Job Description

Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP) - Mid Essex



Thank you for your interest in the above training position . If successful with your application, you will be offered employment with NELFT on a 2-year fixed term contract, during this time you will undertake an intensive 1-year Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP) training programme at the University of East Anglia to become a qualified EMHP. Whilst studying you will apply your knowledge and skills working in one of our already existing Mental Health Support Teams. You will be based in education settings across Essex and be supported to deliver brief Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) informed treatments and support. More information on the MHST programme can be found here: NHS England Mental health support in schools and colleges



Across Essex & Kent NELFT are the largest providers of MHST services, you will be joining a large and experienced team who can fully support you on your journey to becoming a Education Mental Health Practitioner. More information about us can be found here: Essex schools mental health support teams | NELFT NHS Foundation Trust

The Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner role will:

Work closely as part of a team of mental health professionals delivering a wide range of evidence informed interventions, under clinical supervision (e.g., guided self-help, parenting interventions, working through teaching staff)



Develop and practice evidence-based skills under clinical supervision to work directly with children, young people and families



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



Learn behavioural and cognitive behavioural guided self-help techniques with which to help children, young people and their families



The Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner is required to :



Demonstrate the ability to work at university degree level or have an equivalent level of relevant experience, with a proven record of previous learning or formal study in child development, wellbeing or mental health



Have experience of working with children, young people and their families



Have experience of working and liaising with a wide variety of agencies and stakeholders



Have experience of working with children and young people who have social, emotional and/or mental health difficulties



Starting with NELFT



NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop-in sessions focusing on engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nX8CImoDX8



Probationary Period



This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff).



An Introduction to the EMHP Programme at UEA



The EMHP Programme at UEA uses blended learning, comprised of face-to-face teaching at UEA and online teaching, self-directed study days and supervised practice within employing MHSTs to allow trainees to develop the required clinical competence and confidence relevant to the role of an EMHP. Our team have extensive experience of working psychologically with children and young people across a range of settings and interventions. The teaching team includes lecturers with experience of delivering low intensity mental health interventions - who can use their experience to support, model and teach these skills positively - alongside those with expertise in the field of children and young people's mental health and education. We also use a range of external Associate Tutors and Guest lecturers to support teaching.



Throughout the year are a range of assessments and assignments to demonstrate learning outcomes and assess clinical skills and competency. In addition to learning the theory and practice for delivering evidence-based low intensity assessments and treatments for children and young people, taught modules will cover how to work in, understand the processes of, and engage with education settings. This is a full-time training programme which requires the successful completion of each of the 6 modules outlined below, as well as a portfolio evidencing clinical practice competencies

Module 1 Children and Young People's Mental Health Settings:

Context and Values



Module 2 Assessment & Engagement



Module 3 Evidence-based Interventions for Common Mental Health Problems with Children and Young People (Theory and Skills)



Module 4 Working, Assessing and Engaging in Educational Settings Module 5 Common Problems and Processes in Educational Settings Module 6 Interventions for Emerging Mental Health Difficulties in Educational Settings



On successful completion of the course, trainees will qualify as an Educational Mental Health Practitioner with a Diploma / PG Diploma (120 credits).



Key Dates and Attendance



There are 70 teaching days across the calendar year with some intensive teaching blocks early in the course. These include cross modular/induction activities and top up/review sessions.



Employment with NELFT will begin on Monday 5 th January 2026 , where you will start a 2-week induction. The Course start date for 202 6 is to be confirmed . More detail about the timetable will be made available to you for interviews to enable discussions around existing annual leave and other commitments.



Please read the attached job description .



Successful candidates will be offered a full-time educational programme specifically for the role. The course fees are fully funded (with employees signing a training contract), and the salary support for the job post will be funded at NHS Agenda for Change ( AfC ) at beginning Band 4. You will gain credits towards completing with a postgraduate degree diploma level qualification, plus guaranteed employment on successful completion of training, with a starting salary projected to be based on the NHS AfC Band 5 scale. For the training year, successful candidates will be employed by NELFT based in educational settings in across Essex (Location to be determined by candidate) . Due to the nature of the school sites, an ability to travel independently to school settings and university is essential.

Please note:

The EMHP posts are training positions subject to 2-year fixed term contracts, successful candidates will be expected to travel throughout the MHST localities when in service and to the UEA as part of the face-to-face training days.



Please note the training will be provided by University of East Anglia (UEA). 100% attendance is required to complete the course, please only proceed to application if you are able to meet this requirement.

Funding Support and Training Contract



NELFT are committed to supporting and developing a new workforce and supporting EMHP's throughout their training and these roles are integral to supporting the NHS Long Term plan supporting developments to Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services. We therefore require all staff who receive funding support from NELFT to sign a training contract, outlining your commitment to the role and future service. The training contract will come into effect if staff leave the organisation to work in a non-NHS setting and you may be liable to returning the cost of the course to the Trust.



Face to face interviews will be completed by NELFT and UEA staff . Please do not apply if you cannot attend face to face. Virtual interviews will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances. The planned dates for interviews are: 16 October 2025



The positions are highly desirable, and the advert may close sooner than advertised if we receive a significant number of applications.



The applicant is required to detail in their supporting statement the top 3 reasons why you have applied for the training role. We encourage you to read the job advert and job description fully as any applications that do not demonstrate their 3 reasons will not be shortlisted.



You will be joining an existing and growing team of EMHPs in NELFT who already work across other parts of our geography. We look forward to your application and to working with you as a Trainee EMHP with NELFT in Essex.



Use of AI



Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used, then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.



Certificates of Sponsorship



Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for all job roles . Please check your eligibility under the UKVI points-based system.