How to become an Education Mental Health Practitioner

What you need to be successful in your EMHP job application.

As part of the UK government’s drive to increase access to mental health services a new role called an Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP) has been introduced. These are being rolled out in waves across the country and competition for paid training places is intense.

Education Mental Health Practitioners work in primary schools, secondary schools, and colleges. However, the emphasis will very much depend on your individual service (as is the case for almost everything in this role). My service is unique in focusing exclusively on primary schools.

EMHPs are expected to deliver one-to-one therapeutic interventions to children with mild to moderate anxiety, low mood or behavioural difficulties. Interventions are usually, but not always, based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). They typically last six to eight sessions, though some services allow this number to be extended. You’ll need to tailor the interventions and resources to the age of the child or young person you’re working with. Some interventions are delivered directly to parents, particularly where the difficulty is centred around behaviour or the child is too young to be able to understand CBT themselves. You’ll also be taught to offer a range of school-based help including staff training; psychoeducation groups (but not group therapy); peer mentoring; staff consultation; and an audit of the institution’s whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing.

As an EMHP you are either employed by the NHS or by a charity or third sector organisation that has won the contract to provide services in a given geographical area. They will provide you with a work phone and laptop. You spend a year as a trainee being paid at Band 4 while they pay for you to complete a Postgraduate Diploma (like a master’s minus the dissertation) and you start working in schools. Once qualified your pay will be increased to Band 5. If you’re an experienced teacher then unfortunately you’d be looking at a substantial pay cut if you wanted to make the switch.

Competition for these roles is fierce. I understand that 300 people went for 30 training places for the role I secured, meaning only one in ten of those who applied were successful. Applicant numbers are increasing all the time as more people hear about Education Mental Health Practitioner roles and decide to make a switch into a career in mental health. If you really want to work as an EMHP it’s therefore important to keep applying and not be put off by initial rejections due to a high volume of applicants.

There is no set job specification and different services run very differently. If you want to work in a particular area then a little bit of Googling will find your local service. Contact them and ask for a copy of the last person specification and job role they advertised. It will probably change a bit next time as these roles are new and services are evolving, but it will give you the chance to see how your skills and experience match up. Some will want existing mental health experience, while others will prioritise candidates who have worked in schools. Some will expect both. It will also give you the opportunity to draft your application ready for when the next set of jobs are advertised. This is really important because the job adverts can open and close very quickly. They often shut to new applicants much sooner than the stated closing date because of the volume of people applying. In most areas you apply for the job and when you’re accepted you then submit an application to the relevant university. I’ve never heard of someone being turned down by the university when an employer has offered them a job.

The British Psychological Society (BPS) is currently finalising a registration scheme for qualified EMHPs. You won’t be legally required to register, but it’s likely that most employers advertising for qualified EMHPs will require applicants to be on the register. You’ll need to pay to join the BPS and apply to be registered as an EMHP, then meet annual requirements for supervision, continued professional development (CPD) and other professional standards.

What does the EMHP training involve?

You’ll take six different modules at university. These cover a set national curriculum, but the way each university does it will be different. The training incorporates the Postgraduate Certificate you would do while training as a Children’s Wellbeing Practitioner (CWP), so you’re technically qualified for both roles should you wish to move somewhere else. If you haven’t got an undergraduate degree you can still apply for the job with most services but you’ll be working towards a Graduate Certificate rather than a Postgraduate Diploma. If you do have a degree then it will usually be expected that this is at least a 2:1, which is what universities refer to as a “good first degree.” This is a typical entry requirement for postgraduate study as it demonstrates you’re likely to be capable of performing at that level. If you didn’t achieve this then talk to the service you’d like to apply to.

Module titles, the order, and the exact content vary by university, but they all need to cover a minimum curriculum. The first module sets the context for Education Mental Health Practitioners and the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) initiative. You’ll learn about supervision and routine outcome measures, as well as diversity and service contexts. Module two teaches you the official IAPT way to carry out an assessment of a child’s needs. You’ll be expected to complete this within one hour and to submit at least one recording of you doing this with a client. Module three teaches you different interventions, which are mostly based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). You’ll need to submit a recording of you effectively using one of these in a 45-minute session. Those are the three modules that are identical to the CWP training. At some universities you will share some or all of these lectures with CWPs.

