Job Description

We are excited to be advertising for two permanent trainee Educational Mental Health Practitioners (EMHPs) to join our Devon MHST pathway within CFHD. The trainees with complete a fully funded part-time 1 year postgraduate diploma at the University of Exeter whilst also being employed and working within our service. The successful applicants will start at Band 4 and move to Band 5 following successful completion of the course.
Main duties of the job
The successful post holders will be joining a growing early intervention pathway within mental health working with mild to moderate presentations of anxiety and low mood as well as offering whole school approach support. The Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) pathway currently consists of EMHPs and Child Wellbeing Practitioners (CWPs) and is a growing service covering Devon and Torbay. To find out more about the national MHST offer, please see the CFHD website and read through the Green Paper on the developing MHST service.
About us
Successful applicants will be employed by Devon Partnership Trust (https://jobs.dpt.nhs.uk/locations/working-here )
Children and Family Health Devon (CFHD) comprises an Alliance of NHS organisations working together to improve health outcomes for children and young people in Devon.
CFHD provides integrated care and treatment for children and young people across physical and mental health. We are working closely with other organisations and providers to ensure we deliver locality and county-wide based integrated access to all of our services, based on the i-Thrive Framework.
CFHD works closely with our local universities of Plymouth, Exeter & the Peninsula Medical School where we support students in clinical training placements and in addition support our own staff to undertake post graduate training.
Our integrated care and treatment has been developed and refined in partnership with children, young people and their families/carers.
Our children and young people say
We would like the people who work for Children and Family Health Devon to be understanding, patient and respectful. They should be trustworthy and make us feel safe and comfortable. It is important that they use their skills and experience to listen carefully in a non-patronising and non-judgemental way. When staff are positive and friendly, they help to create an environment that is informal and without pressure.
Details
Date posted
21 October 2025
Pay scheme
Agenda for change
Band
Band 4
Salary
27,485 to 30,162 a year
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full-time, Part-time
Reference number
C9369-25-0829
Job locations
Children & Family Health Devon
Bittern Road
Sowton Industrial Estate
Exeter
EX2 7FW
Devon County Council
2 Tiverton Way
Tiverton Business Park
Tiverton
EX16 6TG
Lescaze Offices
Shinner's Bridge
Totnes
Totnes
TQ9 6JE
Job description
Job responsibilities
The role of an Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP)) is a shared initiative between the Department of Education and Department ofHealth and supports the governments priority to increase access of mental health and well-beingsupport for children and young people.
The post holder will work within the Mental Health Support Team (MHST), which is part of the wider CAMH service, providing Whole School Approaches alongside Evidence Based Low Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Interventions whilst undertaking a programme of training at Exeter University.
The post will start with training at Exeter University which is likely to be a mix of face to face and online study. The successful post holder will be a trainee EMHP before becoming qualified as an EMHP at the end of the training and upon successful completion of the course, which usually takes around a year.
The EMHP isa new professional role whichdeliversevidence-based early interventions for children and young peopleand parents/ carersin educational settings in England such as schools and colleges. This includes Low Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for mild to moderate presentations and a range of Whole School Approach interventions as outlined by Public Health England (PHE) and Health Education England (HEE) such as Auditing a School/ Colleges Mental Health provision, Consultation, Staff Training and facilitating Psychoeducational Groups.
The post holder will attend all taught and self-study days required by the education provider, as specified within EMHP curriculum and work in the service for the remaining days of the week using their newly developed skills. Once the training is successfully completed, you would receive either a graduate or post graduate certificate from Exeter University (depending on your level of previous qualifications).
The post holder will work with people with different cultural backgrounds and ages, using interpreters when necessary and should be committed to equal opportunities. Job description
Job responsibilities
The role of an Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP)) is a shared initiative between the Department of Education and Department ofHealth and supports the governments priority to increase access of mental health and well-beingsupport for children and young people.
The post holder will work within the Mental Health Support Team (MHST), which is part of the wider CAMH service, providing Whole School Approaches alongside Evidence Based Low Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Interventions whilst undertaking a programme of training at Exeter University.
The post will start with training at Exeter University which is likely to be a mix of face to face and online study. The successful post holder will be a trainee EMHP before becoming qualified as an EMHP at the end of the training and upon successful completion of the course, which usually takes around a year.
The EMHP isa new professional role whichdeliversevidence-based early interventions for children and young peopleand parents/ carersin educational settings in England such as schools and colleges. This includes Low Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for mild to moderate presentations and a range of Whole School Approach interventions as outlined by Public Health England (PHE) and Health Education England (HEE) such as Auditing a School/ Colleges Mental Health provision, Consultation, Staff Training and facilitating Psychoeducational Groups.
The post holder will attend all taught and self-study days required by the education provider, as specified within EMHP curriculum and work in the service for the remaining days of the week using their newly developed skills. Once the training is successfully completed, you would receive either a graduate or post graduate certificate from Exeter University (depending on your level of previous qualifications).
The post holder will work with people with different cultural backgrounds and ages, using interpreters when necessary and should be committed to equal opportunities.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Evidence of working with children and young people in the community who have presented with a range of emotional and mental health needs
• Evidence of ability to study successfully at undergraduate year 1 level or the equivalent

Desirable

• Training in nursing, social work, occupational therapy, counselling or within a psychological therapy.
• Psychology or other health related undergraduate degree.
• Psychology or other health related postgraduate degree
• Received training (either formal of through experience) and carried out risk assessments within scope of practice

Experience
Essential

• Evidence of working with children and young people who have experienced a mental health problem
• Able to develop good therapeutic relationships with children and young people
• Ability to evaluate and put in place the effect of training

Desirable

• Experience of working with children and young people in the community
• Experience, and/or training in diversity awareness and safeguarding children

Knowledge, skills and abilities
Essential

• Ability to integrate information; make evaluations formulations and decisions
• Able to attend the University course as defined by the University

Desirable

• Ability to travel to locations throughout the county

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Evidence of working with children and young people in the community who have presented with a range of emotional and mental health needs
• Evidence of ability to study successfully at undergraduate year 1 level or the equivalent

Desirable

• Training in nursing, social work, occupational therapy, counselling or within a psychological therapy.
• Psychology or other health related undergraduate degree.
• Psychology or other health related postgraduate degree
• Received training (either formal of through experience) and carried out risk assessments within scope of practice

Experience
Essential

• Evidence of working with children and young people who have experienced a mental health problem
• Able to develop good therapeutic relationships with children and young people
• Ability to evaluate and put in place the effect of training

Desirable

• Experience of working with children and young people in the community
• Experience, and/or training in diversity awareness and safeguarding children

Knowledge, skills and abilities
Essential

• Ability to integrate information; make evaluations formulations and decisions
• Able to attend the University course as defined by the University

Desirable

• Ability to travel to locations throughout the county

Skills Required