Senior MHST Practitioner

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity for a Senior MHST Practitioner to join the Lambeth Mental Health Support Team. We are looking for a 12 month fixed-term maternity cover from August 2026 to August 2027.

You must have completed the Senior Wellbeing Practice Postgraduate DiplomaOR have a qualification in another core profession for example: Art, Music or Drama Psychotherapy, Social Work, Occupational Therapy, Mental Health Nursing, Clinical, Counselling or Educational Psychology.

You will need to have a professional registration with the relevant statutory body (e.g. BABCP, HCPC, SWE or NMC).

The successful candidates will be working with schools to improve mental health outcomes for children, young people and their families, including planning and delivering activities as part of a whole school/college approach, providing assessment and intervention using evidence-based approaches and providing guided signposting and liaison with other services.

Main duties of the job

• Work as part of the Lambeth MHST to manage a defined caseload.
• Complete holistic assessments, and provide evidence-based intervention for children and young people (CYP) with mild to moderate mental health difficulties and their parents/carers.
• Plan and deliver whole school activities, as part of a school's whole school/college approach to mental health and wellbeing.
• Provide consultation and guided signposting to education settings.
• Be expected to provide case management and clinical skills supervision to qualified and/or trainee EMHPs within the service (if applicable).
• Be able to work flexibly across a range of education providers. Promote the participation of children, young people, families, carers and the wider school community.
• Promote equity, diversity and inclusion within their own role, the MHST and school communities, contributing to enabling other staff, children, young people, families, carers and the wider school community from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.

About us

Lambeth MHST mission statement: Through early support and working with children, young people, families and staff, we help to enable healthy minds and thriving school communities. We offer a safe space to work with you collaboratively and with transparency. We value who you are and where you are. We are an early intervention service supporting mild to moderate mental health needs in 60 primary and secondary schools in Lambeth. Our service will continue to expand to cover all schools in Lambeth by 2029. The team is consists of multidisciplinary professionals who come from a variety of training backgrounds bringing in a wealth of experience and expertise. This includes: Systemic Family Therapist, Systemic Family Practitioners, Social Work, Education Psychologists, Arts Psychotherapists, Occupational Therapy, CBT Therapists, Senior Wellbeing Practitioner, Education Mental Health Practitioners, Quality Assurance and Communications Lead and Senior Administrative Support. About our locations: Our main office is at Liz Atkinson Children's Centre but we also work across several MHST schools in Lambeth. We offer flexibility and home working.

Job responsibilities

• Work as part of the Lambeth MHST team to manage a defined caseload with a focus on providing focused assessment and evidence-based intervention for children and young people (CYP) with mild to moderate mental health difficulties and their parents/carers.
• Plan and deliver whole school activities, as part of a schools whole school/college approach to mental health and wellbeing.
• Provide consultation and guided signposting to education settings. Be expected to provide Case Management and Clinical Skills Supervision to qualified and/or trainee EMHPs within the service (if applicable).
• Be able to work flexibly across a range of education providers.
• Promote the participation of children, young people, families, carers and the wider school community.
• Promote equity, diversity and inclusion within their own role, the MHST and school communities, contributing to enabling other staff, children, young people, families, carers and the wider school community from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.

A further detailed job description is attached.

Person specification

Qualification

Essential

• oDegree in Psychology or relevant area (1st/ 2nd )
• CYP - IAPT Post-Graduate Diploma or Certificate (SFP/CBT) with two years experience within the an MHST.

Desirable

• oEvidence of CPD relevant to working with CYP in schools or community settings oFormal training in parenting interventions i.e. Incredible Years

Experience

Essential

• oDemonstrable post qualification experience, including experience of working with CYP's with mild to moderate mental health problems and their families using CBT or SFP.
• oExperience of managing and prioritising a caseload.
• oEvidence of good practice in CAMHS assessment facilitation, including assessing: risk behaviour, impact of the lived experience, systemic functioning and managing difference in the clinical space.
• oEvidence of providing culturally adapted interventions.
• oEvidence of experience of clinical governance, Outcome Measures and audits.

Desirable

• oWorking with families in a diverse environment
• oProven ability to work flexibly within a changing environment
• oExperience in working with children and adolescents with Special Educational Needs, learning disability or ASD
• oExperience in working as part of an MDT

Knowledge / Skills /Abilities

Essential

• oMental Health disorders in children and young people
• o The Children Act 1989, 2004 and The Mental Health Act 1983, 2007, Human Rights Act 1998 and Mental Capacity Act 2005
• oInformation governance including rules around GDPR as it relates to clinical confidentiality, information sharing and academia. oAbility to analyse
• oAbility to analyse risk and respond appropriately, seeking support as necessary
• oDemonstrate an ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• oProven ability as a reflective practitioner and ability to effect change based on lessons learnt.

Desirable

• oProven ability to work flexibly within a ochanging environment
• oEvidence of organisational skills to odeliver targets and meet deadlines