Mental Health Practitioner Assistant


Company:	NHS Jobs
Salary:	£27,478 to £27,478 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Bedford, MK42 9AP
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	23 Oct 2026
Closing date:	22 Nov 2026

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Summary

Assistant Mental Health Practitioner - Child Sexual Exploitation Service, Bedford Salary £27478 per annum Permanent: Full Time, 40 hours per week. Location: Covering homes/school across Bedford The role We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated Assistant Mental Health Practitioner to support with the clinical service provision for our CSE (Child Sexual Exploitation) service in our Bedford region. The young people in our care have experienced or have been at increased risk of sexual exploitation. In addition, they have frequently experienced other traumatic and adverse situations and relationships. Our focus is on supporting their recovery holistically and also to reduce future risk of harm. You will have regular supervision from a qualified Clinical Professional (Mental Health Practitioner/Psychologist/Psychotherapist). You will work within a regional Clinical team and will support both residential and education teams in this role. You will be part of a team who seeks to support others to embed psychological understanding of the young people in our care and embed therapeutic, trauma informed practice. You will be supported to develop your professional skills with supervision and training This is an exciting time to join us as we review and renew the CSE service. The role will include Co-ordinating information/writing assessment reports under supervision, including gathering and analysing a range of data including psychometric data Developing and delivering psycho-educational interventions to young people Developing and delivering training to teams (residential and educational staff) Contributing to and supporting clinical teams with consultations/meetings by gathering information, taking notes and other administrative tasks Other tasks as required for the development and delivery of the service (e.g. writing literature reviews to inform practice) The region comprises 4 homes and 1 school, which you will contribute to supporting There may be occasions when you are asked to support in another region Candidate Profile We are looking for someone who can develop positive relationships with both children and other professionals to support childrens recovery and the professional development of team members (homes and school professionals). You will also be able to manage a busy workload and the emotional demands of the work, however, you will be supported to do this within line management and clinical supervision. You will be a graduate who has knowledge of data collection and interpretation and can communicate in writing and verbally to a high standard. We are looking for someone who can find creative ways of communicating psychological concepts and theory into practice for the teams we work with and to work with children. Essential: Experience working with children/young people Psychology degree, or a degree in relevant subject e.g. counselling, child development etc. Excellent verbal and written communication skills A good understanding of the use of psychometrics and general data gathering Knowledge of trauma informed practices and attachment-based approaches e.g. PACE Compassionate approach to young people with creative ways of engaging teenagers Team player with excellent communication skills Full driving licence and own vehicle to be able to travel to multiple sites. Understanding of CSE/willing to learn Keen to learn and develop Desirable: CAMHS/mental health experience or Residential Care experience Report writing / assessment experience Experience of delivering therapeutic interventions In return we offer: Full support from a caring, supportive and knowledgeable multidisciplinary team Regular clinical supervision Meetings and peer support Developmental opportunities (training, CPD, shadowing etc as appropriate) Internal/external training on new initiatives Note: Successful candidates will need to meet the person specification in order to be offered this post. Cambian is committed to Safeguarding and protecting the young people and service users within our care. All candidates will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and reference checks. Cambian is an equal opportunities employer.

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