Closing date: 22 July 2026

Job summary
Children and Family Health Devon is excited to offer an 8 month fixed-term opportunity (until March 2027) for two Band 6 Senior Mental Health Practitioner to join our Managing Mood, Emotions & Relationships (MERs) pathway as part of a newly funded Enhanced Triage Pilot.

This position can be based at any of the locations listed and hybrid working arrangements will also be considered.

This innovative model is designed to improve access, flow and coordination for children and young people presenting with emotional and relational difficulties. The pilot ensures that every child referred for a specialist mental health assessment receives a telephone triage assessment within two weeks of referral, providing earlier engagement, better prioritisation and improved continuity of care.

You will play a key role in developing, delivering and evaluating this new approach, helping us test a model that puts children and families firmly at the centre of what we do.

Main duties of the job

• Undertake enhanced triage assessments to support timely, needs-led decision-making for children and young people.
• Provide brief formulations, risk assessments and signposting in collaboration with multi-disciplinary colleagues.
• Conduct telephone triage calls to confirm service suitability, gather clinical information and complete initial risk assessments.
• Develop care plans while children are waiting, including safety planning, signposting and psychoeducation.
• Support the ongoing development and evaluation of the Enhanced Triage Pilot, contributing to audit and quality-improvement work.
• Uphold safeguarding and risk-management standards and promote high-quality, responsive care.

About us
At Children and Family Health Devon, we are dedicated to improving the physical and mental health of children and young people across Devon and Torbay. We aim to create an environment where children and young people can thrive and are committed to reducing health inequalities and providing specialised support, empowering them to lead healthy, fulfilling lives.

Our children and young people say
We would like the people who work for Children and Family Health Devon to be understanding, patient and respectful. They should be trustworthy and make us feel safe and comfortable. It is important that they use their skills and experience to listen carefully in a non-patronising and non-judgemental way. When staff are positive and friendly, they help to create an environment that is informal and without pressure.

Who we are
We are an alliance of NHS organisations led by Devon Partnership Trust. We are a group of professionals including psychologists, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, nurses and many other professions.

Join us in beautiful Devon
With access to moors, sea and cities, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy Devon. Whether you enjoy spending time in the cultural hub of Exeter, exploring the Jurassic coastline or discovering the world surfing reserve in North Devon there really is something for everyone.

Details
Date posted: 07 July 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 6
Salary: £39,959 to £48,117 a year
Contract: Fixed term
Duration: 8 months
Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working
Reference number: C9369-26-0194
Job locations: Lescaze Offices, Shinner's Bridge, Totnes TQ9 6JE; South Devon Healthcare, 187 Newton Road, Torquay TQ2 7BA; Integrated Childrens Services, Fishleigh Road, Roundswell Business Park, Barnstaple, Devon EX31 3UD; Evergreen, Victoria Park Road, Exeter EX2 4NU

Job description
Full Vacancy details can be found on the attached Job Description/Person Specification. Please refer to your suitability to the post in your supporting information from the role requirements or person specification.

Information regarding the Managing Mood, Emotions and Relationships Pathway:
In this pathway, Senior Mental Health Practitioners work within a strong multi-disciplinary team, providing assessments and therapy to children with severe, chronic and enduring mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety-based disorders and Trauma.

You would work with children, young people and families to understand their experiences and presenting concerns in order to provide an appropriate evidence-based intervention and work closely with other agencies to support the best outcomes.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• A professional qualification at degree level or equivalent e.g. Psychological profession, Nursing, Social Work, Occupational Therapy, or equivalent.
• Professional registration/accreditation with a recognised body, e.g. NMC, HCPC, Social Work England, UKCP, BABCP

Desirable

• Recognised qualification in evidenced based therapeutic, mental health interventions for children/young people and their families/carers
• Post graduate qualification relevant to specialism
• Clinical Supervision qualification

Experience
Essential

• Substantial experience of managing an extensive and complex caseload and working with children/young people presenting with a range of complex mental health presentations.
• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency environment.
• Experience of delivering model based psychological therapy

Desirable

• Participation in user involvement in services.
• Mentoring students in line with professional requirements

Knowledge, skills and abilities
Essential

• Ability to be mobile across a geographical area in a timely manner and in accordance with service need.
• Computer literacy.

Additional information
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).