Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP)
Band 4
Main area Education Mental Health Grade Band 4 Contract 2 years (Fixed term contract until 31st August 2028) Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 201-26-470
Site Cornwall Town Various sites within Cornwall Salary £28,392 - £31,157 Per Annum Salary period Yearly Closing 03/06/2026 23:59
Thank you for your interest in joining us at Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
We pride ourselves in striving to be an employer of choice.
Strategic Themes
* Care based on what matters to people.
* Care provided at home or close to home.
* Improvement through learning, research and innovation.
* Prevention and alternatives to hospital.
Great Organisation
* Buildings that support health and wellbeing.
* Technology enabled care.
* Care teams are supported by responsive corporate services.
* Safe, efficient, effective and productive.
Great People
* A place people love to work and feel valued.
* Living our values with staff (all voices count).
* Attract, grow and develop talent.
* Leaders with compassion, who continuously learn and listen.
Great Partner
* Encourage and enable effective partnerships.
* Joined-up community services.
* Work with others to maximise workforce opportunities.
* Reduce our impact on the environment.
At the NHS, we are reminded every day of how important life is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s job share, part time or another flexible pattern. In addition, although the role advertised may have a ‘home’ office base indicated, we remain committed to supporting flexibility around workplace locations. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
Job overview
In line with the government’s priority to increase access and availability of mental health and wellbeing support for children and young people, the Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP) role is an exciting opportunity to deliver evidence-based early interventions for children and young people, working across both educational settings and healthcare sectors in England.
Successful candidates will be employed initially on a two year fixed term contract, providing an expansion to existing provision of mental health support across a range of educational settings in the west and mid Cornwall region. As part of this role there will be a requirement to travel to Exeter University for an element of the training from the service where the candidate is based. We are currently recruiting to expand new teams into Kerrier ( west Cornwall) and also North East Cornwall. We also anticipate that there will be vacancies in mid Cornwall. Please indicate if you have a preference of geographical area ( mid, east or west) on your application form.
Proposed interview date: to be confirmed
Main duties of the job
Successful candidates will undertake a full-time educational programme delivered in partnership with the University of Exeter, based in the Exeter area. The post is funded at NHS AfC Band 4, leading to credits towards a degree or diploma (depending on prior study).
Applicants must demonstrate the ability to study at degree level or equivalent, with relevant experience or formal learning in child development, wellbeing, or mental health. Experience of working with children or young people and an understanding of the English education system are highly desirable.
The 12-month training starts in October 2026 and combines university teaching, self-guided study, and supervised practice in mental health and educational settings, including schools and colleges.
Trainees will gain experience delivering early interventions for children and young people with mild to moderate mental health difficulties. Modules include working with families, managing caseloads, delivering guided self-help, supporting access to specialist services, and helping education staff manage wellbeing concerns.
On completion, trainees will qualify as Education Mental Health Practitioners, working autonomously within Mental Health Support Teams to promote positive mental health in schools and paid on a Band 5 on successful registration with either the BABCP or BPS as a Education Mental Health Practitioner.
Working for our organisation
We’re an NHS community and mental health provider Trust based in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. We deliver community and hospital-based care to improve people’s physical and mental health. We also provide specialist support to people with dementia or a learning disability.
We are a people organisation and people matter to us. As part of the team, you'll help support the health and wellbeing of the people who live and visit this beautiful part of the UK.
Over 4,000 people make up the Trust. This includes doctors, nurses, therapists, plus admin and support staff.
We work in people's homes, in community clinics and bases. Some staff work from one of our 13 community hospitals. Our aspiration is to have great people, provide great care, be a great place to work and a great partner.
Approximately 568,000 people live here. A third of people who live in Cornwall are supported by acute hospital services in Devon. As a result, we also work closely with our partners in Devon. In the summer, and during other holidays lots of people choose to visit the area. This increases the numbers of people who use our services.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To view a detailed job description and person specification including the main responsibilities of this role please see ‘supporting documents’.
Person specification
Qualifications
* Ability to study at degree level
* Proven record of previous academic attainment
* Good solid basic literacy and numeracy qualifications at a minimum of level 2
* Ability to learn in a variety of settings and using a variety of learning methods
* Ability to study as a self-motivated learner who can formulate their own progress towards learning objectives and negotiate pathways to achievement with supervisory teams
Knowledge
* Knowledge of the educational system in England
* Knowledge of children and young people gained through academic study in child development, child wellbeing or mental health.
* Experience of working with children and their families in an education setting
At Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust we are proud to prioritise the development of our people. To support this, the following opportunities are available:
* Career conversations and individual development plans for succession planning and talent management
* Protected CPD time for registered staff
* Access to a dedicated central development fund supporting CPD for all staff
* Leadership and Management development programmes
* Coaching and mentoring opportunities
* A full clinical induction programme for operational skills
* Access to a care certificate programme for our band 1-4 clinical staff
* A bespoke and robust preceptorship programme to support newly qualified staff
Being part of a successful NHS Foundation Trust brings a portfolio of rewards and benefits for our staff. These include:
* Suite of health and wellbeing initiatives to support our colleagues physical and mental health
* Free access to individual HARP portfolios to support revalidation for nursing staff
* Free DBS checks where required
* Discounts available from retailers, UK hotels and main attractions
* Salary sacrifice car scheme
* Cycle to work scheme
* The Trust reimburses all application costs for staff eligible to apply for EU settlement status.
The Trust reserves the right to close this advert once a sufficient number of applications have been submitted. It is encouraged that you complete the application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.
If you are successful at the shortlisting stage of the recruitment process you will be contacted via TRAC.jobs email regarding interview details.
Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust welcomes and values individuals with lived experience of mental or physical ill health joining our workforce. We aspire to have a culture that develops, promotes and supports lived experience roles - throughout the organisation.
If you are successful, you agree to Occupational Health accessing your health records from your current or previous employer to check the status of your inoculations and screening tests. Appointments are subject to full three year satisfactory references therefore please ensure you include correct contact details for your nominated referees including email addresses.
Any general recruitment queries, please contact our recruitment team on 01208 834644
Employer certification / accreditation badges
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Name Morgan Stevens Job title MHST Service Lead Email address morgan.stevens@nhs.net Telephone number 01726 873204 Additional information
Grace Cloke grace.cloke@nhs.net For east posts
Lynsey Wilde lyndsey.wilde2@nhs.net
There is the possibility of starting in role before the course starts in order to assist with our summer intervention offer and gain a longer workplace induction before commencing the academic course in October 2026.
Please note: undertaking this training will exempt you from being able to apply for other HEE funded training for a period of two years. A post qualification commitment from candidates to remaining with in the service for two years upon successful completion is also expected.
Please note: If you need sponsorship, please check the requirements for a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) on the gov.uk website to see if you're eligible before applying.
Please note we are not accepting any communication from Recruitment Agencies at the current time. Please refrain from Sending the Trust CVs as this does not count as an introduction.
The Health Jobs UK website has jobs from numerous employers, within health and care across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust provides acute medical, surgical and specialist services to a population of around 500,000 which can increase significantly during the busy holiday periods.
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