Therapeutic Well-being Practitioners for Care Experienced Young People

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose:

The purpose of this role is to support recovery from trauma, and to improve the mental health and well-being of young people aged 16-25 who are care experienced. This is a two-year fixed term role, designed to test and demonstrate the effectiveness of co-location and partnership in improving outcomes for care experienced young people.

In 2023, Devon County Council recognised care experienced as a designated characteristic. We are passionate about improving outcomes for children and young people when they experience care; our young people face a double disadvantage in that they are the group most likely to have experienced trauma but are less likely to be in circumstances that lend themselves towards standard approaches to clinical interventions due to increased instability in relationships and housing. We are determined to change that, and these posts have been created to provide a responsive and creative approach to young people when they need help the most, as they transition from being a young person to becoming a young adult.

Based within the Corporate Parenting Service, the post holders will collaborate with Personal Advisors to identity and support young people with emerging emotional and mental health needs, but who do not typically meet the criteria for statutory mental health services or are in transition between children and adult services. The primary focus will be on promoting recovery from the impact of adverse childhood experiences and trauma through relational and restorative practice.

The post holders will demonstrate courageous and critical thinking and be caring, compassionate, and committed experienced person who, acting within their professional boundaries demonstrate safe, competent clinical decision-making and expert care. This will include assessment, formulation, treatment, and evaluation of care in line with NICE guidance and commit to demonstrating critical thinking in the safe clinical decision-making process. They will communicate and work collaboratively with the corporate parenting teams to meet the needs of young people and their parents/carers, supporting the delivery of policy and procedures, and providing clinical supervision and leadership as required.

The post holder will work as a member of the multi professional team by providing an enhanced clinical role to young people, their personal advisors, and their parents/carers in receiving high quality specialist treatment and where safe and appropriate to identify and proactively prevent deterioration in their psychological wellbeing by delivering a range of therapeutic interventions. The post holder will work as part of a multi professional team providing a clinical service that is sensitive to the needs of care experienced young people, and clinical expertise and advice that is supportive to colleagues. The team members will provide comprehensive assessment 2 and formulation to inform appropriate person centred evidenced based interventions. The post holder will contribute to the development and implementation of effective models of care.

The successful applicant will be a systemic practitioner, with a clinical background in mental health services either as a psychologist, family therapist, nurse, or Social Work with experience in a clinical setting. The post will require the ability to provide professional advice and consultation to other professionals, including advocacy that improves access to existing community mental health services. This is a dual role, with the post holder directly supporting a small group of young people as well as providing guidance, group supervision and formulations that support the practice of Personal Advisors, carers, and the multi-disciplinary network.

In addition to a professional background in mental health and wellbeing, the post holder should understand the Care Leavers Act and other relevant legislation as it applies to care experienced young adults and be a passionate advocate of high standards in corporate parenting.

The post holder will also act as a leader of good practice and practice educator, promoting system wide knowledge of the impact of trauma, mental health presentations and effective interventions, and act as a link between the leaving care service and adult mental health services to resolve any operational barriers that prevent young adults receiving the support they need.

Please click the attachment on the right hand side to see the full Job Description / Person Specification.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Relevant professional qualification in mental health, psychology, nursing, or Social Work.

Desirable

• Additional training in one or more specialised areas of systemic practice.

Experience

Essential

• Systemic practitioner with a professional background in
• adult mental health services, CAMHs or as a nurse or Social Worker in a clinical setting.
• Experience of working with adults and children with trauma histories, attachment insecurity and emotional / behavioural difficulties.
• Good understanding of attachment theory and trauma-recovery approaches and using knowledge to support improved psychological wellbeing.
• Knowledge and experience of using attachment and trauma
• recovery approaches to support consultation and training.
• Holistic and creative approaches to person centred and restorative support.

Desirable

• Experience of working within child protection and/or with vulnerable adolescents and their families.
• Experience of writing assessments.
• Understanding of a restorative and strengths based to risk assessment
• and planning.
• Knowledge of structures and operations of Local Authority Childrens
• Services.
• Knowledge and experience of working within multi-agency teams, using Multi systemic Therapy informed approaches.

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Devon County Council

Address

Taw View, Civic Centre, North Walk

Barnstaple,

EX31 1EE

Employer's website

https://www.devon.gov.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)