Closing date: 13 August 2026
Job summaryAn exciting opportunity has arisen for a Senior Health Practitioners to join Merseycare's childrens services with the Intensive Support Function (ISF) for Children and Young People with learning disabilities and or neurodiversity concerns.
We are looking for an individual with a background in nursing, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy or CYPMHS.
We are looking for candidates who are enthusiastic, creative, can work with complex and challenging presentation with a trauma informed positive behaviour support approach to improve the quality of life for young people and their families.
It would be preferrable if candidates had experience of working with CYP with complex needs, mental health, learning disabilities and neurodiversity and understand the importance of interagency working.
The team is a pan borough service covering Knowsley, St Helens, Halton and Warrington, milage expenses will be paid. All additional training will be provided. Full IT Kit provided, free onsite parking at base site, hybrid working and flexible working agreements will always be considered in line with service delivery.
Main duties of the jobJob Purpose: As a Senior Health Practitioner, the post holder will manage a defined case-load with a focus on providing focused assessment and evidence-based intervention for children and young people (CYP) and their parents/carers, and evidence based client centred care to children and young people with varied health needs including learning disabilities, neurodiversity, challenging behaviour and mental health problems within the THRIVE Framework for service delivery.
The post holder will be expected to undertake assessments with young people, provide brief interventions within the scope of their core qualification, advice, consultation and supervision to children and young people, and colleagues within external partner agencies in line with THRIVE and clinical competency.
About usMersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.
We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.
At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.
DetailsDate posted: 03 August 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 6
Salary: £39,959 to £48,117 a year pro rata/per annum
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working, Compressed hours
Reference number: 350-CC8188560
Job locations: Manor Farm, Knowsley, L35 0BU, United Kingdom
Job responsibilities- To hold a caseload of both specialist and generic work dependant on clinical competence and experience.
- To undertake assessments, treatment and consultation work based upon a conceptual framework and employing research-based evidence.
- To provide direct therapeutic interventions dependent on clinical competence and experience in line with the grading of the post, including assessments, formulation and therapeutic input into children, young people and families referred into the service.
- Undertake risk assessments and care plans accordingly, in line with the THRIVE framework.
- To work in ways that are sensitive to the needs of children and young people families from a wide range of racial, cultural and religious backgrounds
- To be responsible for the screening of referrals to children and Young Peoples services.
- To participate directly in the teams duty rotas.
- To exercise responsibility and autonomy, within supervisory, managerial and accountability structures, for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients
- To deliver care co-ordination, ensuring effective assessment, care planning and risk management processes are maintained. Involve the views of children, their families, referring agents and other professionals involved in the network of care including organising multi-agency meetings.
- To produce a clinical formulation and intervention plan founded on evidence-based practice in co-operation with the child young person and carers
- To hold responsibility for standards of clinical practice within area of specialist knowledge
- To work jointly and collaboratively with other team members in order to enhance and develop the provision of services to young people and their families. To have an effective knowledge base of other modalities so as to engage and work effectively with colleagues in other disciplines.
- To provide consultation, advice and guidance to junior colleague. To promote effective multi-agency work. To contribute theoretical knowledge to the process of managing risk within the multi-agency network
- Undertake risk management for all children including the protective and risk factors present in the network of significant relationships
- Identify and respond appropriately to child protection issues, as described with the guidelines of Local Safeguarding Childrens Board and Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust safeguarding policies
- Maintain clear and comprehensive electronic clinical records, to ensure information is accurate and complies with Data Protection Act and professional body and Trust standards.
