Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner

Job overview

Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner to Start in September 2026

Upon successful and timely completion of the training this post will be upgraded to a permanent band 5 contract. Band 4 Trainee EMHPs work closely with the children, young people and families who use our services. They are expected to be kind and responsive but professional and informative and contribute to the quality of the services we provide by:

• keeping the people who are using our services as safe as possible through the use of sound clinical skills and effective risk assessments.
• ensuring the best possible clinical outcomes by using up-to-date skills and adhering to evidence-based policies and procedures.
• ensuring the people using our services have a good experience by respecting, empowering and working in partnership with people throughout the care planning process.

This course involves university study and clinical work as a practitioner working with children, young people and parents/carers. Candidates will need to apply for the EMHP role with CNWL and the training at UCL via the training portal at the same time. Please use this link for the UCL application:

Educational Mental Health Practitioner PG Dip | Prospective Students Graduate - UCL – University College London

To find out more about working in CAMHS please view:

Hillingdon CAMHS :: Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Main duties of the job

Hillingdon Mental Health Support Team Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP)

As a Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner, you will be expected to work under supervision as part of a dynamic mental health team in a creative environment where evidence-based interventions, new ideas, ways of working and supporting children and young people are actively encouraged. This approach requires flexibility and adaptability, and above all a passion for working with children and young people in educational settings. Over the course of the training year, the post-holder will, under supervision, develop knowledge and practice skills to employ a range of evidence-based interventions for common mental health problems via direct individual and group support for children, young people and their parents, in line with the university expectations.

Please note: Continued employment in this post is conditional on the successful completion of the course and a 13-week probationary period. The successful candidate will be required to be available to commence training from September 2026. The successful candidates will be expected to attend university and to travel to the University site as required in the first year to complete their training.

This post is one of 2 positions available.

Applicants must be willing to travel to and around Hillingdon as well as to the university training site in London on a regular basis.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner role will:

• Work closely alongside a team of mental health professionals delivering a wide range of evidence informed interventions, under supervision.
• Develop and practice evidence-based skills under supervision to work directly with children, young people and families.
• Develop and practice evidence-based skills under supervision to carry out holistic and child-centred mental health assessments, including risk assessments.

The Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner is required to:

• Demonstrate the ability to study at degree level or have an equivalent level of relevant experience, with a proven record of previous learning or formal study in child development, wellbeing or mental health Graduate route (level 6)
• Graduate route (level 6)

Applicants that may not hold an honours degree must have proven successful study at level 5; or successful part completion of an Honours degree

• Postgraduate route (level 7)

Honours Degree graded at 2.2 or above

• 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 of working with children and young people who have social, emotional and/or mental health difficulties

Please note that if we receive a high volume of applications, the job posting may be closed earlier than the stated deadline.

Applicant requirements

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.