Wellbeing Practitioners: Children and Young People Trainees (2 x vacancies)

Job Title: Trainee Children & Young People’s Well-being Practitioner

(Further Information here)

Working Hours: Full time. Working pattern to be negotiated and fixed on appointment, the service operates Monday to Friday during typical office hours with one evening shift per week and includes 2   days university attendance. 35 hours per week.

Pay: NHS Band 4

Contract: 12 Month Fixed Term (Until Jan 27) with intention to extend dependent on funding.

Holidays: 28 days including statutory holidays with an extra day off on/around your birthday.

Start Date: January 2026

Employed by: Northorpe Hall (Kirklees)

Location: Northorpe Hall Child + Family Trust, 53 Northorpe Ln, Mirfield WF14 0QL and working in schools & community venues

Disclosure and Barring Service Certificate: Due to the nature of the work, this   post will be subject to an enhanced DBS check.

Overview: 

Applications are sought for trainee Children & Young People’s Wellbeing Practitioners in Kirklees (2 vacancies). These are fixed term, full time roles with the intention to become permanent (subject to funding) on successful completion of a 1 year training course. The trainees will learn skills in providing low intensity evidence based interventions to children and young people with emotional health difficulties, and their parents/carers.

The two trainees will be based in the offices of Northorpe Hall in Kirklees and will be employed, supported, and clinically supervised through Northorpe Hall. Some of the work with children, young people and families may also take place in schools and community venues. Some home working may be required.

Northorpe Hall will provide access to suitable clients, venues, links to schools, IT equipment, peer support, access to secure patient management systems etc.

The training course is provided by Greater Manchester Psychological Therapies Training Centre in Prestwich. Training delivery is a blend of remote and face to face over 2 days.

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to complete a short written assignment in order to demonstrate their academic suitability for the training.

Applicants need to be able to start the training programme taught academic dates in early January 2026 and commit to attendance at all university based taught and self-study days required by Manchester University.

Job Purpose

This is a training role within the Psychological Trainings Programme. The post-holder will work within Northorpe Hall as part of a multi-disciplinary team delivering, under supervision, high-quality; outcome –informed, focused, and evidence-based interventions for children and young people experiencing mild to moderate anxiety, low mood, behavioural difficulties.

Psychological Trainings

Psychological Trainings is a service transformation programme delivered by Health Education England and partners that aims to improve existing children and young people’s Mental Health Services (CYPMHS) working in the community. CYWPs will play a key role in providing mental health and wellbeing support for children and young people.

Training

The Postgraduate-certificate is a 60 credit M-Level training programme and is validated in partnership with the Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, at The University of Manchester.

The training programme for this post is 12 months in duration and will consist of academic and supervised practice learning across mental health services.

Delivery of the programme will be provided through a combination of taught days provided by the Psychological Therapies Training Centre, independent self-guided study days, and experience gained in wellbeing and mainstream mental health services.

During training, the post-holder will work under supervision to gain experience across healthcare 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.

On successful completion of training, trainee CYPWPs will be equipped with the necessary skills, knowledge and capabilities to work as a qualified CYPWP as autonomous and responsible practitioners within their scope of practice, alongside colleagues.

The training and service experience will equip the post holder with the necessary knowledge, attitude and capabilities to operate effectively in an inclusive, value driven way.

The post holder will attend all university based taught and self-study days required by the education provider, as specified within the agreed national curriculum and work in the service for the remaining days of the week using their newly developed skills.

Evidence shows that CYP Wellbeing Practitioner training is most effective when the trainees are integrated fully within Children & Young People’s Mental Health Services and linked to the Psychological Training Collaborative, which brings a valuable organisational infrastructure. Therefore, the trainees will be based within an established provider of mental health services (Northorpe Hall Child & Family Trust)

Northorpe Hall Child + Family Trust is a local independent charity working to improve the mental health and emotional well-being of children and young people (5 - 25) in Kirklees. We deliver a wide range of individual and group-based support services and evidence based therapeutic interventions for children and young people including provision for children with special educational needs. The Trust offers a range of family and parent/carer focussed interventions and support. They work closely with NHS and Kirklees Council health and care services.

