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

NELFT is the largest providers of MHST’s in England. Our North East, Southend, Essex and Thurrock services cover 144 schools currently. The service is developing and expanding with an aim to cover all secondary schools in Mid and South Essex by September 2025. We currently cover 48% of secondary and primary school within Southend, Essex and Thurrock.

The Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) deliver evidence-based individual interventions 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 South East Essex Mental Health Support Team (MHST) covers a large geographical area incorporating the districts of Southend, Castlepoint, Rochford and Canvey Island. 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 need 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 (CPD) and are keen to support our staff to grow and progress. 

Finally, we are a welcoming team, working hard to improve the mental health of our community.

Main duties of the job

The Locality Clinical Lead should: 

Have a current and in date professional registration with a regulatory body ( ACP, UKCP, HCPC, BABCP) 

Have substantial experience (more than 2 years, post qualification) working therapeutically with children and families with mental health needs. 

In depth knowledge and experience of evidence-based practice with children and families (including CBT). 

Experience of providing and receiving supervision (including CBT-informed practice). 

Clinical experience and in-depth understanding of effective use of routine outcome measures. 

Enthusiasm for and knowledge of early intervention and prevention including low intensity support for emotional wellbeing and mental health difficulties in an education context. 

Knowledge of evidence-based interventions for low mood, self‐harm, anxiety and common behaviour difficulties in young children in education settings. 

Knowledge and understanding of whole school approaches to emotional wellbeing and mental health. 

Experience of providing consultation in education settings. 

Experience of service development and multi-disciplinary and multi-agency working. 

Hold evidence of ongoing continuing professional development in a relevant subject. 

Working for our organisation

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).

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.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

We are looking for an experienced Mental Health Practitioner with a UK Professional Registration to join our Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs). MHST's are a new service designed to support children and young people with mild to moderate mental health and emotional wellbeing difficulties within education settings; ensuring children and young people receive faster access to early intervention mental health support. In this post, you will be a senior clinical team member, holding a clinical caseload and supervising junior staff and trainee EMHPs. You will work alongside partner agencies to develop and co-produce training materials and support the delivery of whole school approach models for mental health.

The successful applicant would have completed the Supervisors Course a fundamental requirement for the post.

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.

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

Qualifications

Essential criteria

Have a current and in date professional registration with a regulatory body ( ACP, UKCP, HCPC, BABCP) Experience of providing and receiving supervision (including CBT-informed practice). Have substantial experience (more than 2 years, post qualification) working therapeutically with children and families with mental health needs.

Experience

Essential criteria

Clinical experience and in-depth understanding of effective use of routine outcome measures. Team leadership management of people; professionalism, conduct and capability Knowledge of evidence-based interventions for low mood, self‐harm, anxiety and common behaviour difficulties in young children in education settings.

Desirable criteria

Experience of providing consultation in education settings. Use of system 1

Knowledge

Essential criteria

Knowledge of evidence-based interventions for low mood, self‐harm, anxiety and common behaviour difficulties in young children in education settings. Knowledge of auditing, report writing and impact on service development Knowledge and understanding of whole school approaches to emotional wellbeing and mental health.

Desirable criteria

Report writing and auditing

Skills

Essential criteria

Ability to apply psychological theory to understand complex interpersonal/organizational situations and to guide actions. Ability to form good working relationships

Other

Essential criteria

To be able to travel efficiently throughout the area Confident and ability to teach and train others, using a variety of multi‐media materials suitable for presentations with clients and /or professionals

Desirable criteria

Ability to show innovation

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.