Qualified Children's Wellbeing Practitioner (CWP)

You will be working in a creative environment where evidence-based interventions, new ideas, ways of working and supporting children and young people (CYP) are actively encouraged. The approach requires flexibility and adaptability, and a passion for working with CYP in education settings.

The post holder will work as an autonomous practitioner in education and health care settings alongside a team of mental health professionals and within the scope of their job description.

The post holder will carry out assessments, develop and deliver evidence-based interventions to children, young people, parents and carers. The interventions address mild to moderate mental health difficulties (anxiety, worries and fears, behaviour, low mood).

The post holder will receive regular supervision to support them in their work.

The Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) are part of the Emotional Health and Wellbeing Service (EHWS) in the East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust and sits within the Getting Advice and Getting Help (quadrants of) the iThrive model. The iThrive model provides an integrated approach to the delivery of person-centred and needs-led services for children, young people, and families.

Since January 2020, Cambridgeshire Community Services (CCS) newly changed to the East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust has launched twelve MHSTs across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and we continue to expand, moving towards 100 percent coverage of schools by 2030, in line with the NHS Long Term Plan. MHSTs provide mental health and emotional wellbeing support to children and young people and their families and carers through schools and colleges.

The MHSTs work with education settings to provide early intervention for mild to moderate mental health difficulties and provide support to staff in schools and colleges on their Whole School Approach (WSA) to mental health.

The postholder, with appropriate supervision, will work as an autonomous and responsible practitioner as their training affords in educational and health care settings alongside a team of mental health professionals and within the scope of their local job description, to:

Develop and deliver evidence-based interventions under supervision, to children, young people, parents and carers in an educational/community setting who are experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties

Develop and practice evidence-based skills under supervision to carry out holistic and child-centred mental health assessments, including risk assessments and risk formulations.

Help children and young people within these settings who present with more severe problems to rapidly access more specialist services

The post holder will also be responsible for supporting and facilitating staff in education settings to identify and where appropriate manage issues related to mental health and well-being

Use the CWP skills, knowledge, and abilities to deliver a service based within education settings that builds on and reinforces but does not replace those initiatives that already exist within these environments

Assess and deliver outcome focused, evidence-based interventions in educational settings for children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties, working at all times in collaboration with and giving respect to the education function of the setting in which the post-holder is deployed

Work in partnership to support children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties and their parents/carers, families and educators in the self-management of presenting difficulties

Work in effective, evidence-based partnership with children, young people, their families and their educators in the development of plans for the intervention and agreed outcomes

Support and empower children, young people, their parents/ carers and families and their educators to make informed choices about the interventions being offered

Operate at all times from an inclusive values base, which recognises and respects diversity

Accept referrals within educational settings according to agreed local and national protocols

Undertake and record accurate assessments and formulation of risk and operate clear risk management processes in line with locally agreed procedures including the safeguarding protocols of the educational setting and Local Safeguarding Board guidance

Adhere to all regulations, processes, and procedures within the educational service to which the postholder is attached within the educational setting where the post-holder working including (but not limited to) HR policies, training requirements, referral protocols, and emergency procedures.

Signpost referrals of children with more complex needs to a locally identified appropriate relevant service

Through case management, supervision, and any other relevant local pathway, escalate cases where the level of need or risk is beyond the scope of practice of the postholder

Provide a range of information and support for evidence based psychological treatments, primarily guided self-help

Practice, evidence and demonstrate an ability to manage ones own caseload in conjunction with the requirements of the team

Attend multi-disciplinary and multi-agency meetings relating to referrals or children and young people in treatment, where appropriate

Keep clear, professionally coherent records of all activity in line with both health and education service protocols and use these records and outcome data to inform decision making

Complete all requirements relating to data collection

Assess and integrate issues relating to transitions, education, and training/employment into the overall therapeutic process

Contribute to the development of individual or group clinical materials or training materials, and in addition to develop such materials independently as falls within own degree of competence, and under direction of the wider team

Rated 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission, we are proud to provide high quality innovative services across most of the east of England that enable people to receive care closer to home and live healthier lives.

There's one reason why our services are outstanding - and that's our amazing staff - who, for the seventh year running, rated us incredibly highly in the national staff survey.

If you share our passion for innovative and high-quality care delivery, then please submit your application and join us on our exciting journey as a leading-edge specialist community provider. All are welcome to apply and our promise to you is a culture which prioritises staff engagement and development.

Qualifications & Training

Essential: - Successful completion of the CWP Training Course (Post Graduate Certificate/Diploma) AND Registration with the BPS or BABCP (or in process or registering)

Desirable: - A further relevant degree qualification; - Teaching qualification

Experience

Knowledge & Skills

Safeguarding

Essential: - Demonstrates understanding of safeguarding issues; - Is up to date with legislation and current events