues
- Able to communicate with young people of different ages and neuro diversities in a way that engages and motivates them
- Able to respectfully but determinedly tackle, instances of discriminatory behaviour or prejudice
- Demonstrate highly developed persuasive, motivational, negotiating, training, presentation and empathic skills
- Keep accurate and complete records and communications consistent with legislation, policies and procedures
Analytical & Judgement skills
Essential
- Able to effectively manage risk as lone worker in the community
- Demonstrate a high level of reflective practice and competence in clinical reasoning and decision making.
- Initiate incident reporting and contribute to incident investigations.
IT skills
Essential
- Highly competent user of IT, including MS office - Word, Excel, Outlook & Power Point
Desirable
- Familiar with and able to use social media and new technology
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to degree level of equivalent
- A qualification in: social work, clinical or counselling psychology, child and adolescent psychotherapy, systemic or family therapy, arts or drama therapy, nursing or occupational therapy
- Current and Full registration with relevant health professional body e.g. HCPC, NMC, BPS, Social work England, UKCP
Desirable
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Broad experience working with children and young people with complex emotional, psychological and behavioural difficulties and/or mental health difficulties; their families/supporters and caring networks
- Extensive experience of group work
- Experience of multi-disciplinary team working and inter-agency collaboration
- Knowledge of child development, child and adolescent mental health and an understanding of a range of theoretical approaches especially in relation to trauma and attachment
- Knowledge of relevant legislation and its implications for clinical practice in relation to children and adolescents.
- Experience developing and delivering training to diverse audiences
- Expert level knowledge of co-production and the role of recovery and education models in Recovery and Discovery College
- An understanding and empathy with issues relating to mental health and learning disability
- An understanding and empathy with issues that young people experience
Desirable
- Lived experience of mental health issues
- Good general knowledge of the literature and research concerning mental health interventions with children and their clinical effectiveness.
Planning and Organisational Skills
Essential
- Able to plan and deliver courses in co-production with an expert by experience in a health education setting
- Positive, problem solving approach
People Management/Leadership/Resource Skills
Essential
- Coaching, mentoring and management skills
- Evidence of managing complex and sensitive information and situations in an appropriate manner
Abilities: Mental Effort
Essential
- Ability to be able to deal with conflicting demands
- Ability to think and express self clearly
Abilities: Emotional Effort
Essential
- Ability to manage distressing or emotional circumstances
- Ability to contain and support young people whose behaviour may be personally emotive and/or challenging
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Ability to travel flexibly across sites
- Punctual and flexible across hours of work when required
- Demonstrate support for the values and beliefs of the Care Group and those of the Trust
- Demonstrate an understanding of the practices of Human Rights in the delivery of this role
- Commitment to inclusivity and to team working
Person Specification
Communication/ Relationship Skills
Essential
- Demonstrate highly developed verbal and written communication skills to convey complex, sensitive and/or contentious information to participants, their families/supporters and caring networks; partners and colleagues
- Able to communicate with young people of different ages and neuro diversities in a way that engages and motivates them
- Able to respectfully but determinedly tackle, instances of discriminatory behaviour or prejudice
- Demonstrate highly developed persuasive, motivational, negotiating, training, presentation and empathic skills
- Keep accurate and complete records and communications consistent with legislation, policies and procedures
Analytical & Judgement skills
Essential
- Able to effectively manage risk as lone worker in the community
- Demonstrate a high level of reflective practice and competence in clinical reasoning and decision making.
- Initiate incident reporting and contribute to incident investigations.
IT skills
Essential
- Highly competent user of IT, including MS office - Word, Excel, Outlook & Power Point
Desirable
- Familiar with and able to use social media and new technology
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to degree level of equivalent
- A qualification in: social work, clinical or counselling psychology, child and adolescent psychotherapy, systemic or family therapy, arts or drama therapy, nursing or occupational therapy
- Current and Full registration with relevant health professional body e.g. HCPC, NMC, BPS, Social work England, UKCP
Desirable
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Broad experience working with children and young people with complex emotional, psychological and behavioural difficulties and/or mental health difficulties; their families/supporters and caring networks
- Extensive experience of group work
- Experience of multi-disciplinary team working and inter-agency collaboration
- Knowledge of child development, child and adolescent mental health and an understanding of a range of theoretical approaches especially in relation to trauma and attachment
- Knowledge of relevant legislation and its implications for clinical practice in relation to children and adolescents.
- Experience developing and delivering training to diverse audiences
- Expert level knowledge of co-production and the role of recovery and education models in Recovery and Discovery College
- An understanding and empathy with issues relating to mental health and learning disability
- An understanding and empathy with issues that young people experience
Desirable
- Lived experience of mental health issues
- Good general knowledge of the literature and research concerning mental health interventions with children and their clinical effectiveness.
Planning and Organisational Skills
Essential
- Able to plan and deliver courses in co-production with an expert by experience in a health education setting
- Positive, problem solving approach
People Management/Leadership/Resource Skills
Essential
- Coaching, mentoring and management skills
- Evidence of managing complex and sensitive information and situations in an appropriate manner
Abilities: Mental Effort
Essential
- Ability to be able to deal with conflicting demands
- Ability to think and express self clearly
Abilities: Emotional Effort
Essential
- Ability to manage distressing or emotional circumstances
- Ability to contain and support young people whose behaviour may be personally emotive and/or challenging
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Ability to travel flexibly across sites
- Punctual and flexible across hours of work when required
- Demonstrate support for the values and beliefs of the Care Group and those of the Trust
- Demonstrate an understanding of the practices of Human Rights in the delivery of this role
- Commitment to inclusivity and to team working
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
