Trainee Senior Wellbeing Practitioner - ref. s5526903
Fixed term contract until February 2027
This contract may be extended, subject to funding review.
Commitment to a 2-year training course is required, starting in February 2025
Reading/BFfC is proud to be one of the first trailblazer sites for the Mental Health Support Teams (MHST), delivering evidence-based interventions aimed at improving the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people by either working directly with them or with their parents/carers.Due to the success of our first team, we have recently expanded our service in Reading with a second MHST and will launch a third team in September 2025.
About the role
In line with the Government’s priority to increase access and availability of mental health and wellbeing support for children and young people, the Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP) role is an exciting opportunity to deliver evidence-based early interventions for children and young people in educational settings.
Senior Wellbeing Practitioners (SWPs) will play a key role as members of the Mental Health Support Teams (MHST). The Trainee Senior Wellbeing Practitioner role provides career progression from the EMHP roles, to enable practitioners to work with children/young people with more complex presentations and to provide supervision to EMHP/CWPs.
Whilst undertaking the 2–year Senior Wellbeing Practitioner Post Graduate Diploma at Reading University, successful applicants will deliver evidence-based low intensity interventions to children and young people in schools in accordance with NICE guidelines.The role will also include training to provide supervision to Trainee EMHPs and EMHPs. The post holder will be supervised and supported by university staff and experienced mental health practitioners within MHST, and will work closely with professionals supporting children and young people.
Successful applicants will be expected to manage their allocated caseload and to prepare and present caseload information at regular supervision sessions. The successful candidates will complete a 2-year training course (fully funded) covering supervision and support for c/yp with more complex presentations.Training will be at Reading University, starting February 2025, subject to further successful interview.
The Trainee Senior Wellbeing Practitioner role will:
To learn how to provide specialist consultation and advice to the Mental Health Support Team and other associated colleagues on aspects of mental health and wellbeing. The overall responsibility for this will be held by senior members of the MHST.
To learn how to identify and respond to serious/urgent risks or concerns and make decisions to escalate referrals to specialist or safeguarding services when required. The overall responsibility for this will be held by senior members of the MHST.
To learn how to offer Cognitive Behavioural Therapy based interventions to children, young people and their families with a higher level of complexity than the EMHP/CWPs are typically trained to support.
The Trainee Senior Wellbeing Practitioner is required to have:
Successful completion of the HEE commissioned 1yr ‘Education Mental Health Practitioner’ or ‘Children’s Wellbeing Practitioner’ course.Willingness to undertake a 2–year Senior Wellbeing Practitioner Post Graduate Diploma at Reading University; this is a part-time course which will include a mix of university and work placement days and includes a significant academic component.
The successful candidate will be trained in supervision and in a range of additional clinical skills including adaptations to low intensity interventions for complex cases.
Registered with an approved professional body e.g. BABCP, BPS.Two+ years post qualification experience of working as an EMHP or CWP, preferably in a Mental Health Support Team.
Our offer
We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition are strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.
Inclusion and Diversity
We want Brighter Futures for Children to be a great place to work and to ensure that our children, young people and families are represented in leadership roles and positions of power. A vital part of this is ensuring we are a truly inclusive organisation that encourages diversity in all respects, including diversity of thinking.
We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and those of Other Ethnicities, LGBT+, disabled and neurodiverse communities to make a real difference to our children, young people and families so that equalities and justice remains at the heart of everything we do.
Asking for Adjustments
Brighter Futures for Children is committed to making our recruitment practices barrier-free and as accessible as possible for everyone. This includes making adjustments or changes for disabled people, neurodiverse people or people with long-term health conditions.
If you would like us to do anything differently during the application, interview or assessment process, including providing information in an alternative format, please let us know.
Closing date: 3rd November 2024 (We do reserve the right to close this advertisement early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications)Interview date: 12th November 2024 (on Teams)
We look forward to hearing from you!