Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioner in Specialist Adult Mental Health PG Cert/Grad Cert

What makes the Postgraduate Certificate and the Graduate Certificate in Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioner in Specialist Adult Mental Health at Worcester special?

This BPS Accredited programme is designed to equip students with the clinical competence to work in specified NHS mental health positions. The programmes will prepare Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioners (MHWPs) to work alongside multi-disciplinary team members to co-ordinate care, supporting collaborative decision-making about care and treatment. MHWPs will also be enabled to deliver a set of wellbeing-focused psychologically-informed interventions, aligned to cognitive-behavioural principles, based on the best evidence available, that address problems often experienced by people with severe mental health problems.

Through the completion of a programme, MHWPs will be empowered to work collaboratively with carers and families as appropriate to enable connectedness and informal support. The programme will further enable MHWPs to share decision-making and deliver interventions that are underpinned by generic therapeutic competencies within the NICE-recommended interventions for severe mental health problems. These programmes has been co-produced with NHS mental health services and service users across the Midlands and follows a nationally agreed curriculum and assessment strategy set out by NHS England Workforce, Training and Education.

Overview

Key Features

These courses seeks to enable practitioners to:

Demonstrate the clinical and professional competencies required to practice as Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioners within the NHS
Develop the core clinical competencies required to engage with and support people experiencing severe and enduring mental health difficulties
Apply clinical competencies in identifying appropriate goals, care planning and coordinating care in collaboration with people with severe and enduring mental health difficulties, their carers/family/partners and other multi-disciplinary team members
Be proficient in delivering CBT-based psychologically informed interventions based on the best available research evidence to improve psychological well-being in collaboration with people with severe and enduring mental health difficulties
Contribute to a culture of providing person-centred, recovery-oriented, trauma informed, and evidence-based psychological care in close collaboration with service users, their carers/family/partners and other mental health professionals within the NHS
Reduce inequity of access and outcome among those from minoritised groups accessing mental health services
Seek to eliminate all forms of discrimination from the experience of the mental health service users and staff

Entry requirements

Entry Requirements

A typical applicant will be able to demonstrate:

For PgCert Entry: Achievement of a degree at 2:2 or above in a relevant discipline
For GradCert Entry: Evidence of recent successful study at Level 5
Sufficient numeracy and literacy to meet the requirements of the course, for example Maths and English at Grade 4 and above. University of Worcester GCSE Maths and English equivalency tests will be accepted. See Admissions Policy for other acceptable qualifications.
Applicants whose first language is not English are required to provide a language test certificate as evidence of their proficiency and must ensure that it is, or is comparable to, IELTS level 7.0 with no element below 6.5.
A strong interest and understanding of the breadth of the values, role and the skills required to be a Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioner.
An offer of employment as a Trainee Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioner in an NHS mental health service.
Please note, you cannot apply for this course directly through the University of Worcester. You must apply for a 'Trainee Mental Health Wellbeing Practitioner' role within an NHS Trust. If your application is successful you will be invited to interview with the NHS Trust and university.

Further Entry Requirements

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) requirements

Applicants will need to have completed Enhanced DBS clearance through their employing organisation. The employer will be asked to provide evidence of the applicants DBS certificate number.

Interview

Applicants will be invited to a values-based selection event facilitated jointly by the employing NHS Trust and a member of the course team. This involves a series of activities and an interview facilitated by the academic team, practitioners/ employers, and service users, allowing applicants to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and values, numeracy and literacy skills, and a commitment to succeeding on the programme.

The University aims to provide fair and equal access to education for all those who have the potential to succeed or benefit from it. The Postgraduate Certificate and Graduate Certificate: Mental Health Wellbeing Practitioner are only open to applicants who are already employed, or who have an offer of employment within mental health services as a Trainee Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioner. This will include those who are experienced in working alongside service users with severe mental health problems, families, carers, and multi-disciplinary team members and those new to this area of practice who wish to increase their learning to a more advanced level and who wish to engage further with mental health and wellbeing through research and wider understanding of the issues involved.

