Job summary
Band 6 - Mental Health Practitioner
Hours per week
Sefton Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) at Alder Hey are looking for a new Mental Health Practitioner to join our team.
As a B6 Mental Health Practitioner (MHP) you will work across a range of educational, healthcare and community settings to provide early intervention/evidence based interventions for children and young people and their families, enabling children and young people to access support in schools.
The successful candidates will have already undertaken further training in one of the IAPT modalities (CBT, SFP and IPTA is desirable) and will undertake direct work with children and young people, families and carers as well as education providers. In addition, the post holder will deliver training and work with education providers to develop the Whole School and College Approach. The post holders may also provide supervision to our Education Mental Health Practitioners (EMHP's).
If you are a current B5 EMHP you will need to submit a KSA as part of this process. Please submit your completed KSA to and and refer to this in your application form.
Main duties of the job
To communicate to the client and family, knowledge of therapeutic processes, confidentiality and available options involved in their assessment and care plan, to enable them to engage appropriately from a position of informed consent. This will sometimes include communication about highly sensitive material and outcomes.
Utilising analytical skills, specialist knowledge and experience provide a comprehensive assessment and formulation of the presenting problem taking into account the child's educational attainment, chronological/ developmental stage, inner world/ emotional wellbeing, the mental health of the child's parents, the family dynamics and environment, and the broader social context including school.
Develop a planned programme of intervention utilising behavioural, cognitive, psychodynamic and systemic perspectives as indicated by the formulation, the needs of the client and the evidence base.
Provide individual, couple, family and group interventions as appropriate as part of a client's integrated, therapeutic programme.
Undertake with supervision/consultation, case management of cases of some severity, risk and complexity, co-ordinating multi-disciplinary inputs and working in partnership with other agencies where appropriate.
About us
Alder Hey MHST is part of the Education Mental Health Team. MHSTs cover both Liverpool and Sefton and currently have links with around 200 schools. Liverpool MHST comprises 4 teams, North, Central, South along with a Transitions Team. Sefton MHST has recently recruited to their 4 teams and now have North, South, Central and an LD team.
Alder Hey are offering excellent benefit schemes;
Refer a friend - Alder Hey staff
Successful candidates who are introduced to the trust by existing staff members will receive £1000 after completion of six months in post. Please include the name/Alder Hey email for your friend in the additional information section of your application.
This will be paid in two parts, £250 in first month pay on commencement in post, and £750 on completion of six months.
Accommodation
Alder Hey will support the cost of accommodation for up to 3 months from the date of employment (up to £500 per month)
The cost is to be paid by the staff member and reclaimed as expenses.
Relocation package
Relocation packages to support new hires and will be consulted on an individual basis, please link in with for further information.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The post holder will provide a substantial contribution to the clinical work of the team, including accepting, prioritising, assessing, and treating referrals of children and their families. Initially this will be at a level to be agreed with the candidate but over time they will take full case management responsibility for their case load.
In addition, they may provide consultation, under supervision, to professionals from other services and participate in service development. The proportion of direct clinical work, consultation and service development work undertaken will be negotiated with the clinical team manager and the professional lead.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
1. Qualified in core profession such as Mental Health Nurse (RMN/RLD), Mental Health Practitioner, Clinical Psychologist, Occupational Therapy, Social Work or creative therapies Art Therapy - with proof of relevant professional registration OR Recognised degree level broad based health & social care qualification which will require completion of The British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) Knowledge Skills and Attributes
2. Two years' experience of post graduate work in core profession / following qualification
3. Two years' experience working collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary setting and evidence of training in child & family mental health related field.
Desirable
4. Experience of working in child and adolescent mental health services.
5. Experienced in and able to demonstrate proficiency in case management responsibility
Knowledge
Essential
6. Able to demonstrate application of therapeutic and analytical skills
7. Able to demonstrate ability to be self-reflective in relation to practice.
8. Able to provide, (with appropriate supervision), assessment of emergency/ self-harming behaviour.
9. Must demonstrate a working knowledge of health, education, social services and the voluntary sector.
10. Knowledge of relevant, current legislation.
11. Knowledge of safety factors in management of self-harming behaviours and child protection issues
12. An understanding of principles underlying psychodynamic, systemic, cognitive and behavioural therapies.
13. Working knowledge of child development
14. Awareness of recent government initiatives
15. Organisational skills to manage and prioritise workload balance appropriately
16. Able to demonstrate a commitment to the overall vision and the development of the professional group of mental health practitioners
17. Must demonstrate utilisation of professional development planning in own career progression
Desirable
18. Knowledge of audit and evaluation methodology
Personal Attributes
Essential
19. Enthusiasm for and appreciation of multidisciplinary and multiagency working
20. Must demonstrate a professional mannger
21. Excellent communication skills