Specialist Clinician & Clinical Lead - Mental Health Support Teams
Job summary
HPFT have an exciting opportunity to make a real difference in children and young people's mental health. This role is central to the development and delivery of the NHS 10 year plan in Hertfordshire's Mental Health Support Teams in schools, providing high-quality, evidence-based interventions for children and young people with mild to moderate emotional health and wellbeing concerns. The successful candidate will have strong leadership skills and lead clinical practice, supervise practitioners, and collaborate with educational settings to promote whole-school approaches to mental health. With a focus on early intervention and prevention, the post offers a blend of direct clinical work and leadership responsibilities, ensuring that services are safe, effective, and accessible. HPFT values partnership working, innovation, and continuous improvement, making this position ideal for professionals passionate about service development and multi-agency collaboration. Candidates from diverse backgrounds in psychology, therapy, occupational therapy, and nursing are encouraged to apply and help shape the future of mental health support in Hertfordshire schools
Main duties of the job
The Specialist Clinician & Clinical Lead for Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) is responsible for delivering comprehensive assessments, risk management, and evidence-based interventions for children and young people experiencing emotional and mental health difficulties. The role involves providing clinical supervision, consultation, and training to practitioners, clinicians, and trainees within the team, ensuring high standards of care and professional development. Operational management is a key aspect, including line management, service development, and collaboration with system partners and stakeholders to improve emotional wellbeing in educational environments. The post holder will work closely with schools, families, and partner agencies to develop and implement whole-school approaches to mental health, supporting sustainable improvements in wellbeing. Duties also include monitoring and reporting on clinical work, managing incidents and complaints, and ensuring compliance with legal, statutory, and strategic frameworks. Additionally, the role requires active participation in service planning, evaluation, and innovation, contributing to the ongoing development and effectiveness of the MHST programme
About us
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from theCare Quality Commission.
Our family of over 4,500 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:
Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.
These values are at the core of who we are, everything we do, and how we do it!
Would you like to be part of the HPFT family? Would you like work with us to ensure our service users live the fullest lives possible they can? Would you like to be supported in your career to be the best that you can be?
Details
Date posted
12 December 2025
Pay scheme
Agenda for change
Band
Band 8a
Salary
£57,888 to £64,880 a year per annum, pro rata (inclusive of 5% HCAS)
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full-time, Flexible working
Reference number
367-SS-9934
Job locations
CYPMHS
15 Forest Lane, , Kingsley Green, Harper Lane,
Radlett, Herts
WD7 9HQ
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical Responsibilities
- Deliver comprehensive clinical assessments, risk management, and evidence-based interventions for children and young people with emotional and mental health difficulties.
- Provide direct clinical work, including psycho-education and care packages for young people and their families/carers.
Leadership & Supervision
- Offer clinical supervision, consultation, and training to practitioners, clinicians, and trainees within the team.
- Lead operational management, including line management, service development and quality improvement in school teams.
Partnership & Collaboration
- Work collaboratively with schools, families, system partners, and stakeholders to develop whole-school approaches to mental health and wellbeing.
- Liaise with partner agencies such as primary care, social care services, and voluntary/third sector providers.
Service Development & Governance
- Monitor, record, and report on clinical work, ensuring compliance with legal, statutory, and strategic frameworks.
- Manage incidents, complaints, and ensure lessons learned are implemented for continuous improvement.
Planning & Innovation
- Participate in strategic service planning, evaluation, and innovation, contributing to the ongoing development and effectiveness of the MHST programme.
- Support opportunities for joint posts and integrated teams with partner agencies, and contribute to research, audit, and strategic development.
Job responsibilities
Clinical Responsibilities
- Deliver comprehensive clinical assessments, risk management, and evidence-based interventions for children and young people with emotional and mental health difficulties.
- Provide direct clinical work, including psycho-education and care packages for young people and their families/carers.
Leadership & Supervision
- Offer clinical supervision, consultation, and training to practitioners, clinicians, and trainees within the team.
