MHST Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner

Job overview

Start your career in children's mental health and make a lasting difference to young lives.

Are you passionate about supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people? Do you want to develop a rewarding career while gaining a fully funded postgraduate qualification? If so, we would love to hear from you.

We are excited to offer an incredible opportunity to join our Mental Health Support Team (MHST) as a Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP). This unique role combines paid employment with specialist training, equipping you with the skills, knowledge and experience to become a qualified EMHP and play a vital role in delivering early mental health support within schools and educational settings.

As a Trainee EMHP, you will work alongside experienced mental health professionals to support children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties. Through evidence-based interventions and close collaboration with schools, families and young people, you will help build resilience, improve emotional wellbeing and ensure support is available when it is needed most.

This is a full-time, year-long employment and training programme
, leading to qualification as an Education Mental Health Practitioner.

You will undertake a fully funded Postgraduate Certificate/Diploma with:

• University of East Anglia (UEA)

The programme combines academic learning with supervised clinical practice, enabling you to develop both professionally and academically while making a real difference from day one.

University of East Anglia offers both a PGDip and a PGCert.

Applicants for the Postgraduate Diploma must provide evidence of academic attainment at degree level or above.

We welcome graduate entry applicants. Applicants for the Graduate Diploma will need to demonstrate their ability to work at degree level and should provide evidence in their application of their previous academic attainment; this should include good basic numeracy and literacy qualifications at a minimum of level
2. Successful applicants to the graduate route will be offered access to additional support throughout their training to ensure that they are able to meet the academic requirements of the course.

PGDip Educational Mental Health Practitioner 2026/27 | UEA

We are seeking enthusiastic, compassionate and motivated individuals who:

• Have the ability to study successfully at postgraduate level
• Are passionate about improving outcomes for children and young people
• Have an understanding of mental health and emotional wellbeing
• Can build positive and supportive relationships with young people, families and professionals
• Ideally have experience working with children and young people
• Experience with in education settings is welcomed but not essential.

You’ll be joining a well‑established and highly experienced Mental Health Support Team
, where learning, development and wellbeing are at the heart of what we do.

We offer:

• Comprehensive clinical and educational supervision
• Dedicated mentorship throughout your training
• Strong peer support from fellow trainees and practitioners
• Opportunities for ongoing professional development
• The chance to make a meaningful impact in local communities every day

This role is based in North
East Essex during your training year, supporting children and young people across:

• Colchester
• Tendring

This is more than a training programme. It's an opportunity to launch a fulfilling career while helping children and young people access the support they need to thrive.

Join us and become part of a passionate team committed to transforming mental health support in schools and shaping brighter futures for young people across Essex.

As a Trainee EMHP, your responsibilities will include:

• Under supervision, assess and manage a caseload of children and young people (CYP).
• Deliver low‑intensity, evidence‑based interventions such as guided self‑help, group sessions.
• Deliv…