Educational Mental Health Practitioner

We are seeking an ambitious and motivated Educational Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP) who has experience delivering low-intensity, evidence-based interventions to children, young people, and their families.

The successful candidate will provide a preventative and early intervention mental health service to children and young people with mild to moderate mental health needs within identified schools. Working collaboratively with education settings, you will use your skills, knowledge, and experience to deliver a service that builds upon and complements existing support available within schools, helping to promote positive mental health and wellbeing for children and young people.

Main duties of the job

• Work within a multi-disciplinary Mental Health Support Team (MHST) to increase and improve emotional and mental health provision within educational settings for 5-18 year olds in Westminster and RBKC.
• Work in partnership to support children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties and their parents/carers, families and educators in the self-management of presenting difficulties.
• Contribute to the development of individual or group clinical materials or training materials, and develop such materials independently as falls within own degree of competence, and under direction of the wider team.

Therapeutic Assessment and Intervention

• Assess and deliver outcome-focused, evidence-based interventions in educational settings for children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties, working at all times in collaboration with and giving respect to the education function of the setting in which the post-holder is deployed.
• Work in partnership to support children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties and their parents, carers, families and educators in the self-management of presenting difficulties.
• Work in effective, evidence-based partnership with children, young people, their families and their educators in the development of plans for the intervention and agreed outcomes.
• Support and empower children, young people, their parents/carers and families and their educators to make informed choices about the interventions being offered.
• Operate at all times from an inclusive values base, which recognises and respects diversity.
• Accept referrals within educational settings according to agreed local and national protocols.
• Undertake and record accurate assessments of risk and operate clear risk management processes in line with locally agreed procedures including the safeguarding protocols of the educational setting and Local Safeguarding Board guidance.
• Adhere to all regulations, processes and procedures within the educational service to which the post holder is attached and within the organisation where the post-holder is employed including (but not limited to) HR policies, training requirements, referral protocols, and emergency procedures. Signpost referrals of children with more complex needs to a locally identified appropriate relevant service.
• Through case management, supervision and any other relevant local pathway, escalate cases where the level of need or risk is beyond the scope of practice of the post holder.
• Provide a range of information and support for evidence-based psychological treatments, primarily guided self-help.
• Practice, evidence and demonstrate an ability to manage ones own caseload in conjunction with the requirements of the team.
• Attend multidisciplinary and multi-agency meetings relating to referrals or children and young people in treatment, where appropriate.
• Keep clear, professionally coherent records of all activity in line with both health and education service protocols and use these records and outcome data to inform decision making.
• Complete all requirements relating to data collection.
• Assess and integrate issues relating to transitions, education and training/employment into the overall therapeutic process.
• Work with a collaborative approach involving a range of relevant others when indicated.

Training and Supervision

• Continue to apply learning gained on the training program directly to practice.
• Prepare and present case load information to supervisors within the service on an agreed and scheduled basis to ensure safe practice and the governance obligations of the CWP, supervisor and service are delivered.
• Respond to and implement supervision suggestions by supervisors in practice.
• Engage in and respond to personal development supervision to improve competences and practice.
• To disseminate research and service evaluation findings in appropriate formats through agreed channels.

Professional

• Ensure the maintenance of standards of own professional practice.
• Ensure appropriate adherence to any new recommendations or guidelines set by the relevant departments.
• Ensure that confidentiality is always protected.
• Ensure that any risks or issues related to the safety and wellbeing of anyone the post holder comes into contact within the course of their professional duties are communicated and shared with appropriate parties in order to maintain individual safety and the public interest.
• Ensure clear objectives are identified, discussed and reviewed with supervisor and senior colleagues on a regular basis as part of continuing professional development.
• Participate in individual performance/appraisal review and work towards agreed objectives.
• Keep all records up to date in relation to Continuous Professional Development and the requirements of the post and ensure personal development plans maintain up to date specialist knowledge of latest theoretical and service delivery models/developments.
• Attend relevant educational opportunities in line with identified professional objectives.

Benefits

• Salary: £33,670 a year
• Permanent contract
• Full-time position