Job summary
We are excited to offer this opportunity to an experienced and enthusiastic Band 7 Specialist Mental Health Practitioner to join the Mood, Emotions and Relationships (MERs) Pathway within Children and Family Health Devon (CFHD).

We currently have one 1.0 WTE (37.5 hours per week) countywide role based in East, Exeter, and Mid Devon, and one 0.7 WTE (26 hours per week) countywide role based in Torbay and South Devon.

However, there will be an expectation to travel across Devon as required for both roles. We expect the successful applicant to hold a valid drivers licence.

This role offers an excellent opportunity to contribute to the development of a pathway supporting children and young people experiencing complex emotional and mental health challenges. Elements of the role can be undertaken remotely, and we welcome flexible working arrangements.

Main duties of the job
The post involves working closely across both the MERs and Neurodiversity pathways as part of our developing integrated pathway model. This role will support the development of this new integrated model, and the responsibilities will evolve over time as the pathway grows, requiring the successful applicant to be responsive to changing needs.

The successful applicant will bring additional skills, experience, and a passion for supporting autistic young people through mental health assessment and intervention. They will deliver specialist, evidence-based psychological interventions and facilitate specialist Autism assessments. The role provides an opportunity to work within a team with a strong multidisciplinary ethos, collaborating with colleagues across pathways and partnering with other agencies including local Paediatric teams and education providers to support joined-up assessment, intervention, and care planning for children, young people, and their families.

The role will also involve working alongside the current assessment and intervention pathways within MERs for wider neurodivergent differences, such as Tics and Tourettes and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

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.

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: 03 July 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 7
Salary: £49,387 to £56,515 a year
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working
Reference number: C9369-26-0537
Job locations: CFHD, Evergreen, Victoria Park Road, EXETER, EX2 4NU, United Kingdom; South Devon Healthcare, Torbay Hospital Annexe, 187 Newton Road, TORQUAY, TQ2 7BA, United Kingdom; Children & Family Health, Lescaze Offices, Shinners Bridge, Dartington, TOTNES, Devon, TQ9 6JD, United Kingdom

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Professional knowledge acquired through degree supplemented by specialist training or equivalent experience to masters level WITH a relevant core professional training (e.g. Nursing, Clinical Psychology, Social Work, Occupational Therapy, etc) and relevant professional registration.
• Training in an evidence-based therapeutic approach.
• Evidence of relevant CPD.

Desirable

• Training in supervision and/or leadership skills.

Experience
Essential

• Experience of working collaboratively with service users and their families/carers, including using goal-based care and routine outcome measures in practice.
• Experience of working collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary team and across agencies.
• Experience of working with children and young peoples with Autism and/or a Learning Disability, families and parents/carers, maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems and verbal abuse.
• Experience of undertaking specialist mental health and/or behavioural assessment and therapeutic interventions for in the area of childrens mental health, with the ability to work with complex needs and undertake risk assessments.
• Experience of safeguarding infants and ensuring the safety of children in partnership with other agencies as appropriate.
• Experience that evidences an ability to tend to diversity and work in a way that promotes anti-discriminatory practice.
• Experience of initiating, attending and contributing to multi-professional and inter-agency meetings.

Desirable

• Experience in providing effective clinical supervision, teaching, training and assessing in clinical practice.
• Experience of providing professional teaching and training for other professionals.

Knowledge, skills and abilities
Essential

• Understanding of relevant legislation pertaining to child mental health and learning disability.
• High level knowledge of mental health presentations in and children/young people and knowledge of the theory and practice of short term and long term, evidence-based, clinical interventions in the field of perinatal and infant mental health and who may also present with a Learning Disability.
• Knowledge of child development.
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to children and adolescents and safeguarding procedures and policies.
• Knowledge of NHS, Social Care and Education structures, national policies and frameworks, evidence based practice including NICE guidelines.
• Knowledge of risk management and ability to monitor and assess risk and act accordingly to ensure safety.

Additional requirement
Essential

• A full driving licence and access to a vehicle is required for this role.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
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.

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.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration.