Qualified Children's Wellbeing Practitioner

NHS; Middlesbrough; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000

Job description

Qualified Children's Wellbeing Practitioner

This exciting opportunity is to work for Teesside Mind and join the existing InsideOut Mental Health Support Team, delivering evidence-based early interventions for children and young people, working across both educational settings and healthcare sectors in the South Tees.

InsideOut MHST is delivered by a consortium of partners, the majority of which are from the voluntary and community sector. Consisting of the following organisations; Teesside Mind, The Link, The Junction, ABC Counselling and Changing Futures North East and Time 4 You.

All applicants must have successfully completed and qualified as a Childrens Wellbeing Practitioner (CWP). Further to the appropriate qualification, experience of working with children and young people and an understanding of the educational system and mental health is highly desirable.

The CWP will play a key role as a member of the Mental Health Support Team, who will have the responsibility for delivering schools overarching approach to providing mental health and wellbeing support for children and young people.

Main duties of the job

1. Delivering evidence-based intervention for children and young people in education setting with mild to moderate mental health problems.
2. Helping children and young people within these settings who present with more severe problems to rapidly access more specialist services.
3. Supporting and facilitating staff in education settings to identify and where appropriate manage issues related to mental health and wellbeing.
4. Working with and within education environments to afford better access to specialist mental health services.
5. To support schools in developing strategies/activities to promote emotional well-being and positive mental health.
6. Use the acquired 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.

About us

Teesside Mind has been working in local communities to improve mental health and wellbeing for over 25 years. The environment in which we operate has changed hugely over this time, and the importance of good mental health has never been as widely understood.

One of our proudest achievements in the last 3 years has been collaborating with Primary Care colleagues on the development of Social Prescribing on Teesside. In addition, our recent merger with Redcar and Cleveland Mind has enabled us to offer more services to more people across Teesside.

Our communities are facing real challenges because of the legacy of Covid on peoples health and wellbeing, and pressure on resources. Some people are still less well served than others. Young people and people affected by poverty find it most difficult to get help. Our work won't stop until this has changed. There is much more we need to do. Can you help us?

Ours is a vibrant organisation to work for and our staff are our most important asset. We are compassionate, trustworthy and determined. We use evidence-based interventions, backed up by policies, training and clinical support to help people lead full and happy lives.

Job responsibilities

Therapeutic Assessment and Intervention

1. Assess and deliver outcome focused, evidence-based interventions in educational settings for children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties.
2. Support and empower children, young people, their parents/carers and families and their educators to make informed choices about the interventions being offered.
3. Operate at all times from an inclusive values base, which recognises and respects diversity.
4. Undertake and record accurate assessments 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.
5. Adhere to all regulations, processes and procedures within the educational service to which the post holder is attached 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.
6. 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 post holder.
7. Provide a range of information and support for evidence based psychological treatments, primarily guided self-help.
8. Attend multi-disciplinary and multi-agency meetings relating to referrals or children and young people in treatment, where appropriate.
9. 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.
10. Complete all requirements relating to data collection.
11. Work within a collaborative approach involving a range of relevant others when indicated.

Training and Supervision

1. Continue to apply learning gained on the training programme directly to practice.
2. Prepare and present case load information to supervisors within the service on an agreed basis to ensure safe practice and the governance obligations of the trainee, supervisor and service are delivered. Respond to and implement supervision suggestions by supervisors in practice.
3. Keep all records up to date in relation to Continuous Professional Development and Accreditation / Registration.

Professional

1. Ensure appropriate adherence to any new recommendations or guidelines set by the relevant departments.
2. Ensure that confidentiality is always protected.

Person Specification

• Ability to carry out 1:1 therapeutic mental health interventions with children and families
• Ability to conduct group parenting programmes
• Ability to work within educational settings to increase mental health awareness within the staff group
• Deliver whole school approach activities within the school setting
• Ability to conduct mental health assessments of children and young people
• Ability to make an assessment of risk and to record and communicate it appropriately
• Ability to take appropriate action to mitigate or manage risk
• Ability to teach others about mental health issues
• Ability to conduct other group therapeutic interventions with children and their families

Specific Attributes

• Full, enhanced and current satisfactory DBS disclosure for the role
• Ability to personally manage a sensitive, traumatic and potentially emotionally distressing caseload
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Proven commitment to continuous professional development

Personal Qualities

• You'll be self-motivated, able to travel to meet the requirements of the post, and a team player with excellent time management and organisational skills

Knowledge

• Knowledge of educational environments
• Knowledge of safeguarding issues
• Knowledge of capacity and consent issues including Gillick competence
• Knowledge of the functional operation of specialist CAMHS teams
• Knowledge of the schools safeguarding procedures and who the Designated Safeguarding Lead, (DSL), is in each establishment that they work in

Experience

• Experience of working with children and young people, their families and others
• Experience of working and liaising with a wide variety of agencies and stakeholders
• Experience of working with children and young people who have social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties
• Experience of working with anxiety disorders
• Experience of working with affective (mood) disorders
• Experience of the delivery of specific therapeutic interventions to children, young people or their families (e.g. CBT, solution focused brief therapy)
• Experience of working with children and their families in a healthcare setting
• Experience of working with children and their families in an education setting
• Experience of monitoring and recording outcome measures for children's emotional wellbeing
• Experience of navigating complex social systems and environments, who may have conflicting priorities or agendas
• Experience of working with looked after children
• Experience of working with other vulnerable groups

Qualifications

• Successful completion of the WTE commissioned 1yr Children's Wellbeing Practitioner Course
• Or hold another Low Intensity Qualification specifically working with CYP
• Teaching qualification
• Youth Mental Health First Aid trained
• Registration/ Accreditation of a recognised professional body

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.