Modules three to six focus on your work in education settings. Module four looks at the educational context, and the whole school approach to mental health. You’re likely to be expected to carry out an audit of one of your schools, though some universities work from a case study. Module five considers classroom skills, staff training, peer mentoring and psychoeducation. Module six covers group work, parenting groups, and staff consultation. Some services focus strongly on these, while in others you’ll only be doing them during your training and you’ll then be expected to prioritise one-to-one interventions once you’re qualified. Others leave it down to the schools to choose what they want their EMHP to spend their time on.

You’ll also need to complete a portfolio to show that you’ve met the required competencies; you’ve used different types of interventions; and that you have had sufficient supervision and client numbers.

If you’re doing a Postgraduate Diploma then it will be graded as pass, merit or distinction. The grade you come out with is unlikely to affect your career progression provided you pass the course.

Each university does things differently but it’s common to start off spending three or four days at university and one or two days with your service, with the balance slowly shifting. You will also get a minimum number of study days, with some services giving you more. You would need to be extremely efficient and focussed to get all your work done on these study days and it is highly likely you will need to do university work on some evenings and weekends. As with any course, you can spend an ever-increasing amount of time reading more books and research journals and improving your assignments.

Is the EMHP role 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday?

In most cases yes, or thereabouts. Your service may well let you start a bit earlier or later. I’ve found that working parents who are attending sessions often find it more convenient if they take place after 5pm. Throughout the pandemic when I was working from home I would regularly deliver online sessions until around 7 or 8pm and take breaks during the day. It comes down to what suits you and your clients, and what your individual service will allow.

How long will my contract be for?

Each service does it differently. They are only guaranteed funding for a certain period of time, so your contract may reflect this. The funding is likely to be renewed so you will probably get your contract extended, but this is not guaranteed. Some services appoint people on a permanent basis. If funding is pulled from the EMHP scheme then they would need to find this money elsewhere or make their EMHPs redundant.

How many schools do EMHPs work in?

It depends on your service. During my training year I was assigned two primary schools. Other services choose to give their trainees far more. Some services double up so you might have two EMHPs in one school, while others assign them exclusively. Others work collectively and assign clients to an EMHP as they get referred, irrespective of which school they’re from. There are pros and cons to each approach. If you’re working alone in handful of schools then you have the opportunity to build up positive working relationships with key people and make a real difference. Alternatively you might find that key staff are overworked or simply not very interested in what you can offer, and so you won’t get the referrals you need and they won’t have the time for you to do a whole school approach audit. If you’re covering the whole area as one big team then building those relationships is likely to be harder, but you are more likely to get clients and have schools that want you in to deliver psychoeducation and staff training, and to help with their whole school approach.

Where and when are EMHP jobs advertised?

Most appear on the NHS Jobs website and Indeed. Some are listed on local council websites, or the sites of the organisations with local contracts. You can register accounts and set alerts so that you know whenever these jobs are listed. Even if your area isn’t advertising at the moment it’s worth having a look at some of the adverts for other areas so you can get an idea of what’s expected of applicants. New training roles typically start in January and September, so adverts will start to appear a few months before this. If you want to work for a particular service then contact them and ask when they expect to advertise next. It will depend on whether or not they make a successful bid, but they should be able to tell you if and when they’re hoping to take on new cohort, subject to getting commissioned.

Can you work part time as an EMHP?

The training year is full time. Once you are qualified it will be down to your service whether or not they are happy for you to work part time. Some will allow this and others won’t.

Do EMHPs work all year round or term time only?

EMHPs work all year round. Some services require that you book your holiday during the school holidays, but other services let you take it when you like. When schools are closed you are likely to keep seeing your clients online or face to face in places like children’s centres or youth clubs, or at your organisation’s premises. You may be able to work term time only by special arrangement with your service, but this is not usual. During your training year you are not supposed to book holiday on scheduled university days.

What age are EMHPs?

Adults of any working age can become EMHPs. Trainees on my university course ranged from their 20s to their 50s.

