Senior Mental Health Practitioner

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Job Description

Have you got experience of working with children and young people and want to move into a rewarding career in mental health?

East Sussex County Council (ESCC) is recruiting 4 Senior Mental Health Practitioners (SMHP) to join our existing Mental Health Support Team (MHST) in Hastings & Bexhill.

The MHST teams deliver evidence-based interventions based on the Cognitive Behavioural Therapeutic (CBT) approach in schools. We work directly with children and young people aged 7-17 with mild to moderate mental health issues, and their parents and carers. We also work with schools to develop or enhance their whole-school approach to emotional health and wellbeing and mental health. As a Senior Mental Health Practitioner (SMHP), you will be working as part of a dynamic integrated mental health team. This approach requires creativity, flexibility, and adaptability, and above all a passion for working with children and young people in educational settings. You will receive clinical supervision to support your interventions and have the opportunity to develop your practice.

The Senior Mental Health Practitioner will focus on providing day to day clinical and supervisory support for the Education Mental Health Practitioners (EMHPs), maintain a caseload and deliver group interventions. The post-holder will also provide training and support to school staff, helping to embed whole-school approaches to mental health.

The role will be working alongside community partners and developing relationships between the new MHST and educational settings and the post-holder will be responsible for supporting the development of the MHSTs and embedding their services within educational settings across Hastings.

We are looking for candidates who have:

• Core professional qualification relevant to mental health e.g. nursing with specialism in mental health or learning disability nursing, Occupational Therapy, Social Work, Educational Psychology, PWP, CWP, CBT or Low intensity Psychological Practitioner
• A qualification in leadership or supervision, or a willingness to commence if successful.
• Registration with a relevant Professional body.
• Have a full driving licence or the ability to demonstrate how meet the travel requirements of the role

Our office base is Cavendish House, Hastings.

To apply for this role please click the 'apply now' button and upload a CV and covering letter outlining how you meet the essential and desirable criteria as set out in the attached job description and person specification. You may wish to draw on any relevant work/life experience, education or personal interests.

Please download the Job Description & Person Specification.

Interviews will be held in person at Cavendish House, Hastings, TN34 3AA on 08 August 2025.

The team is always committed to the development of our staff, and is a lovely place to work.

We offer a diverse range of benefits to help and support you during your employment. More information can be found on our benefits page.

Please contact MHST.info@eastsussex.gov.uk for any questions about the post or if you wish to arrange an informal discussion.

For work that makes a difference

About Us

Additional Information

This post is subject to an Enhanced DBS check or Enhanced check for Regulated Activity with the Disclosure & Barring Services (previously the Criminal Records Bureau). For further information about what is required in this process please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-check-applicant-criminal-record. Please note that we require evidence of an overseas police check if you have lived or worked abroad.

Your starting salary will be pro rata if the above position is part-time or term-time only.

If you require sponsorship to work in the UK please let the hiring manager know this in your application so we can check eligibility for sponsorship for the role. For further information please go to https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas

If you require any reasonable adjustments, due to disability, to enable you to participate fully in the process please contact the hiring manager on the contact details above.