Ellie Canning
Wolverhampton,Birmingham
Summary
Assistant Practitioner with five years’ experience across NHS mental health services, supporting individuals with complex, severe and enduring mental health difficulties across a range of clinical settings and acuities. Confident in managing an autonomous caseload, delivering structured 1:1 interventions and contributing to care coordination within multidisciplinary teams. I work in a psychologically informed, recovery-oriented and formulation-led way, with a strong focus on engagement, risk awareness and maintaining a person-centred approach when supporting people experiencing high levels of distress and complexity. Experienced in co-morbid presentations and fluctuating risk, with an emphasis on balancing therapeutic engagement with safe, clinically sound decision-making.
Overview
7
7
years of professional experience
Work History
Assistant Practitioner
Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Trust
Norwich
12.2021 - Current
- Manage an autonomous caseload of adults with severe and enduring mental health difficulties, ensuring appropriate risk escalation and timely intervention as part of a Community Mental Health Team
- Deliver structured 1:1 interventions to support engagement, coping strategies and recovery-focused goals
- Contribute to MDT care planning, formulation discussions and risk management processes
- Support care coordination, including liaison with families, carers and external agencies to maintain continuity of care
- Use clinical supervision to reflect on cases, support decision-making and strengthen clinical reasoning
- Complete and update risk assessments, care plans and clinical records in line with service standards
- Respond to fluctuating risk presentations, including safeguarding concerns, using appropriate escalation procedures
Assistant Practitioner
Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Trust
07.2021 - 12.2021
- Support assessment and ongoing management of individuals experiencing acute mental health crises in the community as part of a Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Team
- Conduct home visits to monitor mental state and risk presentation
- Contribute to urgent risk assessments and safety planning within a multidisciplinary framework
- Provide brief, structured interventions during periods of acute distress to support containment and engagement
- Escalate concerns appropriately to senior clinicians in line with risk protocols and safeguarding procedures
- Respond flexibly to rapidly changing presentations and high-demand service environments
Clinical Support Worker
Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Trust
Norwich
05.2021 - 07.2021
- Support care delivery for service users presenting with high acuity mental health needs and significant risk.
- Maintain safety through observation duties and therapeutic engagement on the ward.
- Assist with de-escalation of distress and support management of behavioural escalation.
- Contributed to admission and discharge processes including orientation and routine support
- Supported the MDT in maintaining a safe and structured ward environment
- Recorded observations and incidents accurately and in line with trust policy
- Worked closely with nursing staff to implement care plans and risk management strategies
Nursing Assistant - Neurorehabilitation
Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust
Norwich
03.2021 - 05.2021
- Supported the delivery of rehabilitation care for individuals with acquired traumatic brain injury within a specialist inpatient setting
- Assisted service users with daily living activities while promoting independence and functional recovery
- Monitored and reported changes in presentation, behaviour and cognitive functioning to the wider MDT
- Contributed to structured rehabilitation plans, supporting consistency of approach across staff
- Engaged service users in goal-directed rehabilitation activities under guidance from qualified staff
Private Patient Advisor
Spire Healthcare
Norwich, Norfolk
05.2019 - 10.2019
- Acted as first point of contact for private patients, managing enquiries via telephone, email and in person
- Coordinated appointments, admissions and follow ups with accuracy and efficiency
- Liaised with consultants, clinical teams, insurers and finance departments to ensure smooth case progression
- Produced and explained treatment quotes and insurance documentation
- Resolved concerns professionally and sensitively, maintaining trust while protecting organisational interests
- Consistently met service standards while handling confidential and financially sensitive information
Education
Master of Science (Merit) - Psychology
University of Essex
Colchester01-2021
Bachelor of Arts (First Class) - Psychology and Media & Communications
Kingston University
London01-2019
Publications
'Public health policies and interventions to address health inequities in high-income countries: an umbrella review'
Second author
- Contributed to a large-scale umbrella review synthesising findings from multiple systematic reviews
- Supported screening, data extraction and critical appraisal of evidence using structured and methodical approaches
- Developed skills in evaluating the quality and strength of evidence and identifying key themes across studies
- Gained experience presenting complex research findings clearly and concisely for an academic audience
Timeline
Assistant Practitioner
Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Trust
12.2021 - Current
Assistant Practitioner
Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Trust
07.2021 - 12.2021
Clinical Support Worker
Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Trust
05.2021 - 07.2021
Nursing Assistant - Neurorehabilitation
Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust
03.2021 - 05.2021
Private Patient Advisor
Spire Healthcare
05.2019 - 10.2019
Master of Science (Merit) - Psychology
University of Essex
Bachelor of Arts (First Class) - Psychology and Media & Communications
Kingston University