Job overview
At NELFT, we’re proud to be the largest provider of Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) in England.
Our service offers evidence-based individual and group interventions within educational settings to children and young people aged 5-18, helping children manage mild to moderate mental health challenges.
Mid Essex MHST is looking for passionate, qualified Education Mental Health Practitioners (EMHPs) or Children's Wellbeing Practitioners (CWPs) to join our team.
Our team covers a large geographical area incorporating the districts of Braintree, Chelmsford and Maldon. The team are supportive and passionate in what we deliver and have professionals who come from multidisciplinary backgrounds. We recognise the needs for a healthy work life balance, and we will consider flexible working applications in line with the trust policies and process. We encourage Continual Professional Development and are keen to support our staff to grow and progress.
Our team work incredibly hard to support one another to improve the mental health of our community.
The Mid Essex MHST covers a large geographical area incorporating the districts of Braintree, Chelmsford and Maldon. Due to this successful applicants will need a full driving licence, and access to a vehicle a to travel efficiently across the county.
Main duties of the job
The successful candidate will work in partnership with schools, children, young people, and families in the development of plans for the intervention and agreed outcomes.
Practitioners will work as autonomous and responsible clinicians within their scope of practice, alongside education colleagues. They will be experienced in the delivery of interventions to support CYP in primary, secondary and higher education settings.
The practitioner will complete comprehensive assessments, risk assessments, care plans and reviews.
They will be proficient in using Routine Outcome Measures (ROMS) and clinical tools to gather feedback and guide clinical practice, with opportunities for service provision planning and mapping with schools to inform the delivery of support to CYP.
The post holder will be supported to work alongside other EMHPs/CWPs in educational settings, as well as working alongside more Senior Mental Health Practitioners to support learning and development. There will be opportunities for individual work, group work and consultation.
We offer all staff a robust supervision framework to support with their clinical development.
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 (delete for internal only) 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. 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).
Base
This post requires the successful applicant to work agilely between NELFT sites and educational settings and the nominal base is Stapleford House in Chelmsford.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
We are looking for a Qualified Education Mental Health Practitioners or a Qualified Children's Wellbeing Practitioners to join the teams and work with us to develop the service further and ensure we meet the core components.
1. Whole School Approach
2. Targeted Treatment (main evidence base is low intensity CBT individual and group)
3. Consultation and Liaison
You will be providing:
4. Assessment and Treatment of Children and Young People under MHST 3 core functions (Targeted intervention, Whole School approach and Consultation and Liaison)
5. Work as part of a team with a set number of schools to deliver the core components of the service.
6. Actively participate in local and county wide meetings and supervision forums
Our senior Clinical Team are passionate about the careers of EMHP's and CWP's and we have exciting CPD program happening in service and are working closely with Health Education England (HEE) and NHS England to look at the career pathways of this new work force.
We have good working relationships with our universities and are looking at developing our staff to progress into senior positions and consider senior EMHP/CWP training opportunities and supervisor training.
Please see person specification, below, and the job description, for full details of this role.
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
Qualifications
Essential criteria
7. Successful completion of either Education Mental Health Practitioner or CWP PgDip course.
8. Applicant can demonstrate they have applied for Wellbeing Practitioner registration with BABCP or BPS.
Desirable criteria
9. Appropriate registration with either the BABCP or BPS as a Wellbeing Practitioner.
Experience
Essential criteria
10. Experience of the delivery of CBT-informed therapeutic interventions to children, young people, or their families, including as a trainee.
Skills
Essential criteria
11. Excellent oral and written communication skills.
Travel
Essential criteria
12. To be able to travel efficiently throughout the area
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
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.
Documents to download
13. MHST B5 EMHP/CWP Job Description (PDF, KB)
14. Candidate Recruitment Pack (PDF, KB)
15. Acceptable Use of AI in Recruitment (PDF, MB)
Apply online now
Further details / informal visits contact
NameRachel UddinJob titleTeam Lead Mid Essex MHSTEmail addressR