Job overview
This is an exciting time to join us in making a real change for children and young people across our area, as we are looking for a Children and Young People’s Well-Being Practitioner to work in our team of experienced clinical psychologists, specialist epilepsy nurses and consultant paediatricians based at York Hospital.
We are delighted to be chosen as a national pilot site for integrating mental health support into children and young people’s epilepsy care. This project, which began in March 2023, is focused on the implementation of mental health screening and intervention for children and young people in our region.
If you wish to apply for this vacancy as a secondment opportunity, please seek permission from your current line manager first
Main duties of the job
Your role will be to deliver an innovative, manualised CBT-based intervention, to children and young people who have been screened by their team and shown to require psychological support. This intervention, MICE (Mental Health Intervention for Children with Epilepsy), is designed to improve the treatment of mental health problems in young people with epilepsy and has been shown to be effective in a large-scale research project.
It can be delivered by telephone, video conferencing or face to face, and training will be provided. You will be using evidence-based interventions with supervision from the senior clinical psychologist. This will include a range of therapeutic self-management interventions to children and young people with mild to moderate psychological problems, as well as the administration and teaching of psycho-educational classes to groups of parents and children and young people.
Team & Support
1. York Hospital Paediatric Psychology Service, part of a larger Department of Psychological Medicine.
2. Supervision and collaboration with experienced psychologists including: Dr Emma Peakman – Consultant Clinical Psychologist Dr Anya Knight – Senior Clinical Psychologist
You will be joining a dedicated paediatric psychology team and have opportunities to continue to learn and develop.
Working for our organisation
For more information about our Trust, please visit:
Our benefits
We offer a range of benefits to support our staff including:
3. Access to the NHS Pension Scheme, providing generous benefits upon retirement, as well as a lump sum and pension for dependants
4. 27 days holiday rising to 33 days (depending on NHS Trust service)
5. A variety of different types of paid and unpaid leave covering emergency and planned leave
6. Confidential advice and support on personal, work, family and relationship issues, 24/7, from our Employee Assistance Programme
7. NHS Car Lease scheme and Cycle to Work scheme
8. An extensive range of learning and development opportunities
9. Discounts on restaurants, getaways, shopping, motoring, cinema and finance from a range of providers
For further information on the fantastic range of benefits we offer please visit the Trust's dedicated Staff Benefits pages.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
A full description of the role is available in the attachment: job description.
Please note that if a high number of applications are received this advert may close early. You are advised to submit your application at the earliest opportunity.
Working for the Trust
Across our organisation, people are guided by values that were co-developed with staff: we are kind; we are open; and we pursue excellence.
Our values play into our ambition to develop a more diverse workforce, truly representative of our communities. We welcome applications from everyone, while working with our Staff Networks - including our Race Equality, LGBTQ+, Disability and Carers Networks - to increase the number of applications we receive from different backgrounds. If there is anything we can do to make our application process more accessible to you, please contact: .
As part of seeking to become more inclusive, we will consider requests for flexible working from the start of your employment. It may not be suitable for every role, but we will try and be supportive where we can. We would encourage you to speak to the recruiting manager named within this advert to discuss any requirements you may have.
Armed Forces Friendly Employer
We are holders of the Gold Award from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, which is helping actively promote SaBRE - Supporting Britain’s Reservists and Employers. This means that we have made a statement of intent to support all Defence personnel, including with applications for employment.
Person specification
Education, Qualifications and Training
Essential criteria
10. •Educated to degree level or equivalent qualification / experience.
11. •Post-Graduate qualification as a Children’s Wellbeing Practitioner (or equivalent)
Desirable criteria
12. Qualification in therapeutic approaches with children and families e.g., CBT systemic, solution focused play therapy
Experience and Knowledge Required
Essential criteria
13. •Post qualification experience as a Children’s Wellbeing Practitioner (CWP)
14. •Must have working knowledge of Mental Health and evidence gained through experience:
15. oEvidence of working with children and young people who have experienced a mental health problem utilising experience/training in therapeutic approaches
16. oExperience of working in mental health services or settings where there is a stepped care model of service delivery
17. oReceived training (either formal or through experience) and carried out risk assessments within scope of practice
18. oSkills in delivering Guided self-help.
19. oSkills in delivering psycho-educational groups/classes
20. oDemonstrates an understanding of anxiety and depression and how it may present in children with a physical health condition
21. oExperience of teaching groups of professionals and parents
22. •Demonstrates an understanding for the need to use evidence based psychological therapies and how it relates to this post
Desirable criteria
23. •Experience of working with children and young people with physical health conditions
24. •Experience of working in a service where agreed targets in place demonstrating clinical outcomes
25. •Experience of supervising others
Skills and Attributes
Essential criteria
26. •Ability to manage own caseload and time.
27. •High standard of computer skills including email, excel and the ability to utilise a patient information system to manage diary commitments and electronic patient records.
28. •Familiarity with screening procedures such as the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)
29. •Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including telephone skills for CCBT, presentations for teaching classes and writing clear clinical reports.
30. •Able to develop appropriate therapeutic relationships with clients.
Desirable criteria
31. •Skills in delivering CCBT
32. •Skills in delivering a range of Low Intensity Interventions (in addition to guided self-help), e.g., motivational skills, solution focussed work, stabilisation for therapy
Aptitude and Personal Qualities
Essential criteria
33. •Ability to work within a team and foster good working relationships
34. •Ability to work under pressure
35. •Ability to be self-reflective, whilst working with service users, in own personal and professional development and in supervision.
36. •Ability to meet the travel requirements of post (community service)