Are you looking for a varied, exciting post in which you could train as an Infant and Early Years Practitioner ?

This is a one-year, full-time post inclusive of a University Course and clinical work based in the Primary Mental Health Team, Solar -Solihull's CAMHS service.

*Please note, salary for this post is fixed at £36,756.50*

The Postgraduate Diploma in Infant and Early Years Practitioner Training (Psychological Therapies Training Centre, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust), aims to provide high quality training in the key skills required to be an evidence-based practitioner working with children aged 0-5 years and their parents/carers.

Trainees will gain clinical experience in using Video Interaction Guidance (VIG) as an attachment-based intervention, as well as learning evidence-based parenting methods for working with infants and children aged 0-5 and their parents/carers.

Trainees will work towards becoming a Video Interaction Guidance (VIG) Accredited Practitioner by the end of the course. The course will provide model-specific supervision in VIG, as well as teaching on both VIG skills-based workshops and evidence-based theory and literature relating to supporting the emotional wellbeing and mental health of those aged 0-5 and their parents/carers.

Successful completion of the course will enable the award of the Postgraduate Diploma, plus achievement of Accredited Practitioner status with AVIG UK.

Solar are looking for individuals who are highly motivated, adaptable and flexible in their approach. Balancing the demands of the course with the fast-paced nature of the role can be difficult, therefore excellent organisational skills and time management are a must. In order to be successful in obtaining this role you need to complete a successful interview with Solar and be eligible to gain entry onto the University course.

As part of your training, you will be expected to attend approximately 1.5 working days per week at University in Prestwich, Manchester, half a day of supervision, and approximately 3 days working in service at Solar, Solihull.

Applicants need to note that upon successful completion of the course there is an expectation that staff will take up any offered employment to enhance the Solar workforce to increase access to psychological therapies for children and young people in our local communities.

About Solar

Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (BSMHFT) and Barnardo's work together to provide emotional wellbeing and mental health services for children and young people in Solihull. The service currently accepts children and young people aged 0 – 19 who have a Solihull GP. Our staff team is made up of practitioners with varied experience and skills. The Solar service has different teams within it; Primary Care, Secondary Care, Crisis, The Eating Disorder Service and the Looked after Children's Team. We are looking to recruit vibrant and passionate staff members that are committed to helping children, young people and their families.

Future in Mind (2015) said Children and Young People ‘should only have to tell your story once' Solar achieves this by using one clinical record and a single user led care plan; ensuring Children and Young People shape the services they receive. Rated “good” by the CQC in January 2018, the service was peer reviewed by West Midlands Quality Review Service who said they “were impressed with the level of integration across the services - the feedback from service users and their families and carers was that the pathway was seamless between the various services.”

Our work is based on holistic and evidence-based principles, which involves the active participation of children/young people with their assessment and care plan, and provides a package of work tailored to the individual young person's needs.

Please be aware, this role is based within an integrated mental health team whereby you will be working within an NHS service, this means working with NHS systems, equipment and adhering to NHS policy in addition to Barnardos.

Please see all attachments within the job advert for further information about the service, the post and the person specification. Please ensure you read the ‘additional information' sheet, as this tells you more specifically about the role.

If you have any questions about the role please contact Sophie Doak, Primary Mental Health Team Manager - sophie.doak@barnardos.org.uk / 0121 301 2750 

Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible.

We know that our colleagues go above and beyond in delivering our vital work, driven by their passion and commitment to Barnardo's values.  We also know that we can only realise our ambitions and achieve better outcomes for more children, thanks to the talent, hard work and creativity of our people. 

For all these reasons, we are committed to a new approach to pay and reward, to ensure it is fair, attractive and progressive, which was rolled out in April 2023. This is a positive change for the charity, and a part of our People & Culture Strategy. It will assist us in supporting colleagues to belong, thrive and grow in their colleague journey at Barnardo's and in time will offer clear routes of progression for colleagues in both their career and their pay. 

Whilst the full pay band and salary range is advertised, our approach to starting salaries is to appoint between the minimum to mid-point of the pay band – this ensures that pay steps are available to reward our colleagues annually based on their contribution to excellence and alignment to our values and behaviours.  More details on Barnardo's pay framework can be found upon application. 

Workplace Offer: What it means for you

Our hybrid working initiative is based on trust, flexibility and empowerment. We understand our workplace offer means different things to different people, and we encourage those conversations. This may mean working at one of our stores, services, working at home, in the community, at one of our Collaboration Hubs or depending on the role any combination of these. Please read through the advert carefully to understand the remits of hybrid working that will be specific to the role.

• Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements.
• Annual Leave entitlement for full-time colleagues is 26 days per annum, increasing to 27 days per annum, after 3 years Barnardo's service, 29 days per annum, after 5 years Barnardo's service and 30 days per annum, after 7 years Barnardo's service. Those working less than full time are entitled to the same level of holiday pro rata
• The ability to buy up to another 5 days annual leave via our HolidayPlus scheme
• A host of family friendly leave options including company Maternity Paternity and Adoption pay; together with all family additional leave options
• Service related sick pay from day 1
• Access to a Group Personal Pension with a matched 4% or 6% contribution from Barnardo's. Ability to pay via salary sacrifice to garner both tax and NI savings on your own contribution
• Death in service cover of 4x annual earnings for all staff contributing to our Group Personal Pension
• Cycle2work scheme
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Discounts and cashback from at high street shops including major supermarkets, cinemas, gyms, leisure/theme parks, holidays and much more via our Benefit Portal
• 20% discount at Barnardo's stores
• Opportunity to purchase a health cash plan to claim towards dental, glasses, therapy etc
• Free access to round the clock employee assistance program for advice and support
• Access to Barnardo's Learning and Development offer

*T&C's apply based on contract

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and cultivating a culture where everyone can belong and thrive through inclusion and connectivity. We want our workforce to be reflective of the communities we work with, and for equality, diversity and inclusion to be embedded in everything we do. We are a Disability Confident Leader, are progressing our ambition to be an anti-racist organisation with Anti-Racism Commitments and actions in place and have networks for colleagues who are disabled, LGBT+, Black and Minoritised Ethnic and Women. We particularly encourage applications from Black and Minoritised Ethnic and/or disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce. For disabled applicants, we offer reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.

• Reference number:21922
• Job Title:Trainee Infant and Early Years Practitioner
• Location:Solihull
• Locality:Solihull
• Contract type:Fixed term
• End date:January 2027
• Hours:37
• Salary:£30,798 - £41,522
• Closing Date:31 October 2025
• Interview Date:06/11/2025

Benefits

Vacancy Alerts

Additional Info

• Information Sheet for Applicants Applying for Positions Working with Children and Vulnerable Adults (updated July 2021).pdf (107.00 KB)
• Barnardo's Workplace Offer Visual Summary.pdf (27.58 KB)
• Project Worker 2 - Job Description and Person Specification.pdf (0.59 MB)
• Recruitment of Ex-Offenders Policy Dec 2024.pdf (164.07 KB)
• History of Solar sheet 2025 .pdf (223.33 KB)
• Additional Information Sheet - Trainee Infant + Early Years Practitioner.pdf (191.31 KB)