About this role
Job summary
Empowering young minds & changing futures.
You`re someone who cares deeply about making a differencenot just for today, but for a young person`s entire future.
You bring a blend of clinical expertise, compassion, & creativity, ready to meet children & young people where they are & help them move forward with confidence.
This is a fantastic opportunity to join a growing service in Central & West Lancashire, where your impact will help shape & develop support for children & young people. You`ll need to be a qualified Mental Health Practitioner, confident in using therapeutic interventions like CBT or solution-focused techniques, & experienced in working with children, young people & families, especially those facing emotional or behavioural challenges.
But it`s not just about what you know, it`s how you connect. You`re a natural collaborator, able to build trusted relationships with schools, families & multi-agency partners, & you understand the power of early support in educational settings. Safeguarding, risk management & communication come naturally to you, not as tick boxes, but as vital tools for building trust & safety.
You`re reflective, adaptable & committed to learning, with the drive to grow professionally & the values to guide others through difficult moments with hope & respect.
If you`re excited by the chance to work in an amazing supportive, forward-thinking team & to use your skills to help children & young people thrive - we`d love to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
We are looking for a compassionate, motivated and skilled professional to join us as a Mental Health Practitioner. You will be passionate about improving mental health outcomes for children and young people, thrive in collaborative environments and be ready to make a real difference in educational settings.
Essential Criteria
Hold a relevant qualification such as EMHP, CYP IAPT, Registered Social Worker or Registered Mental Health Nurse Experience delivering 1 to 1 therapeutic interventions with children, families and groups, including parenting programmes Ability to assess mental health, evaluate risk and take appropriate action Strong understanding of safeguarding, education settings and capacity and consent, including Gillick competence Experience supporting children with social, emotional or behavioural needs, including anxiety and mood disorders Excellent communication and organisational skills with a proactive and team focused approach Additional qualifications such as a teaching degree or Youth Mental Health First Aid are helpful but not essential. Experience in education or healthcare settings, working with vulnerable groups and delivering group interventions would strengthen your application.
If you are an Education Mental Health Practitioner, we would also love to see an application and welcome you to be part of a growing service where you can make a lasting difference.
About us
Compass is committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults. Established for over 30 years, Compass is a national charity which works in communities across the UK providing services spanning substance misuse treatment and rehabilitation, early interventions for vulnerable young people, school-aged health programmes and associated prevention as well as treatment and health promotion initiatives.
All Compass posts are subject to appropriate level DBS checks.
We positively encourage applications from all members of the community, regardless of gender, race, faith, disability, age, or sexual orientation, and encourage applications from people who have experiences in life which enrich skills and empathy. This is part of our commitment to equality and developing a truly inclusive and representative workforce.
We are happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments individuals may require in the recruitment process, on commencement, or once in post.
Benefits
We offer a range of benefits including:
27 days holiday + bank holidays, rising to 32 days over time (pro rata) Life assurance at 2 x basic salary Competitive contributory pension scheme 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme and OH service Enhanced sick pay Excellent learning & development opportunities and career progression Annual salary review Help us to make a positive change to the lives of children and young people!
Closing Date: 31.05.2026 Interview Date: 10.06.2026
Job description Job responsibilities
Empowering young minds & changing futures.
You`re someone who cares deeply about making a differencenot just for today, but for a young person`s entire future.
You bring a blend of clinical expertise, compassion, & creativity, ready to meet children & young people where they are & help them move forward with confidence.
This is a fantastic opportunity to join a growing service in Central & West Lancashire, where your impact will help shape & develop support for children & young people. You`ll need to be a qualified Mental Health Practitioner, confident in using therapeutic interventions like CBT or solution-focused techniques, & experienced in working with children, young people & families, especially those facing emotional or behavioural challenges.
But it`s not just about what you know, it`s how you connect. You`re a natural collaborator, able to build trusted relationships with schools, families & multi-agency partners, & you understand the power of early support in educational settings. Safeguarding, risk management & communication come naturally to you, not as tick boxes, but as vital tools for building trust & safety.
You`re reflective, adaptable & committed to learning, with the drive to grow professionally & the values to guide others through difficult moments with hope & respect.
If you`re excited by the chance to work in an amazing supportive, forward-thinking team & to use your skills to help children & young people thrive - we`d love to hear from you.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Core professional &/or clinical qualification (e.g. EMHP, CWP, PMHW) with associated professional registration as appropriate. Experience of working with CYPF facing mental & emotional health challenges
Desirable
Youth Mental Health First Aid trained.
Experience Essential
Experience of working therapeutically with CYP with mild to moderate mental health needs. Experience of delivery of evidenced based psychological intervention for anxiety and low mood in children and young people. Experience supporting CYPF to improve skills, knowledge & confidence in the self-management of mild mental health & emotional wellbeing issues. Knowledge of safeguarding issues Knowledge of capacity and consent issues including Gillick competence 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
Desirable
Experience of monitoring and recording outcome measures for childrens emotional wellbeing Experience of working in education, communities and/or 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
Additional Criteria Essential
Ability to carry out 1:1 therapeutic emotional wellbeing interventions with children Ability to carry out 1:1 therapeutic emotional wellbeing advice and support with families Ability to take appropriate action to mitigate or manage risk Excellent oral and written communication skills Excellent time management and organisational skills Able to work all year round and flexibly as part of a team to best meet business need. Ongoing commitment to maintain professional registration requirements.
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name Compass
Address Unit 8, Balfour Court
Off Hough Lane
Leyland
Lancashire
PR25 2TF
Employer's website https://www.compass-uk.org/ (Opens in a new tab)