Job summary
Do you have experience of working with childrens mental health?
Are you looking to train as a Mental Health Practitioner?
Are you passionate about supporting Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)?
We have two exciting opportunities to join our Thought-Full Mental Health Support Team in schools as Trainee Mental Health Practitioners for SEND (further details of the training and university are below).
Main duties of the job
You will be expected to work as part of an integrated mental health team which requires creativity, flexibility, and adaptability, and above all a passion for working with Children and Young People in educational settings.
You will work closely with other members of the team including Educational Psychologists to support schools to develop their whole school approach, which includes offering training to schools.
We are looking for someone who has knowledge of Autism and/or Learning Disabilities, who understands the unique challenges for Autistic/LD children, young people, and their families, and who can advocate for them.
To succeed at this role, you will need to:
- Demonstrate a good level of understanding/experience in offering cognitive behavioural informed assessment, formulation, and intervention.
- Demonstrate the ability to study as a self-motivated learner.
- Be open and aware of others.
- Have a great passion and enthusiasm for CBT-informed, evidence-based early interventions for mental health problems, especially for those with SEND.
- Have time management skills, organisational skills, and be able to communicate in English with members of the public.
- Work collaboratively with children, young people, and their families to provide the best outcomes for them.
For more information on the Key Skills, Qualifications and/or Experience required, please refer to the Job Description attached. Please refer to the key skills in your cover letter as these will be used for shortlisting criteria.
About us
Working as part of Education & Skills, Thought-Full, The Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) are an exciting new initiative and an important strand of the Governments 2017 Green Paper Transforming Children and Young Peoples Mental Health Provision.
We fulfil 3 core functions:
- Supporting the senior mental health lead in each education setting to introduce or develop their whole school approach.
- Delivering evidence-based interventions in schools for mild to moderate mental health issues.
- Giving timely advice to school and college staff, and liaising with external specialist services, to help children and young people to get the right support and stay in education.
The Trainee Mental Health Practitioner is a new professional role which delivers CBT-informed, evidence-based early interventions for children and young people and parents / carers in educational settings in England, such as schools and colleges.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Training and Qualification information:
Our Trainee Mental Health Practitioner -SEND positions training starts in January 2026. This is split with 2.5 days a week for academic work (teaching and personal study), and 2.5 days based at the service seeing clients related to training assignments.
You will attend UCL (Londons Global University) and work towards a UCL Postgraduate Diploma in Mental Health Practitioner.
Whilst on assignment you will work within a multidisciplinary team, being responsible for supporting development and embedding services in educational settings.
You will either need a minimum second-class bachelors degree (or equivalent in a relevant subject),ORif you do not hold the academic criteria but you have relevant professional experience, we would love to hear from you.
Please note:you will be trained in how to adapt interventions, but you will need a good level of experience in offering CBT informed assessments and interventions as this is not taught.
You need to be ready to start with us in January asthe course begins on 19January 2026.
The reference number for this role isCAFHE05425.
To apply:please upload your CV and Cover Letter. You can also apply via the WSCC website here: http://emea3.mrted.ly/3y2s5
In your cover letter please outline your motivations for applying and explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills) ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.
As this is a dual role with the WSCC and a student at UCL,candidates must apply for the university course AND WSCC at the same time.
Information on how to complete this application is attached below. Please go tohttps://evision.ucl.ac.uk/urd/sits.urd/run/siw_ipp_lgn.login_enc?0qhYzuG1h9udTFM8i9sPhtGiUgIR6D6iP0QBDHq24aUE7Anl4FtDGBDmc3LlBtzaVi6cWmaNYWo=to complete your UCL application.
Please note:candidates who have previously completed a course funded by HEE (Health Education England), can only apply for this course 2 years after the exam board of the previous course.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Training and Qualification information:
Our Trainee Mental Health Practitioner -SEND positions training starts in January 2026. This is split with 2.5 days a week for academic work (teaching and personal study), and 2.5 days based at the service seeing clients related to training assignments.
You will attend UCL (Londons Global University) and work towards a UCL Postgraduate Diploma in Mental Health Practitioner.
Whilst on assignment you will work within a multidisciplinary team, being responsible for supporting development and embedding services in educational settings.
You will either need a minimum second-class bachelors degree (or equivalent in a relevant subject),ORif you do not hold the academic criteria but you have relevant professional experience, we would love to hear from you.
Please note:you will be trained in how to adapt interventions, but you will need a good level of experience in offering CBT informed assessments and interventions as this is not taught.
You need to be ready to start with us in January asthe course begins on 19January 2026.
The reference number for this role isCAFHE05425.
