Children's Wellbeing Practitioner/Education Mental Health Practitioner

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Title: Education Mental Health Practitioner / Childrens Wellbeing Practitioner/ (qualified)Department: Childrens ServicesGrade: Single Status 9/10Responsible to: Senior Mental Health Practitioner Mental Health Support TeamsPurpose of the Role:

The Mental Health Support Team works with young people aged from 7 - 17 years who have mild to moderate mental health needs. The service in East Sussex is part of a national programme that started in 2019 funded by National Health Service England (NHSE). There are five teams covering 69 schools which include Primary, Secondary, Post 16, Alternative Provision and Special schools.

The service has training provided by Health Education England who have trained Education Mental Health Practitioners (EMHP) to use evidence based low intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) interventions.

This is a diverse team which is part of the Education division made up of Education Mental Health Practitioners (EMHPs), Childrens Wellbeing Practitioners (CWP's), Senior Mental Health Practitioners (SMHPs), Clinical Psychology, SEND Specialist Practitioners, Parent / Carer Practitioners, Managers for Clinical Practice and Whole School approach and an admin team, overseen by a Senior Manager. The MHST is able to make a difference to young people by offering early intervention and working with schools to develop and implement Whole School Approaches (WSA) to Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing (MHEW).

As part of your role you will be offered ongoing training opportunities to extend your knowledge and skills and we encourage the development and creation of new materials and ways of working.

(Delete as appropriate)

CWP role;

The CWP role will include working in schools to deliver evidence based low intensity interventions to children and young people with mild to moderate mental health needs. This will include 1-1 work, group work and working with parents and carers. Our service uses outcome measures with children , parent and carers so we can monitor the impact of the work. You will use an electronic case record for all your case work.

The CWP has an important role in their schools to work with Senior Mental Health Lead (SMHL) on WSA. This work will include delivering psycho education sessions to young people on areas such as anxiety. You may present in assemblies, lead coffee mornings and training sessions to staff, parents and carers. Within your schools you will offer consultation on referrals and signpost to other services.

EMHP role;

The EMHP role will include working in schools to deliver evidence based low intensity interventions to children and young people with mild to moderate mental health needs. This will include 1-1 work, group work and working with parents and carers. Our service uses outcome measures with children , parent and carers so we can monitor the impact of the work. You will use an electronic case record for all your case work.

The EMHP has an important role in their schools to work with the Senior Mental Health lead on whole school approach. This work will include delivering psycho education sessions to young people on areas such as anxiety. You may present in assemblies, lead coffee mornings and training sessions to staff, parents and carers. Within your schools you will offer consultation on referrals and signpost to other services.

1. Assess and deliver, evidence-based interventions in educational settings for children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties, always working in collaboration with the education function of the setting in which the post-holder is deployed.

2. Work in partnership to support children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties and their parents/carers, families and educators in the self-management of presenting difficulties. To operate from an inclusive values base, which recognises and respects diversity.

3. Undertake and record accurate assessments of risk and operate clear risk management processes in line with locally agreed procedures including the safeguarding protocols of the educational setting and Local Safeguarding Board guidance.

4. Adhere to all regulations, processes, and procedures within the educational service to which the post holder is attached.

5. Liaise with other relevant professional support staff linked with the educational setting such as the link educational psychologist and other ISEND support staff and signpost referrals of children with more complex needs to a locally identified appropriate relevant service

6. Practice, evidence and demonstrate an ability to manage ones own caseload in conjunction with the requirements of the team and in accordance with the respective professional Codes of Conduct and ethical protocols.

7. Keep clear, professionally coherent records of all activity in line with both ESCC and education service protocols and use these records and outcome data to inform decision making.

8. Complete all requirements of the MHST and of the educational setting relating to data collection.

9. Contribute to the development of individual or group clinical materials or training materials, and in addition to develop such materials independently as falls within own degree of competence, and under direction of the wider team.

10. Prepare and present case load information to supervisors within the service on an agreed and scheduled basis to ensure safe practice and the governance obligations of the service are delivered.

Progression to Single Status 10 is dependent on also being responsible for the following tasks;

11. Support with the induction of new colleagues.

12. Support children and young people already assessed to be higher risk and more complex, taking on a more active role in the referral process and delivering interventions. These children will have moderate mental health needs where there is risk that is still within the level of the service but requires safety plans and monitoring. There will be children who have Special Educational needs that require adaption of interventions.

13. Responsible for creating and updating resources to be used across the team, for example developing group work programmes and creating videos to be used by children, young people and school staff. Adapting resources to use with children who have special educational needs.

14. Lead on consultation of referrals within schools, giving advice on appropriate referrals.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• CWP
• Post-Graduate Certificate Childrens Wellbeing Practitioner
• EMHP
• Post-Graduate Diploma Education Mental Health Practitioner

Experience

Essential

• Ability to work effectively with children and young people
• Ability to build positive trusting therapeutic relationships with vulnerable children, young people and their families/carers
• Ability to understand and comply with local and national referral routes, processes and procedures
• Ability to work effectively with senior staff in education settings to plan and deliver support for children and young people
• Ability to participate in post-graduate training and work under supervision
• Ability to manage caseloads and prioritise time effectively
• Ability to work collaboratively, specifically with teachers, senior leaders in schools, parents and other services
• Communication skills with the ability to influence and support cultural change within education settings
• Knowledge and understanding of education system
• Knowledge of the key issues facing children and young people in terms of mental health
• Knowledge of mental health support services available to children and young people
• Experience of working with children and young people
• Knowledge and skills in delivering mental health care for children and young people
• Experience of keeping records and complying with quality assurance requirements.
• Experience of using IT to manage projects e.g. Microsoft Project and spreadsheets
• Ability to maintain a supportive and non-judgemental approach
• Ability to effectively manage, prioritise and organise workload, and work under pressure to meet competing deadlines
• Self-motivated with the ability to enthuse and motivate others
• Able to work independently and on own initiative, within the framework of professional supervision
• Ability to demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to equal opportunities
• Full driving licence or the ability to demonstrate how meet the travel requirements of the role

Desirable

• Evidence of ongoing professional development
• Experience of maintaining and returning data records on referrals and caseloads

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

Employer details

Employer name

East Sussex County Council

Address

East Sussex County Council

Cavendish House, Castle Street

Hastings

TN34 3DY

Employer's website

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