Senior Mental Health Assistant Practitioner

Senior Mental Health Assistant Practitioner

The closing date is 22 December 2025

We are excited to announce a vacancy for a Band 5 Senior Mental Health Assistant Practitioner in the Mental Health Advice, Support and Access team (MHASA) based at Just One Number (JON).

The MHASA triages all non emergency referrals for mental health for 0 25 year olds within Norfolk and Waveney.

The post holder will gather information from a variety of sources, have direct telephone contact with young people, families and other professionals, support senior clinicians with the triage of more complex cases, and provide advice, guidance and support to people with mental health care needs via telephone and other digital technologies. Developing positive relationships with local statutory and non statutory service providers is key to the role.

This is a part time post: 0.6 WTE (9 AM 5 PM, Monday Friday). The non working day(s) will be determined at interview.

The role is in person at the team base in Cringleford, Norwich.

It is a non patient facing role; contact with young people, carers and other professionals is made via telephone and written information.

High application numbers may lead to early closure of this vacancy after 10 December 2025.

Main duties of the job

We are looking for a Mental Health Assistant Practitioner with experience working with children, young people and families, and who can demonstrate transferable skills. You will have excellent communication skills and be able to contain and support distressed young people and their families, while supporting them to the right pathway.

You will join a dynamic and supportive team of senior mental health clinicians that has made an impact on the mental health system for children and young people - a busy and varied role.

We are based within Just One Number, which provides a single point of access for the Healthy Child Programme and the Speech and Language team.

About us

Rated "Outstanding" by the Care Quality Commission, we proudly provide high quality innovative services across most of the East of England, enabling people to receive care closer to home and live healthier lives. Our staff highly rate us in the national staff survey, and we are committed to a culture that prioritises staff engagement and development.

Job responsibilities

Clinical expertise in the mental and emotional health needs of children, young people and their families (0 25 yrs) and the ability to elicit information from professionals, carers and young people to support full assessments via telephone or video call to enable timely clinical decisions.

Work effectively with other team members within JON, attending and supporting teaching and clinical supervision to develop needs led, evidence based care that supports local and national priorities and policies, and relevant clinical guidelines.

Robust understanding of local emotional health provision and ability to give appropriate advice, guidance, and as needed make referrals and support colleagues to make referrals to the appropriate service.

Knowledge of child and young people's mental health needs and local services, involving information gathering, assessment (including risk assessment) and care planning with children, young people, parents, teachers, and being an active link for other stakeholders such as schools, GPs, mental health and voluntary sector organisations.

Develop skills and confidence to support colleagues within Just One Number, especially in understanding current mental health needs, risk and care planning.

Contribute to production and maintenance of digital resources on Just One Norfolk and promotion of these within JON and with other stakeholders, facilitating appropriate use of self help material and recognising when further clinical assessment is indicated.

Person Specification Qualifications and Training

• Degree in a relevant area of study and relevant experience in a mental health field
• Evidence of continuous professional development
• Degree in mental health

Experience

• Previous experience working with children and young adults with mental health needs
• Demonstrated effective risk assessment and risk management
• Experience delivering clinical interventions
• Undertook a clinical role including multi disciplinary working, safeguarding, complex assessments, planning, evaluating care packages, and managing a caseload
• Partnership working

Skills and Knowledge

• Ability to work regularly unsupervised
• Risk assessment knowledge and skills
• Competent keyboard skills and ability to communicate through IT using packages such as Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint
• Experience navigating service users to other services and resources

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975. A Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly CRB) check will be required to confirm no previous convictions.

Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust

£31,049 - £37,796 per annum, pro rate.