Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP)

Job description

Job responsibilities

Background to the MHSTs within CCS NHS Trust

In January 2020, Cambridgeshire Community Services (CCS) NHS Trust launched two MHSTs in Huntingdon and Cambridge. In 2021 and 2022, a further four were launched in Fenland and Peterborough. This was in collaboration with NHS England, Health Education England and the Department for Education, following on from the 2017 Green Paper Transforming children and young peoples mental health provision. This is a roll out of the work to improve access to mental health care for young people set out in the NHS Long Term Plan.

Since this time, CCS NHS Trust has been successful in being awarded four further MHSTs, to be launched over the next two years, bringing our total to 10 MHSTs by 2024-2025. MHSTs provide mental health and emotional wellbeing support to children and young people and their families and carers through schools and colleges.

Each MHST supports a cluster of schools and colleges in a geographical locality, covering a population of around 8,000 children and young people. The MHSTs sit within CCSs wider Emotional Health and Wellbeing Service.

Each new MHST will comprise of a Team and Clinical Lead, a Senior Clinician, two Senior Wellbeing Practitioners, four Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioners (this position) and an administrative assistant.

The MHSTs work with education settings to provide early intervention for mild to moderate mental health difficulties and provide help to staff in schools and colleges on their Whole School Approach (WSA) to mental health. Teams will also act as a link with local children and young peoples mental health services.

As a Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner you 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 are actively encouraged.

This approach requires flexibility and adaptability, and above all a passion for working with children and young people 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.

Important Information for your application form:

Please answer the following question in the supporting information box (please put at the top before your supporting information). Do not exceed 500 words when answering the question:

Please read the 2017 green paper Transforming children and young peoples mental health provision and answer the following (no more than 500 words):

What experience and strengths are you able to bring to the MHST model of working?https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision-a-green-paper

All applicants must demonstrate in their application 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, psychology, mental health or education.

Further to that experience of working with children and young people and an understanding of the educational system in England is highly desirable. All applicants must be able to demonstrate they can balance the conflicting demands of academic study and clinical work.

For further information, please read JD & PS attached to this vacancy

Person Specification

Skills/Competencies

Essential

• Ability to learn in a variety of settings and using a variety of learning methods
• Computer Literate
• Ability to study as a self-motivated learner who can formulate their own progress towards learning objectives and negotiate pathways to achievement with supervisory teams

Desirable

• Ability to teach others about mental health issues
• Ability to conduct other group therapeutic interventions with children and their families

Qualifications

Essential

• Proven record of previous academic attainment
• Good Solid Basic literacy and numeracy qualifications at minimum level 2
• Ability to study at degree level.

Desirable

• A further relevant degree qualification
• Teaching qualification

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of the educational system in England
• Knowledge of CYP gained through academic study in child development, child wellbeing or mental health
• Knowledge of safeguarding issues

Desirable

• Knowledge of the functional operation of specialist CAMHS teams

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with children and young people

Desirable

• Experience of working with children and their families in a healthcare setting
• Experience of working with children and their families in an education setting

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust

Address

Peteborough

Unit 2. Phorpres Close, Cygnet Park, Hampton

Peterborough

PE7 8FZ

Employer's website

https://www.cambscommunityservices.nhs.uk/careers (Opens in a new tab)