PGDip Senior Wellbeing Practitioner Training

Gain the theoretical knowledge and clinical experience to work as a supervisor and enhanced practitioner in a mental health service, with our PGDip Senior Wellbeing Practitioner Training.

Choose Senior Wellbeing Practitioner training at the University of Reading

• Training is delivered within the Charlie Waller Institute. Established in 2008, the Institute offers award-winning training underpinned by psychological research.
• You'll be taught by experienced and enthusiastic practitioners, most of whom have experience of low-intensity working and have also taught on our Children’s Wellbeing Practitioner (CWP) and Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP) programmes.
• Gain a theoretical understanding of more enhanced interventions to support clients with mental health difficulties.
• Learn how to best support clients who are neurodivergent and/or have learning disabilities.
• Learn how to supervise CWPs and EMHPs using Clinical Skills Supervision (CSS) and Case Management Supervision (CMS).

What you'll learn

On this course, you’ll follow the National Curriculum for SWP training. You’ll gain a theoretical understanding of enhanced interventions to support clients with:

• OCD
• self-harm
• tics or Tourette's
• school anxiety.

You will also gain skills in working in a trauma-informed way.

The knowledge you gain through the course will be applied to your clinical work, building on your low intensity CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) skills.

Clinical practice

Our SWP training combines theory and practice-based learning at the University, alongside clinical practice under supervision. Your clinical practice will take place in one of these settings:

• community mental health service
• CYPMH service
• primary care, local authority or voluntary sector organisation
• schools, GP practices, healthcare centres or other community settings.

Self-funding or sponsored students may undertake their clinical placement at a suitable alternative setting.

Who is the programme for?

The SWP training route has been designed for those who have previously qualified through EMHP and CWP training.

Before applying for SWP training it is recommended that you have at least one to two years' experience of being a CWP/EMHP (one year if starting with the enhanced clinical practice year, two years if starting with the supervision year).

Applicants employed by the NHS

Most of our students will be directly employed as a trainee SWP within a community mental health, CYPMH, primary care, local authority or voluntary sector organisation. The course is fully funded by the NHS for these students.

Fully funded trainee SWP roles are advertised on the NHS jobs website or via internal recruitment posts in service. Applicants should apply directly to NHS services for these roles.

The University of Reading will review applications to ensure candidates meet our entry criteria.

Self-funding applicants

You can apply directly to the University of Reading if you are interested in self-funding (covering the costs of training yourself as an individual), or being sponsored by your employer.

Self-funded or sponsored routes are only suitable for applicants with access to appropriate training cases (clients) and supervision. You will need to complete a minimum number of clinical hours and supervision hours in order to pass the course.

Prior to starting the course, it is essential that you have access to appropriate clients and supervision within your service/placement. For further details, please email our SWP Admissions Tutor, Anjali Mehta Chandar at a.m.chandar@reading.ac.uk.

The University of Reading is unable to help with securing a suitable placement or supervision if these are not already in place.

Documents to be provided

You will need to complete our Information Particulars and Objectives form (Word document) at enrolment.

The form also offers guidance around your responsibilities, and those of your employer/placement organisation and clinical supervisor.

Course duration

This is a full-time taught programme, spanning two years, and normally runs once per year starting in February.

How you'll learn

• Induction days: in the supervision year, there are two mandatory induction days. In the enhanced year, there is one mandatory induction day.
• Teaching: your teaching will be a mixture of face-to-face and online, between 09:00 and 16:00.
  
  In the supervision year, teaching commences with two days of teaching in the first two weeks, reducing to one day per week for the first term. After this, there is an expectation to attend one day of supervision per month for the duration of the year.
  
  In the enhanced clinical practice year, you will start the year by attending university twice a week, reducing down to once a week.
• On-campus teaching: you are expected to attend a minimum of 80% of face-to-face teaching and university-directed learning sessions. There is no option to join on-campus teaching remotely. If a live teaching session is missed (due to illness, for example), you will be required to watch a video recording of the session and/or complete missed activities (with the support of a programme tutor).
• Study days: you are entitled to 16 study days over the course of the two years (eight in each year). These must be negotiated with your line manager.
• Support services: we offer a range of support services, including individual and group tutorials, study skills support, an allocated academic tutor, and access to student counselling services.

You will learn through a variety of teaching methods, including lectures, experiential skills, training workshops, self-directed learning and group supervision. You will apply and develop the skills you learn in your trainee SWP role within a mental health service.

How the course is structured

Your supervision year will consist of two compulsory modules:

• Supervisor Training for Children and Young People’s Mental Health
• Supervision of Supervision.

This equates to roughly 20 taught or supervision days and eight study days, alongside a placement in a Children and Young People’s Mental Health Service (CYPMH).

The enhanced clinical practice year will consist of two compulsory modules:

• Enhanced Practice in Early Intervention
• Adapting Low-Intensity Practice.

This equates to roughly 44 taught or supervision days and eight study days, alongside a placement in a CYPMH service.

Clinical practice requirements

Over the enhanced clinical practice year, you will need to complete a minimum of seven guided self-help training cases within your workplace. If you are self-funding or being sponsored by an employer, you will need to find a suitable alternative placement.

During the supervision year, you must provide a minimum of 20 hours of supervision to trainee or qualified CWPs or EMHPs.

Assessment of competencies

The course is assessed through a combination of written and clinical assessments. Written assignments include essays, reflective reports and presentations. Clinical assessments include recordings and self-ratings of a supervision session.

At the end of each year, students are expected to demonstrate their learning and development through a clinical portfolio.