Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London, Essex, Kent and Medway. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.
The Trust has award winning equality and diversity initiatives and staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest heavily in your development, because when you are valued and supported, we provide the best care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been featured in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for five consecutive years, and we have achieved a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Along with our staff networks and training opportunities, we work hard to embed a just and compassionate culture here at NELFT.
Find out more about NELFT careers and what makes our Trust a great place to work, in this video
Job overview
Join the Leading Provider of MHSTs in England
At NELFT, we’re proud to be the largest provider of Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) in England. Our services across Southend, Essex, and Thurrock currently support 144 schools, covering 48% of all primary and secondary schools in the region.
Our MHSTs deliver evidence-based individual and group interventions within educational settings, supporting children and young people aged 4 to 18 who are experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties. We also champion whole-school approaches to promote positive mental health across entire school communities.
Main duties of the job
We’re looking for a dedicated and experienced Mental Health Practitioner with current UK professional registration to join our expanding Mental Health Support Team (MHST).
This is a fantastic opportunity to take on a senior clinical role, supporting children and young people across educational settings while helping shape the future of mental health care in schools.
As a Senior Mental Health Practitioner, you will:
1. Hold a caseload of children and young people (CYP) with mild to moderate mental health difficulties completing assessments, risk assessments and creating collaboration care plans.
2. Work in partnership with schools, families, and partner agencies to co-produce training materials and deliver whole-school interventions
3. Be enrolled on the EMHP Supervisors Course (if not already completed) — fully funded as part of the MHST programme
4. Support the Locality Clinical Lead with formulation, treatment planning, and management strategies
5. Provide caseload management and clinical supervision to junior and trainee staff
6. Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team within your locality and across other MHSTs in Essex
7. Demonstrate the ability to work both autonomously and collaboratively within a team
This is a rewarding role where you’ll be part of a passionate, multidisciplinary team committed to early intervention and prevention in children’s mental health. You’ll have the opportunity to lead, mentor, and innovate, while making a meaningful impact in the lives of young people.
Working for our organisation
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.
Probationary Period
This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff).
Certificates of Sponsorship
Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for all job roles. Please check your eligibility under the UKVI points based system.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The Senior Clinician and Supervisor would work closely with the MHST Clinical Lead, the MHST Operational Manager, and other clinical colleagues/partner agencies.
The role is predominantly supervisory, however, the post holder will deliver clinical interventions, both targeted and under the Whole School Approach, to maintain professional registrations and continue to develop. The post holder will need to remain current in evidence-based interventions and have a good working knowledge of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. Supervisors are also key to service development in progressing and adapting interventions to ensure we are an inclusive service and contributing to research and development of the MHSTs nationally.
Please see person specification and job description for full details and responsibilities required for this role.
Use of AI
Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
8. Registered/ Accredited Clinical/Counselling Psychologist, Family Therapist, Drama Therapist, Art Psychotherapist, CBT Therapist, Child & Adolescent Psychotherapist, IPT-a therapist Or Qualified and registered RMN/RGN, Health Visitor and completed further training/experience at minimum PgDip level in delivering evidence-based psychological interventions.
Desirable criteria
9. Completed or currently undertaking CYP PT PgCert in supervision of EMHPs/CWPs
Skills
Essential criteria
10. Experience of and ability to deliver workshops to professionals, young people, and/or parents/carers
Other
Essential criteria
11. •To be able to travel efficiently throughout the area.
Benefits
We believe in bringing your authentic and best self to work, in order to deliver the best care to our patients. We are committed to supporting our employees holistically. Here is a snapshot of what is on offer at NELFT:
12. A long-standing and award-winning approach to equality and diversity with supportive networks for ethnic minority staff, staff with disabilities or long term/chronic conditions and LGBT staff.
13. A commitment to supporting colleagues to achieve a work life balance, through flexible working opportunities and our effortsto support our working parents and carers. This has resulted in us being recognised as a ‘Top 10 Family Friendly Employer’ from the Working Families Charity.
14. Proactive health and wellbeing support, including access to our employee assistance programme, staff psychological support, individual wellbeing conversations and a network of health and wellbeing ambassadors.
15. Detailed information about our wellbeing and benefits offer can be found in this link.
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 a job share, part time hours or another flexible pattern.