Education Mental Health Practitioner/Children's Wellbeing Practitioner

Job overview

At NELFT, we’re proud to be the largest provider of Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) in England. Our services across Southend, Essex, and Thurrock currently support over 150 schools, delivering vital mental health care to children and young people aged 4 to 18.

Our MHSTs offer evidence-based individual and group interventions within educational settings, helping children manage mild to moderate mental health challenges. We’re deeply committed to whole-school approaches that foster lasting, positive mental health outcomes across entire communities.

We’re Growing — And We Want You on Our Team

Our North-East MHST is looking for passionate, qualified practitioners to join our service. If you hold a qualification in one of the following, we’d love to hear from you:

• Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP)
• Children’s Wellbeing Practitioner (CWP)

Why Join Us?

We’re more than just a service — we’re a collaborative, multidisciplinary team that values compassion, innovation, and support. Here’s what makes us stand out:

• Early intervention & prevention at the heart of everything we do
• Friendly, inclusive culture where your voice matters
• Flexible working options to support your work-life balance
• Ongoing CPD opportunities to help you grow and thrive
• A supportive environment where we lift each other up and work together to improve mental health in our community

If you're ready to make a meaningful impact and be part of a team that truly cares, we’d love to welcome you

Main duties of the job

As a practitioner, you’ll work in close partnership with schools, helping children and young people (CYP) aged 4–18 manage mild to moderate mental health difficulties. You’ll also support their families in building confidence and resilience through:

• 1:1 therapeutic sessions
• Group interventions
• Whole-school mental health initiatives

What You’ll Be Doing

• Delivering evidence-based interventions in primary, secondary, and higher education settings
• Conducting comprehensive assessments, including risk assessments, care plans, and reviews
• Using Routine Outcome Measures (ROMs) and clinical tools to guide and improve practice
• Collaborating with schools to map and plan service delivery tailored to their needs
• Working alongside fellow EMHPs/CWPs and Senior Mental Health Practitioners to support your development

What We’re Looking For

You’ll be a qualified EMHP or CWP, confident in working independently within your scope of practice, and experienced in supporting CYP in educational environments. You’ll bring compassion, clinical skill, and a collaborative spirit to everything you do.

You must be able to travel across Colchester, Clacton and Harwich (vehicle access required)

What We Offer

• A supportive, multidisciplinary team
• Opportunities for Continual Professional Development (CPD)
• Support to register with BABCP or BPS during your probationary period
• Flexible working options to support your wellbeing

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Ready to Apply? Here’s What You Need to Know

For full details about this role and what it’s like to work at North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT), please refer to the attached job description and person specification. We strongly encourage you to use these documents to guide your application.

Application Checklist

Before submitting your application, please ensure you’ve addressed the following:

• Have you completed the EMHP or CWP training course?
• Please confirm the university where you completed your training.
• Let us know which organisation you are seeking professional accreditation through.

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. When calculating the basic salary for sponsorship, HCAS (High-Cost Area Supplement) is not included to ensure fairness and consistency within our Trust.

Use of AI

Please see attached document regarding acceptable use of AI during the recruitment process.