Clinical Psychologist inColchester inColchester PUBLISHED 10 OCT 2024

NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust.
Mental Health Support Teams are a government initiative following the NHS long term plans for transformation of Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services. NELFT is the largest providers of Mental Health Support Teams in England. Our Southend, Essex and Thurrock services cover 144 schools. The service is developing and expanding with an aim to cover all secondary schools in locality by September 2025. The MHST’s deliver evidence-based individual and group interventions in educational settings for children experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties aged 5 to 18 years old. The teams also have a strong focus on whole school approaches to improve mental health outcomes for children and young people.

The North East Essex Mental Health Support Team (MHST) covers a large geographical area incorporating the districts of Colchester and Tendring. We are an early intervention and prevention evidence-based service and as a team we are supportive and passionate in what we deliver. We are a friendly team of professionals who come from multidisciplinary backgrounds. We recognise the needs for a healthy work life balance, and we will consider flexible working applications in line with the trust policies and process. We encourage Continual Professional Development and are keen to support our staff to grow and progress.

Our locality covers a large area so you will need access to a vehicle and have the ability to travel efficiently across the county.

The role requires a post-graduate qualified psychological practitioner (e.g. clinical psychologist, counselling psychologist) fully registered with HCPC.

The post holder will be an effective team member using their own initiative, supporting their peers and team lead. They will ensure that a high-quality, timely, accessible and evidence-based service is available to all service users who need it throughout the MHST.

The post-holder will be directly involved in delivering and supervising a range of therapeutic interventions, which may include parent work, group work, school observations of children, and short-term psychological treatments.

Working under the direction of the Locality Clinical Lead, the post-holder will also be responsible for liaising directly with schools, conducting annual needs assessments with education setting management and planning the needs-led programme for working with the setting on their whole-school and -college approach (WSCA) to mental health and wellbeing.

The Clinical/Counselling Psychologist in MHST may also be required to complete a postgraduate certificate supervisor training. This training is funded as part of the MHST programme.

This role is suited to a candidate who is keen on service development as well as managing a clinical caseload.

We welcome applications from recently qualified candidates.


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 focussing in engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.


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).


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.

www.jobsincare.com/job/jobliYbX further details / informal visits contact: Name: Dr Sarah Mayhead Job title: Clinical lead Email address:
Mental Health Support Teams are a government initiative following the NHS long term plans for transformation of Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services. NELFT is the largest providers of Mental Health Support Teams in England. Our Southend, Essex and Thurrock services cover 144 schools. The service is developing and expanding with an aim to cover all secondary schools in locality by September 2025. The MHST’s deliver evidence-based individual and group interventions in educational settings for children experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties aged 5 to 18 years old. The teams also have a strong focus on whole school approaches to improve mental health outcomes for children and young people.

The North East Essex Mental Health Support Team (MHST) covers a large geographical area incorporating the districts of Colchester and Tendring. We are an early intervention and prevention evidence-based service and as a team we are supportive and passionate in what we deliver. We are a friendly team of professionals who come from multidisciplinary backgrounds. We recognise the needs for a healthy work life balance, and we will consider flexible working applications in line with the trust policies and process. We encourage Continual Professional Development and are keen to support our staff to grow and progress.

Our locality covers a large area so you will need access to a vehicle and have the ability to travel efficiently across the county.

The role requires a post-graduate qualified psychological practitioner (e.g. clinical psychologist, counselling psychologist) fully registered with HCPC.

The post holder will be an effective team member using their own initiative, supporting their peers and team lead. They will ensure that a high-quality, timely, accessible and evidence-based service is available to all service users who need it throughout the MHST.

The post-holder will be directly involved in delivering and supervising a range of therapeutic interventions, which may include parent work, group work, school observations of children, and short-term psychological treatments.

Working under the direction of the Locality Clinical Lead, the post-holder will also be responsible for liaising directly with schools, conducting annual needs assessments with education setting management and planning the needs-led programme for working with the setting on their whole-school and -college approach (WSCA) to mental health and wellbeing.

The Clinical/Counselling Psychologist in MHST may also be required to complete a postgraduate certificate supervisor training. This training is funded as part of the MHST programme.

This role is suited to a candidate who is keen on service development as well as managing a clinical caseload.

We welcome applications from recently qualified candidates.

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 focussing in engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.

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).

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.

www.jobsincare.com/job/jobliYbX further details / informal visits contact: Name: Dr Sarah Mayhead Job title: Clinical lead Email address:


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