Specialist Mental Health Practitioner and Supervisor

Job summary

We are recruiting a full-time Band 6 Specialist Practitioner and Supervisor to join Children and Family Health Devon within our Mental Health Support Teams and Child Wellbeing Practitioner services. The role is offered as a 12 month fixed term contract.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced mental health professional to provide clinical supervision and leadership within a growing early intervention service.

The successful post-holder will be joining a developing early intervention pathway, working with children and young people experiencing mild to moderate anxiety and low mood, as well as supporting whole-school approach initiatives. The MHST pathway is a growing service across Devon and Torbay, currently consisting of Education Mental Health Practitioners (EMHPs) and CWPs, providing evidence-based interventions in educational settings.

To learn more about the national MHST model, please visit the CFHD website and refer to the Green Paper on Transforming Children and Young Peoples Mental Health Provision, which outlines the vision for early intervention in schools.

As a Specialist Practitioner and Supervisor, you will play a key role in supporting clinical staff and ensuring high standards of care.

We offer:

• Regular supervision and training opportunities to support career progression.
• A collaborative and supportive team committed to high-quality early intervention.
• A dynamic and evolving role, shaping the development of MHST and CWP services in Devon.

Main duties of the job

• Provide clinical supervision and support to EMHPs, CWPs, and trainees, ensuring high standards of care.
• Deliver evidence-based interventions, including CBT-informed approaches, in line with NICE guidance and best practice models.
• Conduct clinical assessments and oversee caseload management, ensuring interventions are timely and effective.
• Support and mentor trainees, contributing to their development and ensuring they meet training requirements.
• Work within a multi-disciplinary team, collaborating with schools, mental health pathways, and other agencies to ensure a coordinated approach to care.
• Contribute to service development, implementing new initiatives and supporting quality improvement projects.
• Ensure safeguarding and risk management procedures are followed, prioritising the safety and well-being of children and young people.
• Support whole-school approaches, promoting mental health awareness and resilience-building strategies within educational settings.

This role is ideal for a highly skilled and compassionate mental health professional who thrives in a supervisory position, is committed to early intervention, and is passionate about improving mental health outcomes for children and young people.

About us

At Children and Family Health Devon, we are dedicated to improving the physical and mental health of children and young people across Devon and Torbay. We aim to create an environment where young people can thrive and are committed to reducing health inequalities and providing specialised support, empowering them to lead healthy, fulfilling lives.

Our children and young people say

"We would like the people who work for Children and Family Health Devon to be understanding, patient and respectful. They should be trustworthy and make us feel safe and comfortable. It is important that they use their skills and experience to listen carefully in a non-patronising and non-judgemental way. When staff are positive and friendly, they help to create an environment that is informal and without pressure."

We are an alliance of NHS organisations led by Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with Devon Partnership Trust. We are a group of professionals including psychologists, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, nurses and many other professions.

Join us in beautiful Devon

With access to moors, sea and cities, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy Devon. Whether you enjoy spending time in the cultural hub of Exeter, exploring the Jurassic coastline or discovering the world surfing reserve in North Devon there really is something for everyone.

Job description & Job responsibilities

Full Vacancy details can be found on the attached Job Description/Person Specification. Please refer to your suitability to the post in your supporting information from the role requirements or person specification.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• A professional qualification at degree level or equivalent (Psychological profession, Nurse, Occupational Therapist, Speech and Language Therapist, Social Worker etc.) or successful completion of the post-graduate EMHP (or CWP) CYP-IAPT training
• Active registration or appropriate accreditation with professional body (NMC, HCPC, BACP, BABCP) or registration with the appropriate body when this is possible for Li-CBT postgraduate qualifications
• Recognised qualification in evidenced based therapeutic intervention for children/young people and their families/carers
• Completion of parallel IAPT supervisor training programme within first year of taking on the post if this is not already in place
• Training to level 2 in Safeguarding Adults and level 3 in Children and Young People: roles and competencies for Health Care staff

Experience

Essential

• Substantial experience of managing an extensive and complex caseload and working with children/young people presenting with a range of moderate to complex mental health presentations
• Working within a community mental health setting
• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency environment
• Experience of delivering CBT-informed interventions and supervision
• Substantial proven experience of delivering CBT

Desirable

• Providing clinical supervision
• Participation in user involvement in services
• Mentoring students in line with professional requirements
• Experience working within Early Intervention and Prevention Services
• Experience delivering training to a diverse audience
• Experience presenting to a large and diverse audience

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).

The closing date is 16 November 2025