Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP)

Job responsibilities

The must haves for this role:

1. Pre January 2023: successful completion of a Health Education England Quality Assured EMHP training programme OR Post January 2023: successful completion of a BPS accredited EMHP training programme
2. Be confident in assessing for and delivering, high quality, outcome focused, evidence-based low intensity interventions to children and young people experiencing mental health difficulties (CWP training),
3. Be confident in working in a multi-agency setting, working collaboratively with colleagues in Early Help, Social Care, schools and across the wider system.
4. As a person, will always be looking for new or better ways to deliver care and be keen to learn,
5. and most of all will have a calm, friendly and compassionate outlook and have a keen interest in early intervention and mental health promotion.

For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.

We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.

We're committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.

We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don't hesitate to email Annie Pass, at : Annie.Pass@berkshire.nhs.uk who'll be delighted to help.

Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

Interview will be held on 16th March 2026

Education/Qualifications/Training

Essential

• Pre January 2023: successful completion of a Health Education England Quality Assured EMHP training programme OR Post January 2023: successful completion of a BPS accredited EMHP training programme
• Registration as a EMHP on the British Psychological Society (BPS) Wider Psychological Workforce Register OR EMHP registration with the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP)

Desirable

• Relevant bachelor's degree (e.g., psychology, mental health, sociology, education etc.) graded at 2:2 or above

Continuous Professional Development

Essential

• Commitment to ongoing training and development

Desirable

• Evidence of continuous professional development in child and adolescent mental health of relevance to the post

Previous Experience

Essential

• Experience of working as a Trainee/ qualified Educational Mental Health Practitioner
• Significant experience of working with CYP
• Experience of working in or with a diverse or multi-cultural community
• Experience of delivering specific evidence based low intensity interventions to CYP and their families
• Worked in a service where agreed targets are in place and demonstrating clinical outcomes
• Experience of working and liaising with a wide variety of agencies and stakeholders
• Experience of being supervised and utilising the supervision in clinical practise

Desirable

• Experience of working with looked after children or other vulnerable groups of CYP and of working in educational settings

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Essential

• Knowledge and understanding of common mental health issues experienced by CYP and how they may present
• Knowledge of evidence-based low intensity interventions for CYP
• Ability to work within educational settings to increase mental health awareness within the staff group
• Knowledge of and ability to use routine outcome measures (ROMs) with CYP and families
• Understands importance of collecting feedback from service users and other key stakeholders, and using this to contribute to quality improvement
• Ability to undertake comprehensive risk assessments, drawing on complex and multiple sources of information, within scope of practice
• Knowledge of safeguarding issues and a commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of CYP and vulnerable adults.
• Understanding of ethics and patient confidentiality in relation to working with CYP
• Ability to personally manage a sensitive, and potentially emotionally distressing caseload
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build and develop therapeutic and professional relationships with a range of people
• Able to communicate clearly and effectively with colleagues, CYP, and families, in a manner that is sensitive to and acknowledging of their needs, experience and all aspects of diversity
• Able to assist in assessment and observation activities related to individuals' health and wellbeing, and support the development of relevant support
• Able to analyse and synthesize multiple sources of information to contribute to the team's understanding and formulation of service users' difficulties and the development of multi-disciplinary care plans
• Able to plan and deliver psychologically informed interventions to meet individual health and wellbeing needs
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including telephone skills and use of internet mediated communication, tailored to a variety of audiences
• High standard of letter and report writing
• Excellent IT skills including ability to use Microsoft Office programmes and understanding of online clinical tools and programmes

Additional Requirements

Essential

• Regard for others and respect for individual rights of autonomy and patient confidentiality
• Able to work flexibly as required (within and outside of office hours)
• Able to travel independently between locations (including schools, NHS premises and service user homes etc) to fulfil the requirements and duties of the position

Desirable

• Fluent in a language other than English - please state all languages you could work in
• Able to work with interpreters to deliver services

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).