Young Somerset
27,000 per week
Exeter
Full-time
Trainee Infant and Early Years Pathway Practitioner
Job Description

Service:
Job Title:
Reports To:

Location:

Mental Health and Wellbeing Service
Trainee Infant and Early Years Pathway Practitioner
Team Leader -  Mental Health
and Wellbeing Services
Hybrid position-remote and face to face with training
at Exeter University, and practice from
community locations countywide

Main Purpose of Post:
This is a training role within the Children and Young People’s Improving Access to Psychological
Therapies Programme (CYP IAPT), delivered by NHS England and partners to improve existing young
people’s mental health services working in the community.

The postholder will:
1.  Work under supervision, within the Early Years Team, to delivery high-quality, brief outcome

focused evidence-based interventions for children 0-5 and their families

2.  Support parents who are experiencing difficulties with feeding, toileting, sleeping or persistent

crying or experiencing difficult behaviour with their children

3.  Attend all university-based taught and self-study days required by Exeter University and work in

service for the remaining days using newly developed skills

Main Responsibilities and Duties:
THERAPEUTIC SKILLS

•  Assess and deliver, under clinical supervision, outcome focused, evidence-based interventions to

parents experiencing difficulties with their children.

•  Support and empower parents to make informed choices about the intervention.

•  Operate at all times from an inclusive values base, which recognises and respects diversity.

•  Undertake accurate assessment of risk to self and others.

•  Adhere to the service request for support protocols. Under supervision,
signpost unsuitable requests to the relevant service as necessary.

•  Through close clinical case management and supervision, escalate cases where the level of need
becomes beyond scope, or more severe ensuring adherence to other relevant elements of
service delivery.

•  Provide a range of information and support for evidence based psychological treatments. This

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may include guided self-help. This work may be face-to-face, virtual, by telephone or via other
media.

•  Attend multi-disciplinary meetings relating to referrals or parents accessing treatment, where

appropriate.

•  Keep timely and accurate records of all activity in line with service protocols using IAPTUS and
use these  records and outcome data to inform decision making.  Complete all requirements
relating to data collection.

•  Work in collaboration with children, families and communities to enhance and widen access.

TRAINING AND SUPERVISION

•  Attend and fulfil all the requirements of the training element of the post including practical,

academic and practice-based assessments.

•  Apply learning from the training programme to practice.

•  Attend meetings with academic tutor in relation to course work to meet the required

standards.

•  Prepare and present case load information to Clinical Supervisors within the service on an

agreed and scheduled basis, in order to ensure safe practice and the governance obligations of
the trainee, supervisor and service are delivered.

•  Respond to and implement supervision suggestions by Clinical Supervisors in practice.

•  Engage in Clinical Skills Supervision to improve competences and practice.

PROFESSIONAL

•  Ensure the maintenance of standards of practice according to the employer and any
regulating bodies, and keep up-to-date on new recommendations/guidelines set by
the relevant departments

•  Ensure that confidentiality is protected at all times.

•  Ensure clear objectives are identified, discussed and reviewed with Clinical Supervisor on a

regular basis as part of continuing professional development

•  Participate in Line Management and Probation Meetings and respond to agreed objectives

•  Attend relevant training/workshops/Team Days in line with identified professional objectives

Facts and Figures:

Young Somerset (YS) was established in 1997 (as Somerset Rural Youth Project) with a mission to
work with young people, encouraging them to take responsibility, supporting them to overcome
disadvantage, and to become actively involved in shaping the communities in which they live.

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Our vision is a Somerset where young people feel a sense of belonging, a desire to contribute to
their communities and have a future that is not limited by poor access to opportunities and
services. This is delivered through three strands of work: Youth Work, Alternative Learning
Provision and Enterprise and Mental Health Support.

Young Somerset supports Mindline; an emotional support and mental health helpline,  9am -
10pm, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Young Somerset employs in the region of 120+ members of staff, apprentices and several
volunteers; over half of whom work in direct support of high need young people and/or those with
mild to moderate mental health needs.

The postholder will be required to work as part of team comprising 0-5 Pathway Practitioners,
Children’s Wellbeing Practitioners, Education Mental Health Practitioners and Wellbeing Support
Practitioners.  There is an expectation that the postholder will attend a number of team days
during the year.  There are opportunities to progress which can be discussed at interview.  The
role is varied and there will be times when you are expected to support members of staff from
other departments in the organisation.

Additional Information:
The postholder must be able to demonstrate commitment and enthusiasm towards Young
Somerset’s four core values:

•  Putting Young People First
•
Inspiring
•  Collaborating
•  Going further

An Enhanced DBS clearance is required as post holder will be working in close proximity to
children.  This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Acts.

The postholder will be required to maintain a suitable, confidential space to work from home.

The postholder will be expected to work across Somerset either virtually or face to face

The salary is £27,000 for 37 hours per week.

Holiday entitlement is 27 days, plus 8 Bank Holidays.

1.    Qualifications

Essential

•  Minimum Level 5 qualification
•  Clean Driving Licence

Desirable
•  Relevant degree/postgraduate degree (e.g.
Psychology, Social Care, youth-related)
•  Training or qualification in counselling,

nursing, social care, occupational therapy or
within a specific psychological therapy

•  Experience of working in a clinical

environment

2.    Work Experience

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Essential
•  Relevant experience of volunteering or
working  with  young  people  for  a
minimum of two years

•  Work as part of a team – provide
effective contributions with
internal/external multi-professional
teams

•  Demonstrate high standards of written

communication

•  Experience of using IT systems
•  Personal and time management skills

Desirable

•  Experience of working with children or young

people with mental health difficulties
•  Worked in a service where agreed targets in

place to demonstrating outcomes
•  Experience of managing caseloads
•  Trained and experienced in the use of risk

assessments

3.    Key Competencies

Please read this section alongside the Young Somerset Competency Framework.  This role
requires the competencies at the following levels:

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1. Leading and Deciding

  1.1 Deciding and initiating action
  1.2 Leading and supervising staff

Desirable
Less Relevant

  2.1 Working with people
  2.2 Adhering to principles and values

2. Supporting and Co-operating
Essential
Essential

3. Interacting and Presenting

  3.1 Relating and networking
  3.2 Persuading and influencing
  3.3 Presenting and communicating

Desirable
Less Relevant
Less Relevant

4. Analysing and Interpreting

  4.1 Writing and reporting
  4.2 Applying expertise and technology
  4.3 Analysing and Coping

Desirable
Desirable
Less Relevant

5. Creating and Conceptualising

  5.1 Learning and researching
  5.2 Creating and innovating
  5.3 Formulating strategies and concepts

Desirable
Less Relevant
Less Relevant

6. Organising and Executing

  6.1 Planning and organising
  6.2 Developing results and meeting customer

Desirable
Desirable

expectations

  6.3 Following instructions and procedures

Essential

7. Adapting and Coping

  7.1 Adapting and responding to change
  7.2 Coping with pressures and setbacks

Essential
Essential

  8.1 Achieving personal work goals and

Essential

8. Enterprising and Performing

objectives

  8.2 Entrepreneurial and commercial thinking  Less Relevant

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