Position Overview & Specifications
Trainee Educational Mental Health Practitioner
Full Time, fixed term until September 1st 2025.
Redbridge is an ambitious, diverse and exciting east-London borough. What we do is driven by changing our relationship with local people to support our vision. As a result, we've developed innovative ways to build our communities and transform our Council.
We're one of the fastest growing parts of the country and the third most diverse London borough. Our communities are attracted by a mixture of excellent schools, relatively affordable housing, high-quality open space and rapid transport connections into the heart of the City.
In line with the government’s priority to increase access and availability of mental health and wellbeing support for children and young people, the new Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP) role is an exciting opportunity to deliver evidence-based early interventions, working across both educational settings and healthcare sectors in England. EMHPs work as part of newly emerging Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs).
Our MHST sits within a well-established Educational Psychology Service (EPS).
This is an exciting time to join us as we expand our offer to reach more schools and partners, providing opportunity to form new relationships with educational settings, as well as continue our established relationships with schools.
The training programme for this post is 12 months in duration and will consist of academic and supervised practice learning across mental health services and educational settings, such as primary and secondary schools, and further education colleges.
Delivery of the programme will be provided through a combination of taught days within UCL in collaboration with The Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, experience gained through working in Redbridge MHST and independent self-guided study days.
A Trainee EMHP will be expected to work under supervision as part of a dynamic team in a creative environment where evidence-based interventions, new ideas, ways of working and supporting children and young people (CYP) are actively encouraged. This approach requires flexibility and adaptability, and above all a passion for working with CYP in educational settings. Over the course of the training year, the post-holder will, under supervision, develop knowledge and practice skills to employ a range of evidence-based interventions for common mental health problems via direct individual and group support for children, young people, and their parents, in line with the university expectations.
The Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner will:
- Work closely with EPs in schools delivering a wide range of evidence informed interventions, under supervision.
- Develop and practice evidence-based skills under supervision to work directly with children, young people, and families.
- Develop and practice evidence-based skills under supervision to carry out holistic and child-centered mental health assessments, including risk assessments.
Successful candidates will be offered a full-time educational programme specifically for the role. The course fees are fully funded. You will gain credits towards completing with a postgraduate degree diploma level qualification, plus guaranteed employment in Redbridge on completion of training.
Applicants will need make a separate application for the university course to secure a place on the Educational Mental Health Practitioner PG Dip course at UCL. This can be completed via the link below:
https://evision.ucl.ac.uk/urd/sits.urd/run/siw_ipp_lgn.login?process=siw_ipp_app&code1=TPPMHPSINGS1&code2=0019
Please note: The EMHP posts are training positions subject to 2-year fixed term contracts, successful candidates will be expected to travel to the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families in the first year to complete their training, in addition to sites within Redbridge Local Authority.
& Person Specification
Due to the volume of applicants we recieve for this role, the vacancy may close early. Please submit you application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.
To apply for this post please complete the online application form and attach your CV and a Covering Letter addressing how you meet the criteria for the role as stated in the person specification.
All short-listed applicants will need to demonstrate proof of right to work in the UK. At the London Borough of Redbridge, we receive a high volume of great-quality applicants, we therefore may close a vacancy earlier than advertised. Early applications are therefore encouraged.
We are committed to employment practices that promote diversity and inclusion in employment and welcome applications from qualified applicants regardless of age, disability, gender identity, sex, marriage and civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity status, colour, race, religion, or belief.