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 three 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

Mental Health Support Teams are a government initiative following the NHS long term plans for transformation of Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services. NELFT is the largest providers of Mental Health Support Teams in England. Our Southend, Essex and Thurrock services cover 144 schools. The service is developing and expanding with an aim to cover all secondary schools in locality by September 2025. The MHST’s deliver evidence-based individual and group interventions in educational settings for children experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties aged 5 to 18 years old. The teams also have a strong focus on whole school approaches to improve mental health outcomes for children and young people.

The North East Essex Mental Health Support Team (MHST) covers a large geographical area incorporating the districts of Colchester and Tendring. We are an early intervention and prevention evidence-based service and as a team we are supportive and passionate in what we deliver. We are a friendly team of 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 locality covers a large area so you will need access to a vehicle and have the ability to travel efficiently across the county.

Main duties of the job

The role requires a post-graduate qualified psychological practitioner ( clinical psychologist, counselling psychologist) fully registered with HCPC. 

The post holder will be an effective team member using their own initiative, supporting their peers and team lead. They will ensure that a high-quality, timely, accessible and evidence-based service is available to all service users who need it throughout the MHST.

The post-holder will be directly involved in delivering and supervising a range of therapeutic interventions, which may include parent work, group work, school observations of children, and short-term psychological treatments.

Working under the direction of the Locality Clinical Lead, the post-holder will also be responsible for liaising directly with schools, conducting annual needs assessments with education setting management and planning the needs-led programme for working with the setting on their whole-school and -college approach (WSCA) to mental health and wellbeing. 

The Clinical/Counselling Psychologist in MHST may also be required to complete a postgraduate certificate supervisor training. This training is funded as part of the MHST programme.

This role is suited to a candidate who is keen on service development as well as managing a clinical caseload. 

We welcome applications from recently qualified candidates.

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 focussing in 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).

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

Job responsibilities

Please see job description and person specification for full details of this role.

To provide an efficient, effective and comprehensive psychological service for children and adolescents with emotional and mental health problems, their carers/parents and families.

Where appropriate to supervise SMHPs and Assistant Psychologists as well as group supervision for a mixture of practitioners within their locality in MHSTs.

To contribute to multi-disciplinary assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with emotional and mental health problems, their carers/parents and families.

Working in partnership with schools, to support children, young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties and their families in the self-management of presenting difficulties.

To contribute to audit and research.

To actively engage in treatment and outcome monitoring, including the use of normed measures associated with CYP-IAPT.

To work in clinical practice, making use of supervision, within the overall framework MHSTs and the Trust’s policies and procedures. 

To oversee the formulation and treatment and management plans for schools, parents, children and young people being supported by the MHSTs using a range of specialist psychological interventions appropriate to the service; individual and group.

To support and empower children, young people and families to make informed choices about the intervention.

To always operate from an inclusive values base which recognises and respects diversity.

Assess and integrate issues relating to transitions, education and training/employment into the overall therapeutic process.

Work in collaboration with children, young people and communities to enhance and widen access to support health promotion.

To be able to travel across the county for supervision, clinical work and training – all travel to be in line with trust policies and procedures relating to expenses and Vehicle registration and insurance.

Through close case management and supervision, escalate cases where the level of need becomes beyond scope, or more severe ensuring adherence to other relevant elements of service delivery. 

Clinical Skills

To act as an autonomous, registered practitioner who is legally and professionally accountable for own unsupervised actions guided by their professional code of conduct and Trust guidelines and protocols.

To use appropriate clinical understanding in assessing, jointly with colleagues in the multi-disciplinary team, children, adolescents and their families, working collaboratively to formulate their strengths and difficulties and to determine the most appropriate treatment plan.

To provide therapeutic interventions with due regard to issues of cultural, racial and religious difference and sexual orientation.

To undertake observations of children in school settings as part of wider assessments.

To undertake work with parents/carers/networks of referred children and young people.

To provide specialist mental health assessments and interventions for schools, parents, children and young people if required. The interventions and supports offered will be based on the low intensity evidence-based interventions for the treatment of low mood, anxiety, and behaviour problems.

