School Innovations Project Coordinator

Job Overview

We are delighted to be advertising a part time Project Coordinator role to support the work of Schools Mental Health Innovation and Maudsley Education Consultation Service.  This is a new role in a developing area within Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in South London and Maudsley Foundation NHS Trust. There is rich and exciting work already happening in our SLaM boroughs within Mental Health Support Teams in schools, as well as creative work co-occurring within schools led by National and Specialist CAMHS Teams. Part of the Schools Innovation and Consultation work is to support coordination and sharing of good practice across all these existing teams, but also to develop new innovations where there are gaps. The TExaS project is an example of the innovation work.  The research project aims to help teachers support the children and young people in their classrooms who have mental health difficulties through providing training and practical support via an online platform. This work is led by a Consultant Psychiatrist and supporting Consultant Clinical Psychologist in SLAM, as well as researchers in Kings College London. 

Main duties of the role

The postholder will have two main roles: to support existing schools’ work and to support new schools’ innovations. The first role will include supporting the coordination of both and clinical school innovation projects in CAMHS and National and Specialist CAMHS, as well as the coordination of research  projects in schools from Kings College London. This will involve attending meetings and require good liaison skills and team working. The second role of supporting innovations will include providing psychoeducation for teachers; online consultation with health and education experts including liaising with CAMHS and other mental health professionals for advice and referral; guided self-help for teachers to address work-place stress; and develop sustainable teacher to teacher peer support networks moderated by expert teachers. There will be additional new school innovations which the postholder would support. 

The Team

Team members include a Consultant Psychiatrist and Consultant Psychologist and frequent liaison with several SLAM and Kings colleagues. Staff in the School Mental Health Innovation and Consultation work are passionate about working within the school system, believing that intervening early can prevent further difficulties escalating. Working with teachers and other parts of the school system are exciting developments, which makes the work stimulating and rewarding. We value difference and continually seek to become professionals that are curious, supportive and inclusive of all children, young people and staff members.

About our locations

The postholder will do some home working within this role. They will be required to travel to various schools, community mental health services in Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark and to the Maudsley for meetings. This is the location of the Trust headquarters and at Denmark Hill less than 5 minutes from the train station (zone 2) and is within walking distance from the beautiful green spaces of Ruskin park and the vibrant high-street that offers great shopping opportunities and with a wide range of restaurants.

Job Description

• To support coordination of schools’ work across the CAMHS borough teams and National and Specialist Services and King’s College academic department. This will include setting up and attending meetings, writing minutes, liaising with mental health colleagues and teachers and developing relevant resources. 


• To support new schools’ innovations work including the TExaS project, involving running focus groups, developing training materials, supporting the online platform for teachers. Other innovations may include for example supporting school governor training involving preparing resources and teaching

A First-class or Upper-second-class Bachelors degree with Honours in Psychology or an equivalent conversion course that is accredited by the British Psychological Society and confers the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society.

Experience

• Post-graduate experience of conducting research projects or audits. 


• Experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities. This may have been gained through work, research, volunteering and / or lived experience. 

Understanding / Knowledge

• Graduate level knowledge of psychological research methodology and statistical analysis. 


• Good theoretical knowledge of the problems experienced by and needs of young people and of methods of assessment, treatment and support. 


• Awareness of racial and diversity issues, e.g., through  attendance at relevant training.

Skills

• Well-developed verbal and written communication skills including communicating complex information to clients, families, teachers and colleagues.


• Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data.

Abilities

• Ability to work effectively within a multi- disciplinary team, participating in effective team functioning and holding team roles. 


• Ability to identify and follow relevant clinical governance procedures. 


• Ability to maintain concentration and to remain in restricted positions for long periods during observations, assessments and psychological interventions. 


• Ability to manage occasional emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour. 


• Ability to communicate complex, sensitive or contentious information to people 


• Ability to manage verbal abuse and hostility directed at self.