Mental Health Support Team

Band 6 - Mental Health Practitioner (Mental Health Support Teams)

Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) support children, young people and their families that have links to identified school settings. Each designated MHST will work in collaboration with schools and other agencies who cover a population of up to 7,000 children and young people. Trailblazer sites were established in Kent in 2019, with the service aim to cover 50% of the schools across Kent and Medway by 2026. It is expected that this will increase early access to services and offer greater preventative provision.

We also work with our schools to support their development of a Whole School Approach (WSA) to emotional wellbeing and mental heath as well as their development of curriculum content to ensure pupils are taught about mental health in the classroom.

The post-holder will be expected to work closely with schools to support children and young people (CYP), their families and staff to foster a whole school approach to mental well-being.

Please see our Website for examples and explanations of our work.

Kent and Medway Mental Health Support Teams | NELFT NHS Foundation Trust

As part of their role the post holders will be responsible for delivering interventions within schools and colleges and hold an individual caseload. The post-holder will ideally have clinical experience working with Children & Young People experiencing emotional wellbeing and mental health difficulties and be expected to deliver CBT interventions for anxiety, low mood, and behavioural problems individually and in groups.

Previous clinical experience will be considered alongside the expectations stated and in support we provide informal training and wider CPD opportunities as well a robust supervision programme to support development of low intensity CBT skills, intervention adaptation and WSA delivery.

An additional part of this role includes supervisory responsibility of junior colleagues and if not previously completed there is an opportunity to enrol on a supervisor’s course (at one of our affiliated universities) which is already funded and established by the service.Supervisory training will enhance your skills to support EMHP and CWP junior colleagues to undertake their clinical roles. Within your role you will be offered additional supervision which will support your professional development.

The post-holder will be a graduate qualified health care professional (Qualification examples: Nurse, CWP, EMHP, Social Worker, IAPT CBT Therapist or OT)

Starting with NELFT

NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop in sessions focusing in engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.

Probationary Period

Flexible Working

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for further details on this vacancy.

**Skills needed for the post**:

- Confident in working alongside both Children/Young people and Education settings.
- Willingness to learn and develop both clinical and supervisor skills.
- Awareness of the importance of safeguarding and the role of a Mental Health professional in this.
- Enthusiasm about reducing stigma and promoting understanding of mental health issues.