To apply:please upload your CV and Cover Letter. You can also apply via the WSCC website here: http://emea3.mrted.ly/3y2s5
In your cover letter please outline your motivations for applying and explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills) ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.
As this is a dual role with the WSCC and a student at UCL,candidates must apply for the university course AND WSCC at the same time.
Information on how to complete this application is attached below. Please go tohttps://evision.ucl.ac.uk/urd/sits.urd/run/siw_ipp_lgn.login_enc?0qhYzuG1h9udTFM8i9sPhtGiUgIR6D6iP0QBDHq24aUE7Anl4FtDGBDmc3LlBtzaVi6cWmaNYWo=to complete your UCL application.
Please note:candidates who have previously completed a course funded by HEE (Health Education England), can only apply for this course 2 years after the exam board of the previous course.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Qualifications and/or experience:
- Minimum second-class bachelors degree or equivalent standard in a relevant subject (e.g. psychology, social work etc)
- OR
- Applicants who do not fulfil the academic criteria but have relevant professional experience are still encouraged to apply and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- PLUS
- 2 or more years of experience working within a children and young peoples mental health setting (e.g. mental health worker).
- 1 year or more of clinical competence and experience working with Autistic and/or LD individuals.
- Demonstratable experience of working within a CBT framework.
Desirable
- Desirable:
- Previous training in a mental-health related profession (e.g. psychology, nursing, health visiting, social work, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, special needs teaching, psychiatry, psychotherapy,
- counselling).
- Ability to study and complete academic work at postgraduate study level.
- Proven record of previous academic attainment.
- Knowledge of the MDT approach and collaborative working with other agencies to ensure the needs of Autistic/LD children and young people are understood and effectively met (i.e. education and social care agencies).
- Previous experience of working with safeguarding issues.
- Experience of working as part of the multi-disciplinary team with children and young people with Autism and/or LD and their families.
Experience
Essential
- (These will be used as the shortlisting criteria)
- Key Skills:
- 1.Ability to have a flexible and creative approach to facilitating engagement with Autistic and/or LD children and young people.
- 2.Ability to adapt methods of communication and intervention for the varying needs and levels of the children and young peoples Autistic and/or LD population.
- 3.Ability to maintain a reflective stance in emotive/challenging interactions with children and their carers.
- 4.Ability to personally manage sensitive and potentially emotionally distressing caseload material.
- 5.Ability to reflect on own practice (in clinical supervision and practice tutor groups with course peers).
- 6.Ability to maintain accurate records and follow all policy and clinical governance procedures.
- 7.Ability to complete academic work at postgraduate level and balance the academic demands of the course with clinical placement demands.
- 8.Effective verbal and written communication skills with good IT skills and able to work with diverse communities.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Qualifications and/or experience:
- Minimum second-class bachelors degree or equivalent standard in a relevant subject (e.g. psychology, social work etc)
- OR
- Applicants who do not fulfil the academic criteria but have relevant professional experience are still encouraged to apply and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- PLUS
- 2 or more years of experience working within a children and young peoples mental health setting (e.g. mental health worker).
- 1 year or more of clinical competence and experience working with Autistic and/or LD individuals.
- Demonstratable experience of working within a CBT framework.
Desirable
- Desirable:
- Previous training in a mental-health related profession (e.g. psychology, nursing, health visiting, social work, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, special needs teaching, psychiatry, psychotherapy,
- counselling).
- Ability to study and complete academic work at postgraduate study level.
- Proven record of previous academic attainment.
- Knowledge of the MDT approach and collaborative working with other agencies to ensure the needs of Autistic/LD children and young people are understood and effectively met (i.e. education and social care agencies).
- Previous experience of working with safeguarding issues.
- Experience of working as part of the multi-disciplinary team with children and young people with Autism and/or LD and their families.
Experience
Essential
- (These will be used as the shortlisting criteria)
- Key Skills:
- 1.Ability to have a flexible and creative approach to facilitating engagement with Autistic and/or LD children and young people.
- 2.Ability to adapt methods of communication and intervention for the varying needs and levels of the children and young peoples Autistic and/or LD population.
- 3.Ability to maintain a reflective stance in emotive/challenging interactions with children and their carers.
- 4.Ability to personally manage sensitive and potentially emotionally distressing caseload material.
- 5.Ability to reflect on own practice (in clinical supervision and practice tutor groups with course peers).
- 6.Ability to maintain accurate records and follow all policy and clinical governance procedures.
- 7.Ability to complete academic work at postgraduate level and balance the academic demands of the course with clinical placement demands.
- 8.Effective verbal and written communication skills with good IT skills and able to work with diverse communities.
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.
