School Mental Health Team Lead

The founder and sponsor of the Harris Federation, Lord Harris of Peckham, opened our first school in 1990. We have, over the past thirty years, implemented ideas and initiatives that have transformed the opportunities of pupils from working class and disadvantaged backgrounds. Harris academies are widely recognised as a force for social mobility. We are immensely proud of the role that our alumni are now beginning to play in the world and of what we believe our current generation of pupils will go on to achieve.

We now have over 50 schools educating more than 40,000 young people across London and Essex, and employ over 5,000 staff across our academies and head office. With the majority of our academies located in areas of high socioeconomic disadvantage, a high-quality education is key to the futures of the pupils we serve.

As a provider of employment and education, we value the diversity of our staff and students, and all our staff are equally valued and respected. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff.

Our work will impact many generations to come, and our staff come from all backgrounds and walks of life, coming together to inspire young minds. We promote an inclusive culture that embraces the valuable and enriching contribution that all of our community make. We continue to be proactive in uplifting and supporting all voices at Harris.

To discover more about our culture, ethos and what it is like to work here, visit the Why Work For Us page.

You will supervise a team of four School Mental Health Practitioners (SMHPs) in providing an integrated mental health service to students aged 11-18, their teachers, and their families across eight secondary schools. This will involve:

• Providing regular clinical supervision to the SMHPs
• Managing and supporting them in delivering clinical assessments and interventions to students experiencing mild to moderate mental health issues

You will also hold your own caseload of students, provides specialist interventions, with responsibilities including:

• Liaising with parents, carers, staff, and external agencies as needed
• Working collaboratively with the Harris Federation Senior Lead Consultant, Directory of Secondary Schools, senior school leaders of the eight schools, and SMHPs to develop the wider service, share best practices, and innovate

A full list of responsibilities can be found in the Job Pack.

We would like to hear from you if you:

• Hold a graduate level degree in field relevant to the post
• Hold a recognised training qualification in youth counselling and/or evidence-based psychological therapy for children, young people and families
• Are registered with your relevant professional body
• Have completed post qualification training and supervised experience in a clinical role with children, young people and families who experience mental health difficulties
• Have completed post qualification training and experience in a clinical role involving the supervision/leadership of others in their work with children, young people and families who experience mental health difficulties
• Have significant post qualification experience within a relevant field of expertise
• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the full range of emotional and mental health needs of young people and associated risk and protective factors
• Demonstrate skill and theoretical understanding of a range of evidence-based psychological therapeutic models relevant to troubled young people, and their families
• Have experience of and skills in undertaking clinical assessment, formulation and treatment planning alongside parents, carers and school staff based on child’s needs
• Have the ability to plan and deliver evidence-based therapeutic interventions to address the full range of mental health disorders with a young person and their carer
• Demonstrate knowledge of school environments and an understanding of the process of engaging young people who require or would benefit from emotional and therapeutic support
• Have skills in supporting parents and providing evidence-based parenting advice and interventions
• Have the ability to provide staff consultation and advice in a timely manner to sustain students’ wellbeing
• Have the ability to work in partnership with specialist mental health providers and third sector agencies to support troubled students and families
• Have the ability to complete assessment and formulation of the full range of child and adolescent mental health disorders and related neurodevelopmental conditions and associated risk and protective factors
• Have the ability to undertake mental health risk assessments with children and young people, including suicidality and self-harm, eating disorders and sexually harmful behaviours

For a full person specification, please download the job pack.

If you would like to discuss the opportunity further, or if you have any questions, please contact us via email to arrange a conversation.

Before applying please ensure you download the job pack from our careers website, this will help with completing your application. Please note that we only accept applications submitted online before the closing date.

When applying, you will have the option to import your CV or use a LinkedIn profile which will auto populate the online application. 

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