Mental Health Support Teams are a government initiative following the NHS long term plans for transformation of Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services.NELFT is the largest providers of Mental Health Support Teams in England. Our Southend, Essex and Thurrock services cover 144 schools. The service is developing and expanding with an aim to cover all secondary schools in locality by September 2025.The MHST’s deliver evidence-based individual and group interventions in educational settings for children experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties aged 5 to 18 years old. The teams also have a strong focus on whole school approaches to improve mental health outcomes for children and young people.
The Mid Essex Mental Health Support Team (MHST) covers a large geographical area incorporating the districts of Braintree,Chelmsfordand Maldon. We are an early intervention and prevention evidence-based service and as a team we are supportive and passionate in what we deliver. We are a friendly team of professionals who come from multidisciplinary backgrounds. We recognise the needs for a healthy work life balance, and we will consider flexible working applications in line with the trust policies and process. We encourage Continual ProfessionalDevelopment andare keen to support our staff to grow and progress.
Our locality covers a large area so you will need access to a vehicle andhave the ability totravel efficiently across the county.
Therole requiresa post-graduate qualified psychological practitioner (e.g. clinical psychologist, counselling psychologist)fully registered with HCPC.
The post holder will be an effectiveteam member usingtheir owninitiative, supportingtheirpeersand team lead.They will ensure that a high-quality,timely,accessibleand evidence-based service is available to all service users who need it throughout the MHST.
The post-holder will be directly involved in delivering and supervising a range of therapeutic interventions, which may include parent work, group work, school observations of children, and short-term psychological treatments.
Working under the direction of the Locality Clinical Lead, the post-holder will alsobe responsible forliaising directly with schools, conducting annual needs assessments with education setting management and planning the needs-led programme for working with the setting on their whole-school and -college approach (WSCA) to mental health and wellbeing.
The Clinical/Counselling Psychologist in MHSTmay alsobe requiredto complete a postgraduate certificate supervisor training. This training is funded as part of the MHSTprogramme.
This role is suited to a candidatewho is keen on service development as well as managing a clinical caseload.
We welcome applications fromrecently qualifiedcandidates.
Probationary Period
This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff).
Starting with NELFT
NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number ofdrop insessions focussinginengagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.
Job responsibilities
Please seejob description andperson specification for full details of this role.
• To provide an efficient,effectiveand comprehensive psychological service for children and adolescents with emotional and mental health problems, their carers/parentsand families.
• Whereappropriate tosupervise SMHPs and Assistant Psychologists as well as group supervision for a mixture of practitioners within their locality in MHSTs.
• To contribute to multi-disciplinary assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with emotional and mental health problems, their carers/parentsand families.
• Working in partnership with schools, to support children, young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties and their families in the self-management of presenting difficulties.
• To contribute to audit and research.
• To actively engage in treatment and outcome monitoring, including the use of normed measures associated with CYP-IAPT.
• To work in clinical practice, making use of supervision, within the overall framework MHSTs and the Trust’s policies and procedures.
• To oversee the formulation and treatment and management plans for schools, parents,childrenand young people being supported by the MHSTs using a range of specialist psychological interventionsappropriate totheservice;individual and group.
• To support and empower children, youngpeopleand families to make informed choices about the intervention.
• To alwaysoperatefrom an inclusive values base which recognises and respects diversity.
• Assess and integrate issues relating to transitions,educationand training/employment into the overall therapeutic process.
• Work in collaboration with children, youngpeopleand communities to enhance and widen access to support health promotion.
• To be able to travel across the county for supervision, clinicalworkand training – all travel to be in line with trust policies and procedures relating to expenses and Vehicle registration and insurance.
• Through close case management and supervision, escalate cases where the level of need becomes beyond scope, or more severe ensuring adherence to other relevant elements of service delivery.
Clinical Skills
• To act as an autonomous, registered practitioner who is legally and professionally accountable for own unsupervised actions guided by their professional code of conduct and Trust guidelines and protocols.
