Senior Mental Health Practitioner -MHST
At a glance
- Band
- Band 6
- Contract
- Permanent
- Pattern
- Part-time, Flexible working
- Posted
- 11/09/2026
- Closes
- 24/09/2026
Sponsorship verdict
This contract type is not eligible for Skilled Worker sponsorship.
NHS Trusts cannot issue a Certificate of Sponsorship for part-time, bank, locum, zero-hours, job-share or short fixed-term (under 12 months) contracts under current Home Office rules. This applies even when the wider Trust holds a Skilled Worker licence.
Role summary
This role is for a Senior Mental Health Practitioner within the Brent Mental Health Support Team, providing short-term evidence-based interventions to children and young people with mild to moderate mental health issues. The post holder will work with diverse cultural backgrounds, manage referrals, conduct assessments, and provide advice and signposting. A key aspect involves supervising junior clinicians, including Trainee and Qualified Education Mental Health Practitioners, and contributing to the service's duty rota. The role also supports schools in developing whole-school approaches to mental wellbeing.
Key responsibilities
- Form strong working relations with a variety of stakeholders.
- Provide clinical supervision to Education Mental Health Practitioners and day to day clinical and supervisory support for the Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioners.
- Develop and deliver evidence-based individual and group time limited interventions to young people within education settings.
- Hold a caseload of CYP with mild-moderate mental health difficulties, completing thorough assessments, risk assessments, care planning and reviews.
- Appropriately raise and report safeguarding concerns where identified and support colleagues with this process.
- Work as part of a senior team, supporting the Senior Clinical Supervisors and Service Development Leads to expand the service and improve quality.
Essential criteria
- Relevant professional qualification in either: a.) Degree level Mental Health Nursing; Social Work; Occupational Therapy; Art Therapy; Dramatherapy; Music Therapy; Dance Movement Psychotherapy; LD Nursing. Or b.) Substantial consolidated experience qualified as EMHP or CWP.
- Additional qualifications or training in child and adolescent mental health gained through accredited courses workshops, study and in-house training programmes. CBT training (e.g. CYP-IAPT)
- Registered with a relevant professional body
- Substantial consolidated experience working in child and adolescent mental health.
- Experience either working as a member of a multidisciplinary team or multi-agency working.
- Good understanding of the range of child and adolescent mental health services and conditions
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to children and adolescents and safeguarding procedures and policies
- Experience of supervising or training junior employees
- Extensive experience of delivering evidenced-based interventions for mild to moderate mental health issues such as anxiety, low mood and behavioural problems to CYP both individually, to parent(s)/carer(s) and in groups.
- Understanding how the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards impacts on their work and the people they are working with
- Understanding the concept of quality and their role in improving safety, clinical outcomes and the patient experience
- Understanding how the Mental Health Act impacts on their work and the people they are working with
- Knowledge of children and young people safeguarding legislation, policies and procedures
- Ability to deliver interventions which address the assessed needs.
- Ability to work co-operatively with other disciplines
- Ability to evaluate interventions and practice for service improvement.
- Knowledge of risk management and ability to monitor and assess risk and act accordingly to ensure safety.
- Understanding of issues of confidentiality and information sharing
- Ability to relate to young people and families
- Broad understanding of equal opportunities and an ability to work in an anti-discriminating way.
- Enthusiasm, flexibility and willingness to cope with the demands of what can be a stressful job
- Ability to relate to professional staff from different agencies often at senior levels
- Able to travel to meet the requirements of the post
- Excellent time management and organisational skills
- To work as part of a team and to be self-motivated
Desirable criteria
- Formal CBT training or Post Graduate accredited training in CBT
- Accredited courses / workshops in CYP-IAPT principles
- EMHP supervisor training
- Knowledge and experience in mental health promotion work
- Experience of working with schools to support CYP emotional wellbeing needs
- Experience running therapy groups and/or training events
- Experience of delivering evidenced-based CBT interventions to CYP and their families for mild to moderate mental health issues such as anxiety, low mood
- Knowledge of the functional operation of specialist CAMHS teams
- To have a wider knowledge about the Health Act and changes to NHS Commissioning
Useful to know
Agenda for Change 2024/25 pays Band 6 at £37,338 – £44,962 a year, across England.
This advert: £45,953 – £54,254 — outside the standard scale; check for HCAS/London weighting.
Posted 1d ago · Closes in 13d
Plenty of time to prepare a strong application.
Full advert · preview
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Senior Mental Health Practitioner -MHST
The closing date is 24 September 2026
Job summary
This is a role within theGreen Paper for Transforming children and young people's mental health programme
The post holder will work within Brent Mental Health Support Team providing short-term evidence-based interventions to children and young people with mild to moderate anxiety and depression and/or behavioural difficulties and their parent(s)/carer(s).
The post holder will work with children, young people and parents with different cultural backgrounds and ages, using interpreters when necessary and should be committed to equal opportunities.
The post holder will also be required to complete a 1 year EMHP supervisor training programme if not already completed
Main duties of the job
The MHST works with Young people with mild to moderate mental health presentations attending school/education setting in the Harrow area.
The purpose of the team is to
- Provide evidence-based 1-1 and group interventions to CYP and parents for mild to moderate mental health issues.
- Support the senior mental health lead in each education setting to introduce or develop their whole school or college approach.
- Give timely advice to school and college staff, and liaising with external specialist services, to help children and young peop
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