Specialist Educational Mental Health Practitioner (CBT)
Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is growing and changing. We provide specialist mental health, learning disability and community services across Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton. We’re looking for people who care about others, take responsibility, treat people with respect and have the confidence to speak up and shape what comes next.
We’re focused on the future, with a clear Trust Strategy and our Best for the Black Country programme driving improvement across our services and communities.
What we do- Adult and older adult mental health
- Children and young people’s mental health
- Specialist learning disability services
- Community healthcare for children, young people and families in Dudley
Why join now
We’ve got real momentum. Clear priorities and our Best for the Black Country work mean things are moving in the right way, fast.
Our culture is built around being compassionate, accountable, respectful and empowering each other - you’ll see this in how teams support patients and colleagues every day.You’ll be looked after. Flexible working, family-friendly policies, supportive teams, proper wellbeing support and opportunities to learn and develop.
There’s room to grow. A wide range of services, space to try ideas and a voice that’s heard.
It’s a great place to live. Diverse communities, good transport links, strong schools and green space, with a lower cost of living than many city regions.
What it’s like to work here
You’ll join friendly, skilled teams who look out for each other. We plan together, share pressures and celebrate wins. You’ll be encouraged to take ownership, speak up and learn from experience. New starters get a warm welcome and clear induction; early careers colleagues have preceptorship and buddying; experienced staff can lead, teach and innovate.
Who we are
We’re 4,000+ colleagues from many backgrounds, committed to improving health and wellbeing for our communities and for each other. If you’re interested in the role but don’t meet every requirement, please apply — we value potential, different perspectives and people who want to grow.
Job overview
B6 Specialist Education Mental Health Practitioner
1wte (37.5hrs)
The postholder will work in Dudley however at times there may be a requirement for you to work across the Black Country dependent on service need.
We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced CBT Therapist to be part of the Children's and Young People's Mental Health Support Teams (Reflexions) across the Black Country.
Main duties of the job
The Reflexions team can provide the opportunity to further develop work within the field of young people’s mental health and wellbeing with a focus on development of whole school approaches to mental health and wellbeing and the development of the think family approaches within the schools environment.
The mental health support teams provide individual interventions, guided self-help, parenting and whole school approaches. Working with parents/carers and teaching staff is also part of the service offer.
The post holder will be knowledgeable and experienced in mental health problems and psychiatric disorders and will be expected to carry out in-depth mental health assessments including risk assessments where required. The postholder will also need to be the link worker between the team and the educational settings to ensure that children and young people receive the most appropriate care and interventions and well as being experienced in multi-agency working.Support, advice and consultation to families/carers and other professionals involved in the life of the child/young person will also need to be provided.
Working for our organisation
The post holder will work in partnership with the Reflexions Team Leader and Clinical Lead to further develop the partnership working that is currently taking place between Education, Local Authority, Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) and other external agencies.
Applicants should be experienced in mental health at a senior level with the required clinical skills to support the Mental Health Support Team. Experience of recent working with schools and delivering mental health promotional collaborative work in such an arena is vital in order to be able to fulfil the role.
Applicants must have excellent communication skills and be able to network with other agencies such as Public Health, Clinical Commissioning Groups and Local Authorities amongst others as and when required. It is beneficial for applicants to have experience of managing staff.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
This post is subject to an enhanced with children’s and adults barred list Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check.
For further details please contact:
Zoe Gilbert, Service Manager for Mental Health Support Teams In Schools (Reflexions) on [email protected].
Person specification
Criteria
Essential criteria- A minimum of two years experience of working with children and young people has been gained
- Is able to work at a senior level and provide support for junior staff as and when required
- CBT qualification
- CBT accreditation with BABCP or be working towards it
- Significant and relevant experience of working with children or young people with emerging mental health needs.
- Relevant clinical experience multi-professional working/case management.
- Ability to travel around the Black Country as required
- Experience of working therapeutically in schools or colleges
Skills
Essential criteria- Is able to communicate effectively with a young person
- Is able to provide a formulation based on a provided case study
- Is able to demonstrate coping mechanisms for attendance at university whilst studying and working
Applying and timelines
We may close this advert early if we receive a high volume of applications, so please apply soon. We shortlist after the closing date and will contact shortlisted candidates usually within two weeks. If you haven’t heard by then, you haven’t been shortlisted.Please check your email for updates and contact Recruitment for feedback.
As part of our commitment to fairness, openness and accountability, we ask all applicants to ensure that their job applications reflect their own experiences, skills and motivations. While AI tools can support spelling, grammar or formatting, we expect that the content of your application especially personal statements and responses to role-specific questions is written by you.
Pay and contracts
Most NHS roles are paid under NHS Agenda for Change. With us, your starting point is set against the advertised band and your relevant NHS service, with progression through annual increments.
Medical and Very Senior Manager roles follow separate national pay frameworks, not Agenda for Change. Details are provided in each advert and during recruitment.
Standards and checks- Clinical posts up to and including Band 4 are expected to hold the Care Certificate. If you don’t have it yet, we’ll support you to complete it in post.
- Some roles require a Standard or Enhanced DBS check under part V of the Police Act 1997. Having a criminal record won’t automatically prevent employment - we consider the role and individual circumstances.
- We are an equal opportunities employer, offer flexible working, and are a smoke-free Trust.
- We are an equal opportunities employer and are committed to creating an environment where everyone is treated with dignity, feels respected and is able to thrive.
- We are an anti-racist, disability-inclusive and LGBTQ+-inclusive Trust.
- We welcome applications from under-represented groups and people with lived experience relevant to our services.
- Disabled applicants can request consideration under our Guaranteed Interview Scheme where essential criteria are met, and you can ask for reasonable adjustments at any stage.
Our culture and values
Best for the Black Country is our improvement journey. Our values Compassionate, Accountable, Respectful and Empowered guide how we work every day.
That means:
- taking time to understand people and respond with kindness
- being open and taking responsibility for our actions
- listening and valuing different perspectives
- supporting each other to speak up, improve and make a difference
You’ll see this in how teams work together and in the impact you can have on local people.