• To useappropriate clinicalunderstanding in assessing, jointly with colleagues in the multi-disciplinary team, children,adolescentsand their families, working collaboratively to formulate their strengths and difficulties and todeterminethe mostappropriate treatmentplan.
• To provide therapeutic interventions with due regard to issues of cultural,racialand religious difference and sexual orientation.
• To undertake observations of children in school settings as part of wider assessments.
• To undertake work with parents/carers/networks of referred children and young people.
• To provide specialist mental health assessments and interventions for schools, parents,childrenand young people ifrequired. The interventions and supports offered will be based on the low intensity evidence-based interventions for the treatment of low mood, anxiety, and behaviour problems.
• To utilise theory,literatureand research to support evidence-based practice in individual work and work with other members of MHST.
Leadership
• To actively promote integrated healthcare professional working internally and externally
• Tofacilitatethe development of a positive and ‘supportive’ team culture by taking responsibility for dealing effectively with potential conflict
• To take an active interest in working parties and groups within the Trust to develop and improve on service delivery,protocolsand guidelines
• Toparticipatein the audit, quality improvement,researchand service evaluation, linking in with the clinical governance agenda
• To advise, encourage and share knowledge utilising the latest research and practice development, through literature and peer reviews.
• To ensure that a high quality,timely,accessibleand evidence-based service is available to all service users who need it.
• Under the direction of the Locality Clinical Lead, to support the practical development of the MHST initiative within the service.
• Toassistin the integration and development of co-production, outcomes measures, andevidence-based treatment approaches to support for service improvement
Administration
• To be computer literate and implement the Trust’s IM&T Strategy.
• To ensureaccuraterecording and updating of patients’ records, including risk information, alwaysmaintainingconfidentiality.
• To ensure electronic outcome monitoring is completed for patients’ treatment.
• To complete mandatory on-line training associated with the post.
• To take part, and assist, in the planning and administration relating to day to day running of the caseload.
Communication
• To have a wide range of knowledge in relevant clinical approaches to communicating and managing patient care.
• To provide reports and communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner concerning the assessment,formulationand treatment plans of clients.
• To be able to effectively communicate with colleagues, peers, seniormanagersand clinical leads within the Trust.
• To be able to communicate complex patient related informationfacilitatingpositive outcomes and ensuring collaborative working.
• Toparticipatein the review of clinical policies andidentifyimprovements to service provision.
• To provide reports on children and young people for parents, referrers and for other outside agencies, including Social Services and Education Services which describe assessment outcomes in accessible terms and formulate care plans.
• Toparticipatein regular clinical discussions and reviews of cases in treatment with members of the multi-disciplinary team.
• To present cases to network meetings with professional members of other agencies.
• To provide psychological and clinical advice to other professionals working within the CYPMHS team.
• Tobe responsible forcontinuallymonitoringand evaluating risk to/from children and young people in one’s own caseload and during supervision/consultation discussions.
Teaching, Training and Supervision
• To contribute to the training experience of trainee therapists, asappropriate.
• To provide extensive and expert clinical supervision asrequired
• To supportnew staffand their integration within the team.
• To ensure own continued professional development tomaintainthe highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes, in consultation with the post holder’s professional and service managers.
• Tomaintainup to date knowledge of legislation, national and local NHS, Social Care and Education policies and issues of relevance to the patient group, particularly safeguarding policies and procedures and NICE guidelines.
• To receive regular clinical and service-related supervision froman appropriate professionalwithin NELFT.
• To undertake a regular appraisal, developing a personal development plan that includes clinical competencies reflecting the mental health needs of the local population and related to Trust strategy.
• Support MHST staff in the co-delivery of training sessions. This may include attendance at practice skills sessions, involvement in formative feedback sessions with teaching staff, and co-production of elements of the curriculum.
• To judge, with support of senior colleagues, when the EMHPsare able towork independently with specific clients and interventions.
This advert closes on Wednesday 1 Jan 2025