About this role
Job summary
In line with the governments priority to increase access and availability of mental health and wellbeing support for children and young people, the Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP) role is an exciting opportunity to deliver evidence-based early interventions for children and young people, working across both educational settings and healthcare sectors in England.
Main duties of the job
This is a training position, the post holder will undertake training at Kings College London alongside working in service for Achieving for Children. They will be taught to deliver evidence based guided self-help interventions for children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties. The post holder will use their newly developed skills to support children and young people who are referred into the service and trainees will receive supervision to support their professional development.
The post holder will need to be ready to start work in early/mid-January 2027 and posts cannot be offered to candidates unless they can guarantee this start date.
Shortlisted candidates will also need to submit an application form to KCL for a place on the Diploma in Education Mental Health Practice. The application form details are attached/linked below and will need to be completed at the same time as your application for this post.
Training commences 18th January 2027
About us
Achieving for Children is a Community Interest Company that has a public sector ethos, combined with the freedom to innovate enabling us to do things differently. As a not-for-profit social enterprise owned by three local authorities (Windsor & Maidenhead, Kingston and Richmond), we offer the freedoms of a social enterprise with the employment benefits of local government.
We are responsible for the entire range of children's education, health and social care services in all three boroughs. We use a Signs of Safety practice model and approach which ensures the voice of the child is at the heart of everything we do. There's never been a better time to join AfC, we are growing our workforce, implementing new flexible working arrangements and have increased our virtual wellbeing offer.
Job description Job responsibilities
We are seeking to recruit two graduate level practitioners to provide guided self-help therapy and parenting interventions. These posts are salaried at NHS Agenda for Change band 4 for a one year post graduate diploma in Education Mental Health Practice through Kings College London. Further intensive supervision and on the job training will be provided by an experienced supervisor within each team.
Successful candidates will be employed on a full-time basis within a Mental Health Support Team delivering individual, group and workshop-based mental health interventions within a borough-based cluster of schools.
During training, the post-holders will work under close supervision to gain experience across healthcare and educational settings 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.
Please read the Job Profile before applying for the role. (Attached)
Please note that an application to Kings College London Post Graduate Diploma in Education Mental Health Practice needs to be made alongside your application to Achieving for Children. It is important that you read the attached programme brochure and application guidance.
2-Year Post-Graduation Rule for Progression to Further NHSE-Funded Training
Applicants should be aware that individuals who commence an NHSE-funded course listed on the webpage below will normally be required to wait two years from the date of their qualifying exam board before they can start another NHSE-funded training programme:
https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/mental-health/psychological-professions/funding-psychological-professions-training-programmes
For example, trainees starting the EMHP, CWP or CYP-PT Therapy programmes in January 2027 are expected to complete their qualifying exam board in April 2028. As a result, they would not be eligible to begin a further NHSE-funded training programme until two years after April 2028.
Please note that the following programmes are exempt from this requirement:
CYP-PT Supervision PGCert Senior Wellbeing Practitioner PGDip Leadership PGCertApplicants are encouraged to consider this rule when planning future training and career progression opportunities.
Please [email protected] if you have any questions about the course.
Please contact service if you have any questions about the job role.
Rosie Creer - [email protected]
Person Specification
Experience Essential
Experience of working with children and young people who have social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties including anxiety disorders and 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 and liaising with a wide variety of agencies and stakeholders. Experience of a range of assessment tools and frameworks to evaluate progress and outcomes for children and young people. Ability to carry out mental health assessments of children and young people and carry out 1:1 therapeutic mental health interventions with children and with families. Ability to conduct group parenting programmes. Ability to work within educational settings to increase mental health awareness within the staff group. Ability to make an assessment of risk, to record and communicate it appropriately and take appropriate action to mitigate or manage risk. Have the ability to recognise your own professional limitations and gaps and to use clinical supervision and regular CPD to overcome limitations and close knowledge gaps. Have good IT skills including use of database or spreadsheet packages.
Qualifications Essential
Undergraduate degree, upper second class or above, in Psychology OR related subject (e.g., Psychology, Education, Childhood development, Social Work etc), OR any subject with further training or experience in a relevant field (e.g., Teaching/TA; Learning Support; HCA; Youth Work; Counselling etc) OR relevant professional experience in CYP Mental Health/Education/Mentorship (to be considered on a case-by-case basis)
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.
Employer details Employer name Achieving For Children
Address Moor Lane Centre
Moor Lane
Chessington
KT9 2AA
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.achievingforchildren.org.uk/work-for-us/ (Opens in a new tab)