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
Team Lead Post
NEWLY CREATED POST FOR SERVICE EXPANSION
Job Overview
Our service is expanding further, and we are delighted to be recruiting for a team lead for our West Kent area. This role is an exciting mixed operational and clinical role and we are looking for a candidate with experience in Children and Young Peoples Mental Health with aspiration to progress in their career and to work in a fast paced innovative service. Please contact us for more details about the role. Candidates need to be qualified clinicians with core professional registrations (NMC, OT, Social Work, Clinical/Counselling Psychology, BABCP CBT).
Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) are a new government initiative to help increase children and young people’s access to support for emotional wellbeing and mental health. MHSTs are part of the national Children and Young People’s Increasing Access to Psychological Therapies (CYP-IAPT) programme.
MHSTs are a resource in addition to the already existing support in any particular education setting. MHSTs have three main functions:
1. Targeted Intervention
2. Whole School Approach
3. Consultation and Liaison
Our local MHST services are called Emotional Wellbeing Teams Kent and Emotional Support teams Medway. To find out more about us please see our website:
Main duties of the job
Applicants will need to meet the job description requirements and be able to demonstrate a passion for early intervention mental health and emotional wellbeing support. As stated above these roles are mixed operational and clinical and we are looking for candidates that can strike a balance between the two perspectives. Please contact us for more details.
This role will be based in:
West Kent
Working for our organisation
Our Values 2025 - 2030
Working with our colleagues, patients and carers we have co-produced three new values that we aim to embed within our culture here at NELFT.
They are:
We are kind. We are respectful. We work together with our communities.
These three values help us to strive to provide the best care by the best people.
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 on engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.
Probationary Period
This post will be subject to a probationary period.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
1. To provide an efficient, effective, comprehensive and specialist MHST experience for children and adolescents with emotional and mental health problems, their carers/parents and families
2. To contribute to multi-disciplinary assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with emotional and mental health problems, their carers/parent and families
3. To undertake a range of generic clinical work, guided self help, targeted group work and workshops under Whole School Approach.
4. To provide consultation on MHST cases to EMHP’s/CWP’s and lead by example in promoting the NELFT 5p’s
5. To contribute to audit and research.
6. To monitor and guide the team in ensuring we meet safety benchmarks set by NELFT and the CQC, as well as ensuring delivery of interventions are carried out in line with NICE, guidance with Routine Outcome measures to monitor efficacy of intervention.
7. To support Operational Leads with day to day running of the service including monitoring governance and compliance.
8. Act up in the absence of the Operational manager for short period
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. When calculating the basic salary for sponsorship, HCAS (High-Cost Area Supplement) is not included to ensure fairness and consistency within our Trust
Use Of AI
Please see attached document regarding acceptable use of AI during the recruitment process
Person specification
Qualification
Essential criteria
9. Relevant graduate qualification with recognised professional body
10. A minimum of a second-class Bachelor’s degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard in a relevant academic subject ( Psychology, Education, Childhood development, Social Work etc)
Desirable criteria
11. A minimum of a second-class Bachelor’s degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard in a relevant academic subject ( Psychology, Education, Childhood development, Social Work etc)
Experience
Essential criteria
12. Substantial Band 6 experience within a CYP Mental Health setting or equivalent
13. Experience in offering CBT therapeutic Interventions within a CYP Mental Health Setting with children and young people with mental health difficulties.
Desirable criteria
14. CAMHS or other relevant mental health experience
15. Experience in NHS or equivalent service
Experience of providing Clinical Supervision
Essential criteria
16. Extensive experience of providing clinical and managerial supervision
Desirable criteria
17. CYP-IAPT Supervision course
18. Managerial or leadership training
Skills
Essential criteria
19. Demonstrate the ability to communicate clearly and effectively within a team
Desirable criteria
20. Demonstrate the importance of good record keeping and working in line with local policies, procedures, and guidelines.
Knowledge
Essential criteria
21. Knowledge of MHST legislation in relation to children and adolescents and safeguarding procedures and policies
22. Knowledge of risk management, ability to monitor and assess risk and act accordingly to ensure safety.
Desirable criteria
23. To guide the team to ensure safety benchmarks are met regarding delivery of interventions in line with NICE guidance and the use of ROMS
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:
24. 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.
25. 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.
26. 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.
27. 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.