Early Years Practitioner (EYP) for Infant Mental Health

Job summary

Open only to applicants from Hampshire & Isle of Wight NHS system, which is limited to; Hampshire IOW Healthcare NHS Trust, Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB, Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, Isle of Wight NHS Trust, University Hospital Southampton Foundation Trust, South Central Ambulance Service or Hampshire Hospitals Foundation Trust

The specialised Health visiting team for Infant Mental Health is dedicated to supporting infants and their primary caregivers, including parents, foster carers, grandparents, and others assuming this role, during the crucial period of the infants first two years of life. The team offer direct support for parent-infant relationships and address the social, emotional, and mental health needs of infants. This service operates from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday, for infants residing within the geographical area of Hampshire.

The team is committed to delivering sensitive, responsive, and appropriate care that is essential for the healthy development of infants. Their primary objective is to assist caregivers in addressing the infants social, emotional, mental health challenges, enhancing existing parenting skills, and fostering a strong parent-infant relationship. Services are provided through home visits or at alternative venues such as clinical settings or community spaces across Hampshire.

Main duties, tasks & skills required

The successful post holder will be committed to delivering sensitive, responsive, and appropriate care that is essential for the healthy development of infants. Their primary objective is to assist caregivers in addressing the infants social, emotional, mental health challenges, enhancing existing parenting skills, and fostering a strong parent-infant relationship. Services are provided through home visits or at alternative venues such as clinical settings or community spaces across Hampshire.

The successful post holder will be part of a team that inter-professionally collaborate with the public health visiting service, which implements the Healthy Child Programme for infants and their families during the initial five years of life. The team will assist with inter-disciplinary named professionals/services to support family centred care.

About us

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a newly established organisation, bringing together expertise from across mental health, learning disabilities, community, and physical health services. We are dedicated to delivering compassionate, high-quality, and accessible care to the diverse communities of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

With over 13,000 dedicated staff working across more than 300 sites, we place patients and staff at the centre of everything we do. Our goal is to create an integrated healthcare system that improves accessibility and ensures more consistent care for patients. By working together, we aim to improve patient outcomes, drive innovation, and meet the unique needs of the populations we serve.

Our Trust unites services from Southern Health, Solent NHS Trust, Isle of Wight NHS Trusts community and mental health teams, as well as Hampshire CAMHS, originally part of Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. This transformation enables us to deliver more seamless care across the region, ensuring that patients receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time.

Join us as we embark on this exciting journey to shape the future of healthcare across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. We are deeply committed to our CARE values of compassion, accountability, respect, and excellence, and offer outstanding opportunities for career development, training, and collaborative working.

Job description

Further information about the Trust and this role can be found on the Job Description and Person Specification document attached. It is important to us that we ensure our recruitment processes are accessible and inclusive to everyone - if as a potential candidate you are concerned a person specification may prevent or restrict your application for employment as a result of unintentional barriers on the grounds of your sex, race, age, sexual orientation, religion/belief or disability please initially contact the Trust's Recruitment team - detailed in the advert. The Trust will seek to resolve this issue wherever possible.

We are happy to talk Flexible Working - all requests for flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential

Foundation Degree in Early Years

Full UK Driving Licence (and access to a car) with business insurance

Desirable

NNEB Diploma/NVQ QCF Diploma Level 3 in Early Years, Care and Education

CACHE Level 3 Diploma in childcare Studies (BTEC)

NVQ Level 3 in childcare & Education

Commitment to continuous professional development

Knowledge of child protection issues.

Safeguarding level 3

Evidence of further professional development

First Aid

Competent Infant Mental Health awareness knowledge

Experience

Essential

Has a comprehensive understanding of all stages of child development.

Ability to apply practical knowledge in delivering effective services for children, young people, and their families, thereby improving resilience, strengthening communities, and mitigating the need for statutory intervention.

Familiarity with pertinent health promotion topics as per the Healthy Child Programme (2023) and the high-impact areas for children's health, including infant mental health and parent-child relationships.

Displays knowledge and understanding of the parent-infant relationship and contemporary issues which impact on child development, infant mental health, and wellbeing.

Capable of establishing and maintaining therapeutic relationships through effective and empathetic communication with infants, children, and families while demonstrating sensitivity to responsibilities.

Understands the necessity of evidence-based interventions and tools to achieve established outcomes.

Demonstrates strong communication skills, both verbal and written, to interact effectively with team members, other agencies, service users, utilising information technology as needed.

Proficient in articulating health-related knowledge to children and families.

Experience in understanding of the various barriers that children, young people, and families encounter in achieving successful transitions and outcomes.

Can effectively engage with service users who present challenging or complex behaviours and needs.

Knowledge of statutory and regulatory frameworks relevant to service delivery for children, young people, and their families, including safeguarding protocols and policies.

An awareness of local and national socio-cultural issues related to infant mental health and wellbeing.

Experience in assessment and exploration skills to identify issues relating to an infant's social, emotional, and mental health well-being and the impact on child development including brain development.

Engages in self-reflection and clinical/safeguarding supervision to facilitate personal, professional, and safe practice.

Demonstrates proficiency in the use of information and communication technology, including internet applications, Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel), and relevant databases.

Maintains accurate and comprehensive health records (Electronic Patient Records), and care plans.

Demonstrates the ability to work flexibly across a range of locations, with the ability to manage conflicting deadlines and priorities as delegated by senior team members.

Experience of delivering the Healthy Child Programme as a community nursery nurse.

Additional Criteria

Essential

Relevant experience working with children, families, and other agencies

Capacity to work in partnership children and families and communicate knowledge effectively in a polite, calm, flexible and enthusiastic approach.

Ability to form therapeutic relationships within professional boundaries

Able to work in a potentially highly emotional and thus challenging environment.

Undertake work of a sensitive and potentially difficult nature.

Respect individual rights, autonomy, and confidentiality.

Ability to provide advice and guidance in accurate spoken English (as required under the Immigration Act 2016).

Adaptable to change and new working practices.

Experience of working in a team

Respectful and inclusive of staff, service users and partners

Team player willing to promote team ethos.

Ability to respond positively to the rapidly changing business environment.

Flexible to meet the needs of the service.

Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check is required

Willingness to enhance personal and professional development

Demonstrate trust values, Compassion, Accountability, Respect and Excellence.

For help with your application, contact:

Debbie Barrett

[email protected]

07912609842