Senior Mental Health Practitioner (SMHP)- Mid Essex

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Joining #TeamNELFT means you'll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We're CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London, Essex, Kent and Medway. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.

The Trust has award winning equality and diversity initiatives and staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest heavily in your development, because when you are valued and supported, we provide the best care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been featured in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for five consecutive years, and we have achieved a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Along with our staff networks and training opportunities, we work hard to embed a just and compassionate culture here at NELFT.

Find out more about NELFT careers and what makes our Trust a great place to work, in this video

Job overview

At NELFT, we are proud to be the largest provider of Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) in England. Our teams deliver evidence-based interventions in schools and colleges for children and young people aged 4-18, while also supporting Whole School Approaches to improve wellbeing across education settings. Working closely with school-based services and linking with CAMHS where needed, MHSTs play a vital role in strengthening mental health support for young people.

We are seeking an experienced and motivated Senior Mental Health Practitioner (SMHP) to join our Mid Essex MHSTs. You will deliver CBT interventions, lead Whole School Approach activities, and support Education Mental Health Practitioners through supervision and guidance. The role also includes developing school networks, delivering staff training, supporting group programmes, and co-producing mental health resources.

Applicants should be CYPMHS clinicians undertaking or having completed CYP-PT CBT or SFP training, or registered professionals with a postgraduate diploma in evidence-based psychological therapies. Strong CBT experience is essential.

You will work closely with schools to embed MHST support, develop materials for interventions, and promote positive mental health across education communities. Regular travel between schools is required, so access to a car is desirable.

If you would like to find out further information, please contact the appointing manager.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will deliver brief, high-quality CBT interventions to children and young people in schools and colleges, conducting assessments, offering early interventions, and measuring outcomes to ensure effective, evidence-based practice. They will also support Whole School Approach activities, including workshops, groups, staff training, and consultation, while promoting early identification of mental health needs.

Working autonomously and in line with professional and Trust standards, the practitioner will plan and deliver care according to NICE guidelines, initiate referrals when needed, and provide clear information and psychoeducation to CYP and families.

The role includes contributing to MHST leadership, supporting team culture, multidisciplinary working, audits, governance, and sharing clinical knowledge. Administrative duties involve maintaining clinical records, managing caseloads, supporting agile working, and collecting MHST data. Strong communication skills are required to build relationships with schools, internal teams, agencies, and families.

The practitioner will engage in ongoing professional development, complete mandatory training, participate in appraisal, maintain clinical competencies, support new staff, contribute to training, and assist in implementing new policies and initiatives.

Working for our organisation

Starting with NELFT
All new starters join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and complete a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks, including mandatory and systems training, equipment allocation, and opportunities to meet the executive team and senior managers. Induction takes place at our head office in Rainham, Essex.

Probationary Period
This post is subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt unless they are already within a probationary period or work as bank staff.

Base
The Mid Essex MHST is nominally based at Stapleford House, Chelmsford. As agile workers, the successful applicant will travel to various NELFT sites and educational settings across the MHST area.

Certificates of Sponsorship
Although NELFT is a registered sponsor, we are unable to offer sponsorship for all roles. Applicants should check their eligibility under the UKVI points-based system.

Use of AI
Applications must be written by the applicant. Submissions generated by AI may be rejected, except where appropriate support is required for a declared disability.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

In this role, there are valuable opportunities for continued professional development, including access to supervisor training. Applicants who do not already hold this qualification will be supported to complete it as part of their role.

For full details, please refer to the job description and person specification attached.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Appropriate qualification to be an senior CYPMHS clinician Currently undertaking or completed the CYP PT CBT or SFP course.
• Qualified and registered RMN/RGN, Health Visitor and completed further training/experience at minimum PgDip level in delivering evidence-based psychological interventions.

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience of the delivery of CBT- or systemically-informed therapeutic interventions to children, young people, or their families, including as a trainee.
• Experience of working with moderate presentations and neurodivergence
• Experience of delivering CBT- informed supervision. supervising CYPMHS clinicians and trainees

Desirable criteria

• 2 years post qualification experience in children's mental health services

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• High level knowledge of the theory and practice of psychological interventions including low-intensity CBT interventions.

Benefits

We believe in bringing your authentic and best self to work, in order to deliver the best care to our patients. We are committed to supporting our employees holistically. Here is a snapshot of what is on offer at NELFT:

• A long-standing and award-winning approach to equality and diversity with supportive networks for ethnic minority staff, staff with disabilities or long term/chronic conditions and LGBT staff.
• A commitment to supporting colleagues to achieve a work life balance, through flexible working opportunities and our effortsto support our working parents and carers. This has resulted in us being recognised as a 'Top 10 Family Friendly Employer' from the Working Families Charity.
• Proactive health and wellbeing support, including access to our employee assistance programme, staff psychological support, individual wellbeing conversations and a network of health and wellbeing ambassadors.
• Detailed information about our wellbeing and benefits offer can be found in this link.

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that's a job share, part time hours or another flexible pattern.

Supporting our Armed Forces

We recognise the valuable contribution that the Armed Forces community make to our organisation. We have signed the Armed Forces Covenant and achieved Gold Award under the Armed Forces Employer Recognition Scheme. We have supportive policies, guaranteed interview schemes for veterans. reservists and military spouses and give additional leave to our Reservists so that they can attend their annual camp.

Equal opportunities employer

We are committed to equal opportunities and diversity and positively encourage applications from all sections of the community regardless of any protected characteristic.

We are a Disability Confident employer and have made the pledge to commit to employing more people with disabilities. If you require this application in another format i.e. Braille or audio tape please contact the recruitment team on 0300 300 1530 or email recruitment@nelft.nhs.uk.

Correspondence with us

You are advised to regularly check your emails (including any junk mail/spam folders) for correspondence related to this post.

As part of our recruitment process, we may be required to share information you provide on the application form with NHS Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA) and/or other organisations for the purpose of the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of fraud or any other unlawful activity affecting the NHS. We also use third party providers to check and verify your qualifications who may be contacting you on our behalf to verify the same.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.

Documents to download

• Senior Mental Health Practitioner JD (PDF, 417.8KB)
• NELFT (PDF, 38.4KB)
• Candidate Recruitment Pack (PDF, 671.2KB)
• Acceptable Use of AI in Recruitment (PDF, 3.9MB)