What type of experience do I need to become an EMHP?

People with a wide variety of different experience successfully apply to become EMHPs. As mentioned, it’s helpful to get hold of a person specification for the service you want to work in as they’re all after something slightly different. Experience of working with children or young people in some capacity or another is pretty much essential. You might have worked in a school or college, or you might volunteer as a scout leader or children’s football coach. Some trainees have been youth workers or worked for the National Citizen Service.

Some services require previous mental health experience, but this can be very broad ranging. Qualified counsellors have trained as EMHPs, as have people with psychology degrees and those who’ve been mental health support workers or different kinds of therapists. Some have volunteered for organisations such as Childline, the Samaritans, Mind or Cruse Bereavement Care. You could also have got the experience in a school. Maybe you’ve worked with anxious children, or those with behavioural difficulties? The way you frame it on your application and how enthusiastic and knowledgeable you are at interview are just as important as what you’ve done. If you don’t have paid experience then it’s helpful to start volunteering before the application window comes up. Taking courses can also boost your chances, and they don’t necessarily need to be lengthy or expensive. MindEd offers free short courses, as does FutureLearn, Canvas, OpenLearn and countless other sites.

What does the EMHP interview process involve?

You may be getting sick of this answer but, you guessed it, it depends on the service. My interview was held at the university that was running the training and the panel consisted of three members of university staff and the service lead. It only lasted around 15 minutes but it covered all the things you’d expect such as why I wanted to do the job, what I would do in a safeguarding situation, what experience I brought to the role, etc. The process for the next cohort was more in depth and included a role play of a discussion you might have with a school’s mental health lead. Other areas have required applicants to deliver presentations, or role play part of a therapy session. If you’re invited to interview then don’t be afraid to ask exactly what it will involve. You can then prepare effectively. Whatever area you’re in, it’s helpful to read up on the key policies that underpin the EMHP role and mental health support teams. If you don’t demonstrate an understanding of the role in your application and at interview then it’s unlikely you’ll be offered a place. Common interview questions cover safeguarding and confidentiality; how you will cope with the demands of the role; the benefits and disadvantages of EMHPs and providing support in schools; your experience of delivering CBT and other interventions; and your ability to handle feedback. Standard interview strategies such as preparing with the STAR method also apply. When they ask if you have any questions at the end, ask if there’s anything they felt you didn’t answer fully or anything else they’d like to know from you. That gives you a second chance to tick off what they need to hear.

What opportunities are there for progression for EMHPs?

As it’s such a new role, formal progression pathways are still being established. Some services will allow you to apply for Band 6 trainee supervisor roles when you’ve got one or two years of experience as a qualified EMHP. Others offer Senior EMHP roles in a similar vein to Senior Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) jobs. Alternatively if you have a BPS-accredited psychology degree then being an EMHP may stand you in good stead when applying for doctorates to become a chartered psychologist such as a Clinical Psychologist or an Educational Psychologist.

You can also top-up your postgraduate diploma and turn it into a master’s degree with the University of Exeter via a two-year, part-time course: MSc Psychological Therapies Practice and Research.

Where can out find out more about Education Mental Health Practitioners?

I hope you’ve found this article useful. If you’ve got any questions that aren’t covered then please ask them below and I’ll update the FAQ.

The NHS Education Mental Health Practitioner careers page has a basic overview of the role and lists some current vacancies.

A video on the Anna Freud Centre website discusses the University College London (UCL) EMHP training course.

This video introduces the EMHP programme.

There’s also an EMHP group on Facebook where you can ask questions. EMHPs from all over the country are members of it, so you’ll probably be able to find people who work in the service you would like to apply to. As the role varies so much from service to service, this is a great way to find out more about yours.

Read next: How to become a counsellor in the UK.

I’ve been contacted by readers who found my article outlining how to become a counsellor invaluable in gaining an understanding of a complicated field. As a result I have been asked to run one-to-one Zoom sessions where I go into more depth about the counselling and psychology field and explain different titles, training routes and accreditations, as well as answering any questions. If you are interested in a personalised Zoom discussion based on your current CV, qualifications and career aspirations then please get in touch.