- To engage with using routine outcome measures as clinically appropriate including their use in clinical practice and inputting data into clinical records
- To work collaboratively with children, young people and their families and contribute to the trusts service user participation agenda
- Work in partnership to deliver a range of health interventions. This may involve group work or direct work with children/young people as well as offering specialist health-based consultation, and generic health advice
- Be responsible and ensure the effective co-ordination of clinical care provided including consideration to safeguarding and clinical risk issues where indicated
- Participate in MDT discussion within relevant locality including waiting list management contribution
- Work in partnership with young people and their families to inform assessment, need and rationale for treatment intervention
- To work collaboratively with team members and supervisors to ensure safe working practice and positive outcomes for children and young people
- To follow safeguarding processes as appropriate or required
This post is subject to an enhanced with childrens and adults barred list Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check.Person SpecificationQualificationsEssential- One of the following is required:
- Nursing Degree (LD, RGN, RMN, RCN)
- Degree or equivalent in Occupational Therapy
- Degree or equivalent in speech and language Therapy
- Must hold one of the following:
- EMHP Graduate or Post Graduate Qualification
- CYWP Graduate or Post Graduate Qualification
- CBT Post Graduate Certificate/Diploma
- where applicable hold a professional registration with the relevant accrediting body
Desirable- Learning Disabilities Nurse
- Any post grad courses specifically related to Neurodiversity and Learning disabilities and /Autism, e.g. Riding the Rapids
ExperienceEssential- Experience of managing a case-load of children and young people with a range of complex health needs
- Working within a children community mental health setting
- Experience of delivering evidence-based therapy e.g., CBT, speech therapy, sensory integration therapy
- Experience of providing supervision
- Skilled in the ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing, clinical sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
- Experience of working with a wide variety of patient groups that reflect the full range of clinical severity including a high degree of professionalism in the face of emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
- Experienced in and the ability to undertake case management and the supervision of students as required
Desirable- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialist therapies in specific difficult to treat groups
- A level knowledge of theory and practice of specialist therapy / interventions
- Experience of delivering teaching, training
- Experience in consultation to other professional and non-professional groups
- Experience in consultation to other professional and non-professional groups
- Experience of providing clinical supervision
KnowledgeEssential- Knowledge and skills in the complete range of approaches within the field asmeet the needs of different patients and settings required to
- Level of knowledge of the mental health needs, and special educational needs of children and adolescents.
- Have experience in providing risk assessments
- Must demonstrate ability to be self-reflective and to organise own supervision appropriately
- Ability to work within a culturally diverse community in a wide variety of contexts including highly specialist skills for working in settings outside the clinic
- Ability to take full clinical responsibility for patient care and treatment within the context of a multi-disciplinary team
Desirable- Information technology and management skills using word processing, spreadsheets, database and presentation software
- Knowledge and skills in providing consultation to other professionals and non-professional groups
- Knowledge of research design and methodology consistent with practice to at least Degree level or equivalent
SkillsEssential- Interpersonal skills of a high level to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, in order to convey clinically sensitive information to family members of all ages and to a wide range of lay and professional persons, within and outside of the NHS
- Demonstrate the ability to co-ordinate and lead a multi-agency care plan / risk management plan
- Knowledge of legislation and strategic frameworks and their implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to the full range of client groups
- Ability to convey and to model an understanding of the ethical guidelines in all areas of professional conduct
- Physical stamina to support clinical caseload which requires intense concentration whilst sitting with client groups
- Ability to identify and provide appropriate means of support to carers and staff exposed to distressing situations and severely challenging behaviours
- Ability to identify and employ as appropriate clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice
- Demonstrate a commitment to respecting and displaying the Trust Values at all times
- A commitment to the continuous improvement of services using feedback from individual clients, families, user surveys and clinical research
- Emotional stamina, and resilience to respond constructively in highly stressful situations
- Ability to organise and co-ordinate areas of work that are complex and demanding
Desirable- Ability to demonstrate leadership and management skills to multi-disciplinary work
Disclosure and Barring Service CheckThis 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.UK RegistrationApplicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).Employer detailsEmployer name: Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Manor Farm, Knowsley, L35 0BU, United Kingdom
Employer's website: Apply through our website
Employer contact detailsFor questions about the job, contact: Operational Services Manager Laura Williams, Laura.williams2@merseycare.nhs.uk
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