To utilise theory, literature and research to support evidence-based practice in individual work and work with other members of MHST.

Leadership

To actively promote integrated healthcare professional working internally and externally

To facilitate the development of a positive and ‘supportive’ team culture by taking responsibility for dealing effectively with potential conflict

To take an active interest in working parties and groups within the Trust to develop and improve on service delivery, protocols and guidelines

To participate in the audit, quality improvement, research and service evaluation, linking in with the clinical governance agenda

To advise, encourage and share knowledge utilising the latest research and practice development, through literature and peer reviews.

To ensure that a high quality, timely, accessible and evidence-based service is available to all service users who need it.

Under the direction of the Locality Clinical Lead, to support the practical development of the MHST initiative within the service.

To assist in the integration and development of co-production, outcomes measures, and evidence-based treatment approaches to support for service improvement

Administration

To be computer literate and implement the Trust’s IM&T Strategy.

To ensure accurate recording and updating of patients’ records, including risk information, always maintaining confidentiality.

To ensure electronic outcome monitoring is completed for patients’ treatment.

To complete mandatory on-line training associated with the post.

To take part, and assist, in the planning and administration relating to day to day running of the caseload. 

Communication

To have a wide range of knowledge in relevant clinical approaches to communicating and managing patient care.

To provide reports and communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients.

To be able to effectively communicate with colleagues, peers, senior managers and clinical leads within the Trust.

To be able to communicate complex patient related information facilitating positive outcomes and ensuring collaborative working.

To participate in the review of clinical policies and identify improvements to service provision.

To provide reports on children and young people for parents, referrers and for other outside agencies, including Social Services and Education Services which describe assessment outcomes in accessible terms and formulate care plans.

To participate in regular clinical discussions and reviews of cases in treatment with members of the multi-disciplinary team.

To present cases to network meetings with professional members of other agencies.

To provide psychological and clinical advice to other professionals working within the CYPMHS team.

To be responsible for continually monitoring and evaluating risk to/from children and young people in one’s own caseload and during supervision/consultation discussions.

Teaching, Training and Supervision

To contribute to the training experience of trainee therapists, as appropriate.

To provide extensive and expert clinical supervision as required

To support new staff and their integration within the team.

To ensure own continued professional development to maintain the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes, in consultation with the post holder’s professional and service managers.

To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local NHS, Social Care and Education policies and issues of relevance to the patient group, particularly safeguarding policies and procedures and NICE guidelines.

To receive regular clinical and service-related supervision from an appropriate professional within NELFT.

To undertake a regular appraisal, developing a personal development plan that includes clinical competencies reflecting the mental health needs of the local population and related to Trust strategy. 

Support MHST staff in the co-delivery of training sessions. This may include attendance at practice skills sessions, involvement in formative feedback sessions with teaching staff, and co-production of elements of the curriculum.

To judge, with support of senior colleagues, when the EMHPs are able to work independently with specific clients and interventions.

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

qualification

Essential criteria

Successful completion of a post-graduate Clinical Psychology training To be registered or eligible for registration as practitioner psychologist with HCPC

Desirable criteria

Experience in CAMHS/CYPMHS

experience

Essential criteria

Experience of specialist assessment carried out autonomously in order to determine the most appropriate treatment plan from a range of options for the child/young person Experience in managing safeguarding concerns and risk to self/others

Desirable criteria

Experience in working with children and adolescents with co-morbid difficulties and special needs. ( combination of organic and emotional deficits, such as autistic spectrum disorders and trauma) To be registered or eligible for registration as practitioner psychologist with HCPC

Knowledge

Essential criteria

An awareness of NHS priorities, NSF and clinical governance priorities Knowledge of CYP-IAPT principles and their application in practice Knowledge of NHS, Social Care and Education structures, national policies and frameworks, evidence-based practice including NICE guidelines

Skills

Essential criteria

High level skills in working with professional networks and the ability to advocate for and advance the mental health needs of parents and their children Ability to communicate clearly and effectively highly complex and sensitive matters to patients, which give rise to psychological distress

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:

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. 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. 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. 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.