Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner - Buckinghamshire

The post holder will work under supervision and with support, to develop knowledge and practice skills.

Successful candidates will be employed on a full-time basis by Oxford Health and based within schools in Buckinghamshire . There will be a requirement to travel to the University of Southampton for teaching purposes.

The Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) are part of an exciting new project funded by NHS England, Health Education England, with the aim of improving the mental health and wellbeing of children, young people and families, and schools in the community. This opportunity allows you to join an innovative new service during an exciting time whilst working alongside an enthusiastic, compassionate and inspiring team!

The role offers an exciting opportunity to continue to innovate and deliver high quality evidence-based care and whole system interventions, with great ongoing CPD opportunities.

All applicants must demonstrate in their application the ability to work at degree level or have an equivalent level of relevant experience. Experience of working with children and young people and an understanding of the educational system in England is highly desirable. The training programme for this post starts in January 2027, is 12 months in duration and will consist of academic and supervised practice learning across mental health services and educational settings. During training, the post-holder will work under supervision to enable them to gain the level of competence required to deliver high-quality, evidence-based early interventions for children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health problems.

Successful candidates will be offered a full-time educational programme specifically for the role in partnership with Southampton University. This post will be funded at NHS Agenda for Change (AfC) Band 4 level, gaining credits towards either a graduate or postgraduate level qualification (depending on level of previous academic study), on successful completion of training, candidates will be offered a permanent EMHP position with a starting salary projected to be based on the NHS AfC Band 5 scale.

We hope that the advert has given you a clear understanding of the skills we are seeking and the opportunity at hand. You will need to use the supporting statement element of your application form to demonstrate your suitability for this role and you should refer to the job description, person specification and the guidance notes attached to this role to help you tailor your application.

The essential and desirable criteria will be used to shortlist for interview, and you should ensure that you refer to these within your application to increase your chances of being selected for interview.

We are aware that some candidates may choose to use AI tools to support their application. We kindly remind applicants that submissions should remain an honest and accurate representation of their experience and must take care to ensure the use of AI tools does not generate an application that does not accurately reflect their knowledge, skills and values.

The ability to travel independently between sites within the Trust is essential for this role. This role does not meet the minimum requirements for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship under UKVI regulations. To be considered, you must already hold the valid right to work in the UK without requiring sponsorship.

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust provides physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset.

Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people's homes, delivering care as close to home as possible

Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive:"Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team"

Our values are: "Caring, safe and excellent"

At Oxford Health we offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include:

Qualifications

Essential: - Ability to study at degree level

Experience

Desirable: - Previous experience of working with children and young people

Skills

Essential: - Ability to study as a self-motivated learner; - Team player; - Excellent Time Management and Organisational Skills