Major Duties

1. To work within the organisation to offer outcome focused, evidence-based interventions to children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties.

2. Working in partnership, support children, young people experiencing mild to moderate      mental health difficulties and their families in the self-management of presenting difficulties.

3. To identify and report safeguarding incidents, in line with relevant policies and procedures.

4. To be committed to a quality approach for patient care.

5. The post-holder will demonstrate high levels of concentration and provide sustained effort in assessment of complexities and risk.

6. To manage busy caseloads; ensuring effective communication with families,      professionals, staff, CYPs and more.

7. To operate within the clinical and case management supervision framework and engage effectively with clinical supervision on a weekly basis.

8. To work during Northorpe Hall hours and support our ‘buddy’ system where appropriate on one evening session a week.

9. To use a range of IT systems including patient record systems, ensuring high quality data is collected appropriately, kept securely and confidentially

10. To work in an innovative and child, young person and family centred way, in a culture of continuous improvement and learning.

11. To engage and manage your educational responsibilities and ensure all deadlines are met.

12. To demonstrate continued practice development and engage in annual appraisal.

In addition to these functions the post holder is expected to:

In agreement with their line manager carries out such other duties as may be reasonably expected in accordance with the grade of the post.

This job description does not provide an exhaustive list of duties and may be reviewed in conjunction with the post holder in light of service development.

About you

Qualification

Essential

● Evidence of ability to study successfully at undergraduate level (level 6) or the equivalent through a proven academic record of previous learning/formal study in Child Development, Well-being or Mental Health.

● Evidence of study at level 5.

● Evidence of numeracy skills.

● Willing to participate in any relevant training identified to develop skills required to carry out duties.

Desirable

● Educated to degree level (candidates who do not have a degree will need to evidence their competency by completing an essay).

● Maintains a portfolio of CPD in line with regulatory body standards.

Experience

Essential

● Experience of working within a mental health setting with clients presenting with common mental health problems

● Minimum of two/three years experience working with Children & Young People and/or Mental Health.

Desirable

● Working in community or primary care based teams

● Working as part of a wider multidisciplinary team

● Worked in a service where agreed targets in place to demonstrating outcomes.

Qualities

Essential

● Initiative, problem solving and openness to change.

● A collaborative team player, concerned with team success as well as individual performance.

● Passionate and committed to improving the mental health and wellbeing of local children and young people.

● Shares information, good practice and skills with their colleagues and wider networks.

● Good listener who responds well to feedback.

● Constructive and energetic who brings positivity and enthusiasm.

● A self aware and reflective individual who can reflect on their own needs and commit to continuous personal and professional learning and development.

Skills & Competencies

Essential

● Assessment, planning and evaluation skills

● Performs test / procedures / diagnostics relevant to clinical role proficiently

● Analytical and creative problem solving skills

● Workload management including planning, organisation and delegation of tasks

● Competent IT skills e.g. word processing, email in order to maintain electronic patient records

● Effective verbal, non-verbal and written communication skills including communicating complex or potentially distressing information to patients / carers

● Reflective practice skills/ Ability to utilise clinical supervision

● Able to develop good therapeutic relationships with clients

Desirable

● Received training (either formal or through experience) and carried out risk assessments within scope of practice.

● Risk assessment skills

Knowledge & Understanding

Essential

● Knowledge of common mental health conditions which may be encountered in area of work

● Knowledge of relevant current issues in health and social care

● Knowledge of Standards of Conduct

● Demonstrates awareness of limits to knowledge base

Desirable

● Understanding of clinical governance and quality measures

● Theoretical and clinical knowledge appropriate to service area and profession

Other requirements

● Has a strong degree of personal integrity; able to adhere to standards of conduct based on a culture of equality and fairness

● A strong understanding of safeguarding and health and safety within mental health, social work & education and the ability to become a designated safeguarding officer for Northorpe Hall

●  A dedicated commitment to diversity and inclusion and equality of opportunity.

● Ability to work under pressure and manage a busy caseload.