Job summary
The MHST is looking for qualified Educational Mental Health Practitioners (EMHPs) or Children's Wellbeing Practitioners (CWPs) to work as an autonomous practitioner (with appropriate supervision) within an MHST, delivering evidence-based mental health support to children and young people in educational settings. The post holder will assess and deliver outcome focused, evidence-based interventions for children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties, working at all times in collaboration with and giving respect to the education function of the setting.

The role focuses on early intervention, promoting emotional wellbeing, supporting school staff, and improving access to specialist services where needed.

Main duties of the job

• Deliver brief, evidence-based CBT informed interventions (e.g. guided self-help) for children and young people with mild to moderate mental health needs.
• Assess and deliver outcome focused, evidence-based interventions within educational settings in collaboration with education staff.
• Support early identification of mental health difficulties and facilitate referrals for more complex cases.
• Work collaboratively with children, families, education staff, and wider professionals to develop and implement care plans.
• Promote mental health awareness and wellbeing strategies within school settings.
• Provide advice, consultation, and training support to education staff.
• Maintain accurate clinical records and outcome data in line with Trust and national standards and timescales.
• Manage a defined caseload, working within scope of practice and escalating risk or complexity appropriately.
• Undertake and record accurate assessments, including formulation of risk, and operate clear risk management processes in line with local procedures and safeguarding guidance.
• Attend multi-agency meetings and contribute to integrated care planning.

About us
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is an exceptional organisation with big ambitions, our aim is to be the leading provider of mental health and specialist learning disability services in the country.

With a workforce of around 4,000 people and an annual income of some £330million this year, the Trust provides integrated health and social care services through a network of community and inpatient settings, serving diverse communities across Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and Norfolk. As a university NHS foundation trust, HPFT continues to develop strong links with the University of Hertfordshire, providing excellent learning and development opportunities, as well as strengthening our clinical research capability

Whilst it is a challenging period for the NHS, there has never been a more exciting time to join HPFT following our CQC rating of Outstanding awarded to us in April 2019. We are on our "Good to Great" journey as we continue to innovate, improve, transform and ultimately deliver the very highest standards of care to the service users and communities that we serve.

Our values and behaviours have been developed by over 800 service users, carers and members of staff. They describe how we aim to be with service users, carers and each other. By living our values we will deliver our ambition to be a leading provider for everyone we work with.

Welcoming
Kind
Positive
Respectful
Professional

Date posted: 17 July 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 5
Salary: £33,677 to £40,996 a year
Per annum, Pro rata (5% HCAS Included)
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 367-CYP-101424
Job locations: CYPMHS West, 99 Waverley Road, St Albans, AL3 5TL, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
Clinical Responsibilities

• Conduct assessments, including risk assessments and formulations, and deliver outcome-focused interventions.
• Support children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties.
• Signpost or refer to specialist services when needs exceed scope.
• Provide consultation to professionals within education settings.
• Operate within safeguarding protocols and Local Safeguarding Board guidance at all times.

Training, Supervision & Development

• Engage in regular clinical and case management supervision.
• Apply learning from training to practice and maintain professional development.
• Participate in audit, service evaluation, and research activity where appropriate.

Professional Responsibilities

• Work in line with Trust policies, safeguarding procedures, and professional standards.
• Maintain confidentiality and promote equality, diversity, and inclusion.
• Identify and manage risk appropriately, ensuring safety for all service users.

Working Conditions

• Manage a workload across multiple educational settings.
• Travel regularly within the local area.
• Work in a busy, emotionally demanding environment, requiring resilience and professionalism.

For a more detailed description of the role, please see attached JD and PS.

Person Specification
QUALIFICATIONS/EDUCATION/TRAINING
Essential

• Successful completion of the HEE commissioned 1yr 'Education Mental Health Practitioner' or the 'Child and Young Persons Psychological Wellbeing Practice' course with experience of working with child, young people and families.
• Experience of working clinically with children and young people in a setting such a CAMHS and/or within an educational setting

Desirable

• A further relevant degree qualification
• Teaching qualification

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE
Essential

• Experience of working with children and young people, their families, and others.
• Experience of working and liaising with a wide variety of agencies and stakeholders.
• Experience working in a service which has agreed targets in place demonstrating clinical outcomes.
• Experience in using an electronic records and data collection system.
• Experience of working with children and young people who have social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, and those who have experienced a mental health problem
• Experience of working with anxiety disorders, affective (mood) disorders.
• Experience of the delivery of specific therapeutic interventions to children, young people, or their families (e.g., CBT, solution focused brief therapy).
• Experience of working with children and their families in a healthcare and/or education setting.

Desirable

• Experience of monitoring and recording outcome measures for children's emotional wellbeing.
• Experience of navigating complex social systems and environments, who may have conflicting priorities or agendas.
• Experience of working with looked after children.
• Experience of working with other vulnerable groups.

SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE/ABILITY
Essential

• Demonstrates an understanding of anxiety, depression, and challenging behaviour and how it may present in universal services
• Demonstrates understanding of the need to use evidence based psychological models and how it relates to this post.
• Knowledge of capacity and consent issues including Gillick competence.
• Knowledge of educational environments.
• Knowledge of safeguarding issues.
• Ability to carry out 1:1 therapeutic mental health interventions with children/families
• Ability to conduct group parenting programmes.
• Ability to work within educational settings to increase mental health awareness within the staff group.
• Ability to conduct mental health assessments of children and young people.
• Ability to assess risk and to record and communicate it appropriately
• Ability to take appropriate action to mitigate or manage risk.

Desirable

• Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care.
• Demonstrates knowledge of the stressors young people may encounter in an educationalsetting and the impact that these can have on mental health
• Knowledge of the school's safeguarding procedures and who the Designated Safeguarding Lead, (DSL), is in each establishment that they work in.
• Knowledge of the functional operation of specialist CAMHS teams.
• Ability to teach others about mental health issues.
• Ability to conduct other group therapeutic interventions with children and their families.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Essential

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Able to write clear reports and letters.
• Ability to work within a team and foster good working relationships
• Ability to use clinical supervision positively and effectively
• Ability to facilitate psychoeducation sessions to professionals (e.g. teachers)
• Ability to deliver interventions to groups (young people and parent/carer groups).
• Skills in delivering Guided Self-Help interventions.
• Able to develop good therapeutic relationships with young people

ANALYTICAL SKILLS
Essential

• Ability to be self-reflective, whilst working with service users, in own personal and professional development andin supervision.
• Ability to assess risk assessments and understanding of the importance of assessing risk.

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 (Apply through our 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. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Apply through our website).

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (apply through our website).

Employer details
Employer name: Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Address: CYPMHS West, 99 Waverley Road, St Albans, AL3 5TL, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.hpft.nhs.uk/careers/ (Opens in a new tab)