Program Overview

---

PG Cert Mental Health Practice (for Approved Mental Health Professionals)

PG Cert Part-time 1 year

Overview

The Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) courses offered at the University of Wolverhampton will enable you to develop your knowledge, skills and values in mental health practices in order to enhance your capabilities within your own area of expertise. The courses are designed to enable mental health professionals to develop and demonstrate practice in accordance with the published requirements of Social Work England (SWE) to act as Approved Mental Health Professionals.

Why choose this course?

The course has robust external partnerships with numerous local authorities and trusts across the West Midlands region. The module has input from expert practitioners in the area of Best Interests teaching on the module. The University boasts a diverse culture, which is represented across the study body and faculty. Within the module, there is an opportunity to learn with other professionals who come from a range of disciplines (Social Worker, Nursing and Occupational Therapy), which makes it a rich learning environment.

What happens on the course?

Taught sessions will include lectures, practice-based exercises, discussion groups, time to discuss and reflect with peers on experiential learning and workshops for assignment preparation.

Modules

• 6SO030/7SO008: The Mental Health Act for AMHPs (Level 6 & 7)
  • Deep exploration of the Mental Health Act (83/07) & the Code of Practice
  • Consideration of the specifics for AMHP Practice
  • Identification of a wide range of roles to work with the AMHP practitioner
• 6SO031/7SO010: The Legal and Policy Context of AMHP Practice (Level 6 & 7)
  • Consideration of a specific piece of the candidate’s own practice
  • Considered analysis of how legislation and policy in formed that practice
  • Application of the value base of social work practice
• 6SO032/7SO011: Critical knowledge for AMHPs (Level 6 & 7)
  • Debate and conclusion to the overall Award
  • Demonstration of the stance or position of candidate’s practice
  • Ownership of the progression of development, and where this may take you

Supervised practice (43 day placement) will provide experiential learning and opportunities for reflection and learning with a practice educator.

Course Modules

Year 1

• Critical knowledge for AMHPs
  • Module: 7SO011
  • Credits: 20
  • Period: 1
  • Type: Core
• The legal and policy context of AMHP practice (Level 7)
  • Module: 7SO010
  • Credits: 20
  • Period: 1
  • Type: Core
• The Mental Health Act for AMHPs (Level 7)
  • Module: 7SO008
  • Credits: 20
  • Period: 1
  • Type: Core

Potential Career Paths

Approved Mental Health Professionals undertake a range of duties under the Mental Health Act 1983. The Code of Practice to Mental Health Act (1983) states that local authorities should ensure that sufficient AMHPs are available to carry out their functions under the Act and that a 24-hour service is available.

Entry Requirements

All candidates will need to have:

• at least 2 years post-qualifying experience of mental health or related health and social care services; and
• an honours degree or successful study of at least one module at level 6.

To be eligible for entry to AMHP training modules, candidates must:

• be a social worker registered with the Health and Care Professions Council; or
• be a first level nurse, registered in Sub-Part 1 of the Nurses’ Part of the Register maintained under article 5 of the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001, with the inclusion of an entry indicating their field of practice is mental health or learning disabilities nursing; or
• be an occupational therapist registered in Part 6 of the Register maintained under article 5 of the Health professions Order 2001; or
• a chartered psychologist who is listed in the British Psychological Society’s register of Chartered Psychologists and who holds a relevant practising certificate issued by that Society.

(The Mental Health AMHP Regulations 2008, Sch 1.)

• be nominated by the local authority or other employer
• meet locally agreed employer criteria for recruitment and selection.

Local Authority/Agency commitment to provide a placement.

Additionally an AMHP candidate needs to be able to undertake the appropriate practice requirements under the supervision of an employer provided practice supervisor and assessor.

Who accredits this course?

Social Work England

Approved by Social Work England (SWE) for the purpose of providing eligibility to apply for registration with SWE as a social worker in England.

Funding

Postgraduate Loyalty Discount:

You can get 20% discount on a taught postgraduate course if you’re a University of Wolverhampton Graduate.

The University offers a generous 20% Loyalty Discount to students progressing from an undergraduate programme to a taught postgraduate on-site programme, where both courses are University of Wolverhampton Awards.

There is no time limit on how long ago you completed your degree as long as this is your first Masters level qualification.

The discount applies to the first year of enrolment only. Students who receive a loyalty discount are not entitled to any further tuition discount or bursary. For full terms and conditions click here.

Self-funded:

If you are paying for the fees yourself then the fees can be paid in 3 instalments: November, January and April. More information can be found by clicking here.

Sponsored - Your employer, embassy or organisation can pay for your Tuition fees:

Your employer, embassy or organisation agrees to pay all or part of your tuition fees; the University will refer to them as your sponsor and will invoice them for the appropriate amount.

We must receive notification of sponsorship in writing as soon as possible, and before enrolment, confirming that the sponsor will pay your tuition fees.

Additional Information

Everything you need to know about this course!

What skills will you gain?

The educational aims of the course are to enable candidates to develop their knowledge, skills and values in mental health practices in order to enhance their capabilities within their own areas of expertise.

The course is designed to enable mental health professionals to develop and demonstrate practice in accordance with the published requirements of external professional, statutory and regulatory bodies in order to act as Approved Mental Health Professionals.

The course learning outcomes are:

• Demonstrate critical and analytical knowledge and understanding of medical, social and psychological perspectives in mental health practices, including clear reference to service user and carer perspectives and cultural competence
• Demonstrate critical and analytical knowledge and understanding of the legal and policy context of mental health practice
• Demonstrate critical and analytical knowledge and understanding of evidence-based practice
• Demonstrate critical and analytical knowledge and understanding of values-based practice and ability to recognise and resolve complex ethical dilemmas
• Demonstrate the ability to deal with complex and unpredictable issues systematically
• Demonstrate practice competence as determined by published requirements for AMHP approval.