These programmes are not open to international students and those not in employment with the NHS in a Trainee Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioner role. Applications are initially screened jointly by UW staff and employing NHS Trust colleagues to the below academic, experience and values-based criteria. Shortlisted applicants are invited to a joint interview to assess academic, clinical and values-based suitability involving academic and administrative staff from the University of Worcester and practice partners from the employing NHS Trust.

Course content

Mandatory Modules	MHWP4101 – Engaging and assessing people with severe mental health problems MHWP4102 – Care planning in partnership MHWP4103 – Wellbeing-focused psychologically-informed interventions for severe mental health problems

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

Students are taught through a combination of approximately 14 online teaching days, 21 on campus clinical skills days, 12 directed practice learning days and a half a day of study time per week. Teaching days run from 09:30-16:30, on either Mondays, Wednesdays or both, with time included for breaks and lunch. The course operates using a ‘block teaching framework’ which means modules are taught across 7-12 weeks, with 4-5 weeks break in between. Please note, the timetable is subject to minor changes for each cohort. Attendance at all university teaching days is mandatory to complete the MHWP training. Therefore, application to the MHWP course is not recommended to those with an extended holiday booked during the course period (i.e., 2+ weeks).

In addition, students will have a minimum of three meetings with their Personal Academic Tutors, timed to coincide with each module which enables on-going monitoring of competency development and attainment of the required clinical and supervisory hours.

The University places emphasis on enabling students to develop the independent learning capabilities that will equip them for lifelong learning and future employment, as well as academic achievement. A mixture of independent study, teaching and academic support from Student Services and Library Services, and also the Personal Academic Tutoring system enables students to reflect on progress and build up a profile of skills, achievements and experiences that will help them to flourish and be successful.

Contact time

Before the course formally begins, a two-day online university induction will be provided and the NHS employer will also provide a trust induction if required. Module 1 runs from October-December and consists of 10 teaching days; 7 on campus and 2 online. Module 2 runs from January-April and consists of 9 teaching days; 2 on campus and 7 online. Module 3 runs concurrently with Module 2 from February-July and consists of 15 teaching days; 11 on campus and 4 online.

Work based learning

Student learning also takes place predominantly in their employing organisation, where students engage in practice-based learning, such as role plays, observing live clinical sessions and conducting assessments and interventions under supervision. This involves clinical skill development, practice and feedback.

Students spend three to four days each week in their place of employment (depending on the balance of their teaching) in an NHS adult mental health service, working under supervision to conduct case assessment and formulation as well as delivery of psychologically informed wellbeing interventions. Supervision lasts for the full 12 months of the course and will consist of weekly ‘Case Management’ supervision, provided by a relevant health care professional, and fortnightly ‘Clinical Skills’ supervision, provided by a relevant health care professional with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy training. Students are employed within the NHS service and remain there for the duration of their programme.

All NHS-based supervisors will undergo one day, or the equivalent, of 'Supervisor Induction' delivered by University of Worcester course lead. This will orientate supervisors to the training programme and equip them with information needed to support MHWP trainees in practice. Supervisors then have the option for ‘monthly drop ins’ with the course team to go address any queries they may have. Three way joint meetings between student, supervisor and Personal Academic Tutor (PAT) will occur at three points throughout the training year to monitor student progress on the course.

In order to pass the programme, a minimum of 80 clinical contact hours must be completed in their NHS employment, of which 40 clinical hours must have involved the delivery of the specified psychologically-informed interventions. Students must also demonstrate a minimum of 40 supervision hours (including 20 hours of case management supervision and 20 hours of clinical skills supervision) in order to pass the course. This requirement forms part of the final assessment for the course in module MHWP4103.

Clinical Supervision

Regular support for students on this course comes from the two forms of supervision which occur on placement every week. The programme benefits from close working relationships with all of the involved NHS Trusts and supervisors. All NHS supervisors will have completed MHWP Superviso Induction with the University of Worcester and will therefore have the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to ensure that students have a coherent and positive learning experience across teaching and practice.

There is a clear process in place for students to raise any supervision concerns with the course team. All students will have an allocated NHS-based case supervisor, who will be a suitably qualified mental health practitioner working within their placement. They will meet with the student weekly to review their entire caseload, discuss risk, support skill development and discuss care planning. Every fortnight every student will also have fortnightly individual or group supervision with a qualified professional who is trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Supervisors will also provide pastoral support and signposting where helpful. By having support from both the University and the NHS, students will have access to a range of support services, such as Occupational Health within the NHS including counselling services, physiotherapy and health assessments. Additional support is available for students from the wider University for the duration of their studies with the Firstpoint services.

