Children and Young People Mental Health Practitioner

Go back Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust

Children and Young People Mental Health Practitioner

The closing date is 11 January 2026

Are you a qualified practitioner who prides themselves on being outgoing, self motivated and creative, with an interest with helping children and young people? The Dorset Integrated Non Custodial Service work with children and young people entering the criminal justice system would like to hear from you!

The Service supports children and young people who have mental health, neurodiverse conditions and other vulnerabilities when they first enter the criminal justice system, usually in police custody or through a Voluntary Attendance Interview. You will use your clinical experience to carry out mental health and risk assessments, sharing information with the Police, help to reduce the risk of re offending by identifying vulnerabilities that could lead to crisis point and ensure the right support can be put in place.

This is a full time Monday to Friday (8.30am - 4.30pm) role which covers the whole of Dorset and we will try and match your base with your home address .

Being a driver holding a UK driving licence is essential for this role. We would welcome part time applications with a minimum of 30 hours. We support flexible working to promote a healthy work life balance. Investing in our staff is key to our values and we welcome sharing ideas. This is a specially commissioned fixed term role to 31 March 2028 to help implement and embed an enhanced service for children and young people.

For further information, please contact Demelza Evernden -

Main duties of the job

The Service has been recognised by the CQC as a 'highly skilled and tight knit team' and we are looking for a Practitioner who has a real passion for developing their clinical skills in an environment that is ever changing, with a good working knowledge of assessment and care planning including comprehensive risk assessment.

We aim to follow up an individual to ensure they are getting the support and access to services that they need. We work collaboratively and develop support networks with both statutory and voluntary sector to ensure robust pathways.

If you are self motivated, able to work autonomously and show plenty of initiative when it comes to handling a wide range of situations, then this could be the right role for you in a service that you can help shape. As this is a new role in an ever developing environment we highly suggest you contact the service before applying.

Employment with the Service is dependent on passing the police advanced vetting process.

This is a fixed term role and for those with current NHS service, the role will be offered on a secondment basis only. Please obtain permission to be released on a secondment before submitting an application.

About us

At Dorset HealthCare we're on a mission to empower people to make the most of their lives through our outstanding, joined up healthcare services. We're a dynamic, forward looking Trust, running 12 community hospitals, specialist inpatient facilities and a wide range of integrated community and mental health services for a population of almost 800,000 people.

We do things differently here - it's one of the reasons the CQC rated us 'outstanding' in 2019. It's also why 95% of patients across our services say they have a good or very good experience of our services and 89% of staff feel they can really make a difference. Whether you're looking to work with us in one of our bustling market towns, vibrant urban locations, thriving seaside spots, or among the rolling hills of Dorset, there are lots of ways you can make a difference in our communities.

Our 7,000 strong workforce is at the heart of what we do and our success is a testament to our brilliant people. We're all about building a workplace for the future, we believe in equal opportunities and we celebrate diversity. We're an inclusive workplace, where everyone is welcome, everyone can be authentic, and we are all encouraged to be the best version of ourselves.

Working with us you'll be part of a strong team, challenge yourself, build a career, and teach us what we don't know. And you'll be working towards our vision to create healthier lives, empowered citizens and thriving communities.

Job responsibilities

For the main duties and responsibilities for this role please read the attached job description and person specification. When completing your application please ensure your supporting statement reflects the criteria set out in these documents by showing how your experience and skills apply to this post.

We understand that using AI can be a useful and supportive tool when completing your application. However, we have also seen an increase in the over reliance of AI tools which is negatively impacting applications as they remove candidates individuality, and it becomes much harder to get a sense of who you are and your authentic experience. If you do use AI, it should be used to enhance your application and not to create your supporting statement in its entirety. If we suspect you have used AI to create your supporting statement and this does not match your experience, we may withdraw your application.

As part of our vision to have a skilled, diverse and caring workforce, Dorset HealthCare offers support for people getting into work. We offer an employability service to support individuals with application writing, interview skills and other employment support. If you would like or know of anyone who would value this support, please do contact

Applications from candidates that require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are unfortunately ineligible to apply for this position.

Person Specification Knowledge, Skills and Training

• Registered practitioner to degree/diploma level supplemented by post registration diploma level specialist training and/or short courses or demonstrable extensive experience in the relevant specialty

Membership of the relevant Professional Body

• Membership of the relevant Professional Body

Job Specific Experience

• Experience at Practitioner Band 5 level
• Recent previous experience working with Children and Young People who have vulnerabilities
• Experience of managing change

Personal Qualities and Attributes

• Able to analyse and assess situations and to interpret potentially conflicting situations and determine appropriate action, where there is a range of options and judgement is required.

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.

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust