Working for our organisation

The successful candidates would be working within Harrow and Hillingdon MHSTs (Mental Health Support Team).

The MHST works with Young people with mild to moderate mental health presentations attending school/education setting in the Hillingdon area.

The purpose of the team is to:

• Provide evidence-based interventions for mild to moderate mental health issues.
• Support the senior mental health lead in each education setting to introduce or develop their whole school or college approach.
• Give timely advice to school and college staff, and liaising with external specialist services, to help children and young people to get the right support and stay in education.

Young people have access to the MHST via one phone number. School staff and other potential referrers are able to contact a team of clinical staff to discuss potential referrals.

The MHST will manage referrals, deal with queries, undertake clinical telephone triage and face to face assessment, give advice and signpost young people where appropriate.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

Job responsibilities

• To deliver under supervision, high-quality, brief outcome focused evidence-based group and individual systemic interventions for children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties in and around schools. The post holder will be responsible for delivering clinical interventions within the MHST and will receive clinical supervision from the teams senior practitioner.
• Promoting the mental and emotional health of children, young people and families in the community through evidenced based clinical interventions.
• To undertake initial school based and community-based assessments and to deliver a range of early interventions to children and young people with a range of emotional and behavioural difficulties
• Contribute to the overall assessment, including risk assessment, of children and young people in terms of their mental health needs.
• To offer support, advice, signposting and onward referral to children, professionals requesting advice.
• To provide professional advice and consultation.
• To provide education, advice, and practical support to young people and their families as well as brief therapeutic interventions.
• Support EMHP colleagues within the MHST working at Band 4/5.
• To routinely measure clinical outcomes
• To collect MHST data routinely
• Liaise with professionals who are currently providing services to children and young people, such as those in primary care settings, childrens services, education and others.

Person specification

Education And Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Minimum of a second-class Bachelor’s degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard in a relevant academic subject (e.g. Psychology, Education, Childhood development, Social Work etc).
• A registerable professional qualification (e.g. as a counselling/clinical/educational psychologist, social worker, counsellor ( three year minimum training, full BACP accredited membership (MBACP Accred) and experience in the public or voluntary sector), mental health nurse, occupational therapist, art / music therapist.
• Applications MAY be considered from those who do not have a registerable professional training if they have at least 3 years’ experience in a CAMHS or equivalent setting and can demonstrate equivalence through the RPL (recognition of prior learning) process

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Knowledge and understanding of issues relating to safeguarding children and young people

Experience

Essential criteria

• At least two years’ experience of working with Desirable children / young people in a mental health setting
• Experience of working with safeguarding issues
• Experience of multi-agency working and liaising across internal & external agencies.

Skills And Abilities

Essential criteria

• Ability to communicate effectively and sensitively with children, young people, and their families.
• Ability to maintain a reflective stance in emotive/challenging interactions with children and their families
• Ability to use supervision to reflect on practices
• Ability to organize own time and diary
• Ability to follow policy and make proposal for change
• Ability to maintain accurate records.
• Capability to complete academic work at postgraduate diploma level, including IELTS or equivalent to the appropriate level for students with English as a foreign language (BAND D)

Desirable criteria

• Understanding of evidence based practice and the ability to demonstrate how this influences clinical practice.