Job overview

Newly created job roles.

We are seeking 2 Clinical Leads, each working to join our service and support us to continue to expand and develop our clinical offer.

We are looking for Clinical/Counselling or Educational Psychology/ BABCP accredited CBT/ Family Therapy/ Child Psychotherapy colleagues with a passion for Early Intervention emotional wellbeing and mental health support to get in touch if they feel this role would suit them.

Who are we:

Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) are a new government initiative to help increase children and young people’s access to support for emotional wellbeing and mental health. MHSTs are part of the national Children and Young People’s Increasing Access to Psychological Therapies (CYP-IAPT) programme.

MHSTs are a resource in addition to the already existing support in any particular education setting. MHSTs have three main functions:

Targeted interventions.
  Whole School Approach .
  Consultation and Liaison.

Please see our website for details. 

MHSTs are continually expanding across Kent & Medway. Please take a look at our current list of schools.

Please see our Website for examples and explanations of our work.

Kent and Medway Mental Health Support Teams | NELFT NHS Foundation Trust

Please also see information about working in Kent and Medway Kent & Medway - NELFT and see the video in the site made by our staff about working in our service.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will join the established senior leadership team within Kent and Medway MHST to support with the following areas: 

Leading, with senior clinical and operational colleagues, on the development and implementation of MHSTs across Kent & Medway in line with the transformation agenda for children and young people’s mental health services. Ensuring evidence-based practice by engaging in and establishing links between higher education institutions, NELFT research and development, NELFT quality improvement and the clinical offer provided by Kent & Medway MHSTs. Promoting the service-user voice and meaningful coproduction in Kent & Medway MHSTs. Ensuring county wide consistency in the clinical delivery of the service and continuously monitoring and reviewing to ensure high quality and ensuring the offer is up to date with the newest research and evidence base. 

Working for our organisation

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 meeting the executive team, mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. The induction will be held at our head office in CEME Campus, Rainham, Essex, RM13 8EU (please note: in order to travel to this destination you will have to make the Dartford crossing and be aware of the ULEZ charges). Candidates will need to have business insurance when travelling by car to claim both travel and above charges on expenses.

Probationary Period
This post will be subject to a probationary period. 

Flexible Working

We will consider flexible working pattern applications these will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to promote a healthy work life balance.

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.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:

·As a senior leader working in partnership with schools and the wider community, supporting children and young people experiencing mild to moderate emotional wellbeing and mental health difficulties and their families in the self-management of presenting difficulties

·To take the lead in any complex relationships or system issues with our partnership with Education and working within the wider mental health sector.

·To support clinical supervisors in their task of overseeing the assessment, formulation and treatment and management plans for schools, parents, children and young people being supported by the MHSTs using a range of psychological interventions.

·Work in partnership with children, young people, families and schools to develop goals, plans for intervention, and agreed outcomes.

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

·To operate at all times from an inclusive values base which recognises and respects diversity.

·Provide overall clinical leadership for the MHSTs within Kent & Medway.

·Undertake accurate assessment of risk to self and others where needed, and support the service to ensure that risk assessments are applied using clinical knowledge drawing on formulation and best practice guidance.

·Ensure the MHSTs adhere to the service referral protocols and through supervision to help signpost unsuitable referrals to the relevant service as necessary.

·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.

·Provide a range of information and support to schools for evidence based psychological treatments, primarily guided self-help. This work may be face-to-face, by telephone or via other media.

·Ensure MHSTs adhere to an agreed activity contract relating to the overall number of children and young people contacts offered, and sessions carried out per week in order to improve timely access and minimise waiting times.

·Ensure the keeping of coherent records of all activity in line with 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 within a collaborative approach involving a range of relevant others when indicated.

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

·To provide some joint specialist mental health assessments and interventions for children, young people and families.

·To oversee clinical supervision structures.

·To help the clinical supervisor judge when the EMHPs are able to work independently with specific clients and interventions

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

·To support the MHSTs to liaise with other education, health, social care and voluntary sector staff from a range of agencies, in the care provided to children, young people and families.

·Represent the trust when engaging in system wide events or delivering external training, managing system working and promoting the service. (Please see JD for more detail) 

If you are an overseas qualified nurse and wanting to start your journey to becoming a UK based registered nurse with the NMC, you can check whether you are eligible to be supported through our Capital Nurse consortium. Please visit; . Whilst NELFT is happy to welcome overseas nurses we are unable to consider your application directly. You should submit your interest and apply through the Capital Nurse London group.

Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for some job roles, and this will be identified through filtering questions at the start of any job application on the Trac recruitment system.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

Successful completion of a post-graduate training in psychological practice ( psychologist, family therapist, child and adolescent psychotherapist)

Qualifications

Essential criteria

To be eligible for registration as a full member of the appropriate professional body ( HCPC, BACP, UKCP, AFT, ACP)

Experience

Essential criteria

Extensive experience of working with CYP within Mental Health settings and working at an 8a or above level or equivalent

Desirable criteria

Experience of strategic work with wider health and education system Knowledge or experience of MHST services

Experience

Essential criteria

Extensive experience of working therapeutically with parents/carers/families of children and young people with complex mental health problems

Desirable criteria

Extensive experience of clinical supervision of post-graduate qualified psychological practitioners

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

Job Description Clinical Lead (PDF, KB) NELFT Application - Hints and Tips (PDF, KB)

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

NameDr Virginia LumsdenJob titleClinical and Strategic Lead MHSTEmail addressTelephone number07976743032Additional information

Katherine Anderson - Head of Service