Independent Study

It will be an expectation for employing NHS trusts to provide half a day per week in employment as study time for students to engage in reading, self reflection on practice, seek tutorial support, work on assessments and course documentation. Independent study is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including the Hive and library resources, the virtual learning environment, and extensive electronic learning resources.

Teaching Staff

Students will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. The team includes Lecturers and Senior Lecturers in Clinical Psychology, Mental Health and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and where appropriate from a range of associated practice backgrounds including Clinical Psychologists working in the NHS, people with lived experience of mental health difficulties and multi-disciplinary NHS mental health staff. Teaching is informed by research and practice, and all of the lecturers on the course have or are working towards a higher education teaching qualification, or are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy.

Assessments

The assessment strategy for this course is specified by the NHS England National Curriculum for MHWPs and BPS Accreditation Standards. Students complete two assessments per module; one clinical and one academic assignment, which are closely aligned to the knowledge- and competency-based learning outcomes for the programme, with a final additional Practice Outcomes Portfolio signifying demonstration of competence.

All assessments are graded as pass/fail using adapted versions of the University of Worcester Level 6 Grade Descriptors and the University of Worcester Level 7 Grade Descriptors or through NHS-E dictated competence assessment scales. Three of the assignments are reflective and case study-based essays, within which students demonstrate their theoretical knowledge from the learning activities and practice-based learning in the context of specific cases. Further assessments include a formally assessed role play and a recording of an intervention session. These are assessed using standardised practitioner-competence assessment tools, during which students are required to demonstrate procedural clinical competencies in undertaking set clinical activities. The portfolio assessment directly assesses completion of the required competencies and supervision hours during their NHS employment.

Formative assessments provide early opportunities for demonstration and development of learning, and form part of the curriculum for each module.

Assessments:

Role Play
Reflective Essay
Case Report x 2
Portfolio of Collaborative Care Plans
Assessed Recording of An Intervention Session
Practice Outcomes Portfolio

Students are entitled to one resubmission attempt at each assignment. All assignments must be passed in order to complete the training course and be awarded the title of Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioner.

Programme Specification

For comprehensive details on the aims and intended learning outcomes of the course, and the means by which these are achieved through learning, teaching and assessment, please download the latest programme specification document for the PG Cert or the the latest programme specification document for the Graduate Certificate.

Careers

Students on this course are employed within the NHS at Agenda for Change Band 4 for the duration of the programme, and upon completion are guaranteed a position at Agenda for Change to Band 5 as a Mental Health Wellbeing Practitioner within their employing organisation service.

All graduates of the programme are guaranteed paid employment within the NHS as a Mental Health Wellbeing Practitioner, in the service in which they were on placement. Graduates of the programme can develop in these roles further, such as becoming a supervisor, lecturer and team leader. Graduates may also pursue further training in relevant professions such as Clinical Psychology or as a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist.

This course provides a clear employment route and subsequent progression opportunities into an NHS career. It achieves this through the close relationship it holds with NHS colleagues and modern practice trends through the on-going provision of the work-based learning placement and associated activities.

Fees and funding

This is a funded course and applications are limited to people who are offered a position of employment as a Trainee Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioner in an associated NHS Trust. This is a full-time, salaried position during which students undertake this course.

How to apply

Admissions/selection criteria

Applicants for this course apply for advertised Trainee Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioner job vacancies in the NHS (via NHS Jobs or similar websites), which is an application for the job role and for a place on the course.

Applications directly to the University for this course are not possible as the programme is only available to those with an offer of employment as a Trainee Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioner. As well as meeting academic entry requirements for this course, all applicants must have a broad understanding of the role of the Mental Health Wellbeing Practitioner and demonstrate their ability to meet the requirements for study at Level 6 or Level 7 depending on prior academic experiences.

Get in touch

Admissions

admissions@worc.ac.uk

+44 (0) 1905 855111

Marianne Tay

Course Leader

m.tay@worc.ac.uk