Trainee Educational Mental Health Practitioner.
| Posting date: | 09 October 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £27,485.00 to £30,162.00 per year |
| Additional salary information: | £27485.00 - £30162.00 a year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 22 October 2025 |
| Location: | Wakefield, WF1 3SP |
| Company: | NHS Jobs |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | C9378-W1369 |
Summary
In line with the governments priority to increase access and availability of mental health and wellbeing support for children and young people, the Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP) role is an exciting opportunity to deliver evidence-based early interventions for children and young people, working across both educational settings and healthcare sectors in England. Successful candidates will be employed full-time and based in Wakefield Mental Health Support Team, which will be responsible for the delivery of mental health support across a range of educational settings in the region. For part of this role there will be a requirement to travel to Sheffield Trust for the teaching element of the training. This post will be funded at NHS T&Cs 2021 Band 4 scale, in pay band 4 bottom scale (gaining credits towards either a degree or diploma level qualification (depending on level of previous academic study), plus guaranteed employment on completion of training, with a starting salary projected to be based on the NHS T&Cs 2021 Band 5 scale. To enable this, all applicants must demonstrate in their application the ability to work at degree level or have an equivalent level of relevant experience, with a proven record of previous learning or formal study in child development, wellbeing or mental health. Further to that experience of working with children and young people and an understanding of the educational system in England is highly desirable. The training programme for this post starts in February 2024, is 12 months in duration and will consist of academic and supervised practice learning across mental health services and educational settings, such as primary and secondary schools, and further education colleges. Delivery of the programme will be provided through a combination of taught days at Sheffield, independent self-guided study days and experience gained in education wellbeing and mainstream mental health services. During training, the post-holder will work under close supervision to gain experience across healthcare and educational settings to enable them to gain the level of competence required to deliver high-quality, evidence-based early interventions for children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health problems. Job Purpose: For the duration of the training year, EMHPs will attend both Higher Education Institution (HEI) in addition to working in services (and educational settings linked to that service) for the remaining days each week. On successful completion of training, trainee EMHPs will be equipped with the necessary skills, knowledge and capabilities to work as a qualified EMHP within the Mental Health Support Team. Under supervision develop knowledge and practice skills in:- Delivering evidence-based interventions for children and young people, with mild to moderate mental health problems, in education settings. Helping children and young people within these settings who present with more severe problems to rapidly access more specialist services. Supporting and facilitating staff in education settings to identify, and where appropriate, manage issues related to mental health and wellbeing. Working with and within educational environments to afford better access to specialist mental health services. To evidence development of those skills with associated knowledge acquisition to record and evidence progression towards an academic award and demonstrable practical ability. Key Responsibilities: Clinical Be educationally supervised, supported and assessed whilst delivering outcome focused, evidence-based interventions in educational settings for children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties. Developing skills in supporting children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties, their parents/carers, families and educators in the self-management of presenting difficulties. Developing and practicing evidence-based skills under supervisory support of working in partnership with children, young people, their families and educators in the development of plans for the specific intervention and agreeing outcomes. Developing and learning the skills required in order to enable children and young people in education, and where appropriate parents/carers to collaborate and determine an aagreed plan of care. Show evidence in a variety of forms that assessment and intervention is provided from an inclusive values base, which recognizes and respects diversity. Discuss with supervisors and agree to accept appropriate referrals for children and young people in educational settings, according to agreed local and national referral routes, processes and procedures. Under supervision, undertake accurate assessments of risk to self and others. Learn, understand, rationalize and adhere to the protocols within the educational service to which the post holder is attached. Engage along with more senior staff in the signposting of referrals for children and young people with more complex needs to the relevant service. Engage in robust managerial and clinical supervision, identifying the scope of practice of the individual postholder within the role, and working safely within that scope. Gain and practice a range of interventions related to provision of information and support for evidence based psychological treatments. Practice, evidence, reflect on and demonstrate an ability to manage ones own caseload in conjunction with the requirements of the team. Attend multi-disciplinary and multi-agency meetings relating to referrals or children and young people in treatment, where appropriate, both for personal educational benefit in discussion with supervisors, or to provide direct assistance. Keep coherent records of all training and clinical 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. Show evidence of working within a collaborative approach, involving a range of relevant others when indicated. Specifically, work in collaboration with teachers and other educational staff, parents, children, young people and the wider community to enhance and broaden access to mental health services. Contribute to the development of individual or group clinical materials or training materials and go on to develop further such materials as falls within own degree of competence.