Mental Health Support Team (MHST) Senior Practitioner

Job responsibilities

Role Purpose

The postholder will work as an autonomous responsible practitioner as their training affords to:

- deliver evidence-based interventions for children and young people in educational settings with mild to moderate mental health needs including anxiety, behaviour and low mood

- engage in whole school work which supports and facilitates staff in education settings to identify, and respond to issues related to mental health and wellbeing by building on existing good practice

- provide additional clinical support and supervision to Education Mental Health Practitioners (EMHPs)

- attend team meetings as required and contribute to the initiation, development and implementation of new responses to changing needs and demands upon the team

- contribute, where appropriate, to service development and multi-agency working with our partners

- to lead on school initiatives and assist with the day-to-day management of the service.

This post will involve working within the Redbridge Educational Wellbeing Team (REWT) which is part of the Educational Psychology Service.

This post will usually involve travelling to multiple locations all over Redbridge, mainly between school settings and other locations, such as Social Services. We are offering a blend of in person and remote work. This is conducted using platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams.

Depending on the applicants skills and experience, the post holder may need to be willing to complete a post graduate diploma to train as a senior well-being practitioner.

Key accountabilities - undertake therapeutic assessment and intervention:

To be able to assess needs and develop plans to support children and young people with mild to moderate mental health needs.

Undertake and record accurate assessments of risk and operate clear risk Deliver outcome focused, evidence-based interventions in educational settings for children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties in collaboration with families and schools.

management processes in line with locally agreed procedures including the safeguarding protocols of the educational setting and Local Safeguarding Board guidance.

To routinely measure clinical outcomes

Support good practice in assessment and intervention across the team

Lead group interventions alongside newly qualified and trainee EMHPs -Signpost children with more complex needs to a locally identified appropriate relevant service

Contribute to whole school approaches to ensure young people are included with their mainstream setting:

• To suggest and lead on the delivery of whole-school approaches/interventions to schools and colleges, e.g. via review of school needs, project work, workshops, groups and consultation.
• To work closely with Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSAs) and Senior Mental Health Leads (SMHLs) in Redbridge schools, modelling and setting up interventions
• Share knowledge and good practice
• This may involve conducting research and attending training provided by the borough and external providers
• To develop a broad range of relationships with both internal and external colleagues and partner agencies, including the voluntary sector, services users, parents and carers

Engage in supervision and training:

Continuing to seek and engage in continuing professional development opportunities.

Actively engage in regular supervision sessions. 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 practitioner, supervisor and service are delivered.

Respond to and implement supervision suggestions by supervisors in practice.

Engage in and respond to personal development supervision to improve competences and practice.

• To disseminate research and service evaluation findings in appropriate formats through agreed channels.

To provide mentoring, support and supervision to trainee and newly qualified EMHPs

Participate in and provide knowledge and advice within consultation and multi-disciplinary meetings:

Organising, attending and chairing meetings.

Working with classroom teachers, teaching assistants, parents and other professionals involved with the child.

Working with other key professionals such as Social Workers or Educational Psychologists

Maintain effective records and produce clear reports of interventions and inform interventions:

Taking minutes, setting agendas and circulating material.

Keeping clear, professional and coherent records of all activity in line with service protocols and use these records and outcome data to inform decision making.Complete all requirements relating to data collection.

To work within a multi professional team and attend relevant meetings:

Presenting research, being part of a peer support team, attending team meetings, reading groups, reading and commenting on research papers. Completing training, provide training to colleagues both in EPS and other Redbridge teams (e.g. Social Care and Health)

Attend multi-disciplinary and multi-agency meetings relating to referrals or children and young people in treatment

Contribute to MHST strategic planning meetings

To participate in and contribute to the Teams professional development, support and performance management programmes as a senior practitioner in accordance with the Development Plan and Redbridge borough requirements:

Responsible for keeping up with changes in psychological theory and practise and be part of considering organisational changes to meet demands.

Contribute to MHST strategic planning meetings

Provide training and CPD to trainee and newly qualified EMHPs

To take on managerial tasks as required

To contribute to the initiation, development and implementation of new responses to changing needs and demands upon the team:

Initiate and develop new projects within the whole school approach

Develop individual or group clinical materials or training materials under direction of the wider team.

Attending school meetings

Providing support to schools and families

Consulting with the school EP and EWMH DSL

Qualifications

Essential

• A CYP-MH professional such as a qualified EMHP, CWP or PWP or relevant health care professional (e.g. nurse, CBT therapist, social worker, occupational therapist) with post graduate therapeutic training. Where appropriate will be fully registered with the appropriate professional or regulatory body (e.g. HCPC, NMC).

Working together

Essential

• Experience of building relationships with and working with senior Local Authority and School staff to influence change
• Ability to work as part of a team and lead as required

Communicating and influencing others

Essential

• Ability to communicate new ideas and deliver on subsequent plans
• Ability to train and be confident in front of small audiences

Safeguarding and Disclosure

Essential

• Satisfactory Enhanced DBS check
• The ability to understand the difficulties and pressures associated with caring for children/vulnerable adults and to demonstrate appropriate coping mechanisms

Analysis and judgement

Essential

• Ability to reflect and identify need for support
• Ability to be motivated, innovative, resourceful and responsive to changing times
• Excellent organisational and self-management skills
• Ability to manage own caseload and time

Customer service

Essential

• Resilient and adaptable with the ability to organise work within an environment of conflicting priorities whilst managing time and prioritising work to meet agreed deadlines.
• Excellent negotiation and problem-solving skills
• High level of enthusiasm and motivation

Experience

Essential

• Substantial clinical experience working with children and young people (CYP) with emotional wellbeing and mental health difficulties.
• Experience working with children or young people (0-25) in an educational setting.
• Evidence of comprehensive understanding of educational systems and practice in England.
• Experience in providing a range of evidence-based interventions for children and young people experiencing, mild to moderate anxiety, low mood and behavioural difficulties.
• Demonstrates an understanding of and ability to identify common mental health concerns experienced by children and young people.
• Experience of working with young people with additional and complex needs (e.g. ASC, ADHD, learning needs, eating disorders).
• Ability to provide training and mentoring to others.
• Knowledge of child and adolescent development and the role of the family in supporting children and young peoples emotional well-being.
• Demonstrate ability and motivation to continue learning and evidence of learning and development since finishing initial training.
• Commitment to collaborative working with other professionals and parents.
• Belief in involving children and young people in decisions regarding their education and clear commitment to supporting the development of children and young people.
• Ability to personally manage a sensitive, traumatic and potentially emotionally distressing caseload and demonstrate appropriate coping mechanisms.
• Ability to learn quickly and adapt to change.
• Understanding of inclusive practices which promote person centred approaches.
• Experience of participating in multi-disciplinary meetings.
• Able to describe and discuss different ways of problem solving in educational settings.
• To give examples of working with diverse groups of people
• Awareness of safeguarding practices when working with children and young people
• Ability to make an assessment of risk and to record and communicate it appropriately. Ability take appropriate action to mitigate or manage risk

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).