About Us
About WSAPC
West Sussex Alternative Provision College (WSAPC) is an educational establishment based across the county on eight separate sites and two peripatetic services, providing education and intervention for pupils who are permanently excluded, at risk of exclusion or too ill to attend school. Our ethos is to provide FOCUS (Future, Opportunities:, Curriculum, Us, School) for our pupils to re-engage them in their learning and support re-integration to mainstream provision.
The role of Mental Health Programme Manager
West Sussex Alternative Provision College (WSAPC) is seeking a dynamic, compassionate, and experienced Mental Health Programme Manager to take on a pivotal new role that sits at the heart of our provision across both primary and secondary settings. As part of the Curriculum Access Team, this role plays a vital part in enabling pupils to successfully access and remain in education, with a strong emphasis on early intervention and the prevention of exclusions.
This is an exciting opportunity to shape and lead a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing, delivering both preventative and clinical support to some of the most vulnerable children and young people in our community. The postholder will work collaboratively education colleagues and key professionals to identify needs early, support attendance and reintegration where appropriate, and build inclusive strategies that promote positive mental health and sustained engagement in education.
Job Details
As the Mental Health Programme Manager, you will:
- Lead the development and implementation of a robust whole-school mental health and wellbeing framework.
- Work strategically with senior leaders, SENCO, and pastoral teams to embed trauma-informed, inclusive practices.
- Deliver targeted 1:1 and group mental health interventions, with a focus on preventing suspensions, improving attendance, and enabling access to Post-16 outcomes.
- Act as a key liaison between school, families, and external agencies to ensure integrated, timely, and effective mental health support.
- Champion early intervention through education, training, and system-wide health promotion.
Key Responsibilities Include:
- Acting as a senior internal advisor on all matters of pupil mental health.
- Providing assessment on mental health needs and liaising with multi-agency partners (e.g., CAMHS / MAHMET).
- Delivering therapeutic input for pupils with SEN or emotional/behavioural needs.
- Leading staff training and mental health awareness.
- Monitoring and evaluating the impact of mental health interventions on pupil outcomes.
What You Need to Succeed
Criteria for the Role
We are looking for someone who is:
- Professionally Qualified: You will be a Registered Mental Health Nurse (RMN) with active NMC registration and training in trauma-informed practice, public health, or therapeutic intervention.
- Experienced: You have substantial experience supporting children and young people with mental health needs in a clinical, educational, or alternative provision setting.
- Collaborative: You thrive in multi-agency environments and can act as a confident point of contact across health, education, and social care systems.
- Driven by Equity: You are committed to improving life chances for disadvantaged young people and promoting inclusive, holistic care.
- Organised and Insightful: You bring analytical thinking, excellent communication skills, and strong ICT/data literacy to the role.
You’ll Also Need:
- An excellent understanding of safeguarding, SEND, and behaviour policies.
- The ability to work flexibly across locations in West Sussex.
- A proactive approach to CPD and continuous improvement.
Further Information
We can offer:
- Opportunity to work in a rewarding and vibrant team environment
- Full support and ongoing training
- Invaluable experience of working in an Alternative Provision setting
- Inclusion in our School Wellbeing strategy
- Term time plus two weeks contract
- LGPS Pension
West Sussex Alternative provision college and West Sussex County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. All successful candidates will be subject to an appropriate Disclosure and Barring Service check along with other relevant employment checks, including satisfactory references.
How to Apply
To apply for this role please download the job description and application form below.
Please complete the application form and ensure that you outline your motivations for applying and explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills in the job description).
Once complete please return this to [email protected]
Should you have any questions regarding the role or the application please feel free to contact us.
NOTE TO CANDIDATES - Please do not select the ‘Apply online’ button as the School processes your applications directly rather than through this site.
The reference number for this role is SCHO02735.