- Lead operational management, including line management, service development and quality improvement in school teams.
Partnership & Collaboration
- Work collaboratively with schools, families, system partners, and stakeholders to develop whole-school approaches to mental health and wellbeing.
- Liaise with partner agencies such as primary care, social care services, and voluntary/third sector providers.
Service Development & Governance
- Monitor, record, and report on clinical work, ensuring compliance with legal, statutory, and strategic frameworks.
- Manage incidents, complaints, and ensure lessons learned are implemented for continuous improvement.
Planning & Innovation
- Participate in strategic service planning, evaluation, and innovation, contributing to the ongoing development and effectiveness of the MHST programme.
- Support opportunities for joint posts and integrated teams with partner agencies, and contribute to research, audit, and strategic development.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Qualification in appropriate mental health profession such as Nursing, Clinical or Counselling Psychology, Family Therapy, Art Therapy and registration with relevant UK governing body.
- First or Higher Degree or substantive experience as a band 7 Clinician in NHS or as a Senior Clinician with demonstrable clinical experience.
- CBT qualification
Desirable
- Parenting qualification and parenting supervision qualification
- Specific therapeutic modality training and qualification e.g. systemic, DBT, IPT etc.
- Management or leadership training
Experience
Essential
- Experience and knowledge of CYP -IAPT principles and its application within models of care delivery suitable for MHSTs
- Experience of working with mild to moderate mental health problems with a wide range of client groups across the whole life course with presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
- Experience working within an interagency Collaboration
- Doctoral level knowledge of clinical/counselling psychology including highly developed knowledge of developmental psychology, models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics, child and adolescent mental health
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management with clients with mild to moderate problems, including specialised psychological interventions for difficult to treat groups (eg multiple mental health and/or physical health problems
- Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS and HCPC or relevant body
- Well -developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively and well, orally and in writing, highly technical, and clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
Desirable
- Experience of exercising full clinical Responsibility for clients psychological care and treatment both as a professionally qualified care coordinator and also, within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan
- Ability to demonstrate an area of special interest/skill and experience in an evidence based therapeutic intervention
Qualifications
Essential
- Qualification in appropriate mental health profession such as Nursing, Clinical or Counselling Psychology, Family Therapy, Art Therapy and registration with relevant UK governing body.
- First or Higher Degree or substantive experience as a band 7 Clinician in NHS or as a Senior Clinician with demonstrable clinical experience.
- CBT qualification
Desirable
- Parenting qualification and parenting supervision qualification
- Specific therapeutic modality training and qualification e.g. systemic, DBT, IPT etc.
- Management or leadership training
Experience
Essential
- Experience and knowledge of CYP -IAPT principles and its application within models of care delivery suitable for MHSTs
- Experience of working with mild to moderate mental health problems with a wide range of client groups across the whole life course with presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
- Experience working within an interagency Collaboration
- Doctoral level knowledge of clinical/counselling psychology including highly developed knowledge of developmental psychology, models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics, child and adolescent mental health
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management with clients with mild to moderate problems, including specialised psychological interventions for difficult to treat groups (eg multiple mental health and/or physical health problems
- Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS and HCPC or relevant body
- Well -developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively and well, orally and in writing, highly technical, and clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
Desirable
- Experience of exercising full clinical Responsibility for clients psychological care and treatment both as a professionally qualified care coordinator and also, within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan
- Ability to demonstrate an area of special interest/skill and experience in an evidence based therapeutic intervention
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
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Address
CYPMHS
15 Forest Lane, , Kingsley Green, Harper Lane,
Radlett, Herts
WD7 9HQ
Employer's website
https://www.hpft.nhs.uk/careers/ (Opens in a new tab)
Employer details
Employer name
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Address
CYPMHS
15 Forest Lane, , Kingsley Green, Harper Lane,
Radlett, Herts
WD7 9HQ
Employer's website
Salary range
- £5 - £64,880 per year