Program Overview

Postgraduate Diploma in Children and Young People’s Wellbeing Practice

Key Facts

• Level: PostgraduatePG PGDip
• Duration: Full Time
• Starting: January, March
• UK Fees >: Funded by HEE
• Location >: Waterside

Overview

The aims of this programme are aligned to the aims of NHS England and the UK Government’s Improving Access to Psychology Therapies (IAPT) for Children and Young People project (CYP IAPT). This curriculum has been developed as part of the Child and Young People Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme (CYP IAPT), and complements other programmes offered at the University of Northampton in this training development. PWPs support Children and Young People with Common Mental Health problems (such as anxiety and depression) using evidence based Low Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy approaches. Low-intensity CBT places a greater emphasis on parent and CYP self-management and are designed to be less burdensome and intensive for families than traditional psychological therapies. The overall delivery of these interventions is informed by behaviour change models and strategies.

Highlights

• To equip you with knowledge and skills needed to assess and engage children, young people and families experiencing a common mental health difficulty
• To enable you to deliver effective low intensity interventions with children, young people and families, informed by a critical and advanced understanding of contemporary research and evidence in child and adolescent mental health
• To enable you to collaborate effectively with children, young people and families, and with other professionals, in a multi-agency service context
• To develop and enhance your ability to reflect on their clinical practice, using a variety of methods including reflective models, supervision and observational feedback.

Entry Requirements

• Academic:
  • Undergraduate honours degree at 2:2 or above
  • Good solid literacy and numeracy qualifications at a minimum of level 2
• Desirable:
  • Relevant Honours Degree (e.g. psychology, mental health, sociology etc.) graded at 2.2 or above.
• Experience:
  • A minimum of one year’s experience of supporting children/young people with their mental health.
• Attributes:
  • Ability to manage a caseload of children, young people and families that are experiencing mental health difficulties
  • A self-motivated learner, who has the ability to use technology to support their learning
  • Ability to reflect on own development
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Other:
  • Able to travel to meet the requirements of the post
  • A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be required for students being admitted to this programme.

Course Content

• Course Details

Key skills are embedded in the learning, teaching and assessment strategies for the Postgraduate Diploma.

It is likely that students on this Postgraduate Diploma will come from a broad range of backgrounds and will have varied skills when they begin the programme. The modules are structured to support you in developing your existing skills to enable graduate success. The focus now is on taking skills to an advanced level and encouraging you to develop greater expertise in chosen areas.

The transferable skills which are particularly emphasised on this programme include the ability to critically evaluate, synthesise and apply research and theory in a practical organisational context. You are encouraged to examine the tensions between theory and practice and to develop flexibility and creativity in applying research and theory to real-world contexts. You are encouraged to work in action learning sets and in reflexive and problem focused group work, building strong skills in teamwork, equipping students to facilitate group projects in a variety of employment settings.

The diploma places a strong emphasis on work-based learning, and you will develop and assess the knowledge and skills developed in workshops, individual and online learning contexts, supported by academic staff as well as supervisors in learning sets in their places of work. The certificate consists of two, 30 credit modules assessed at Level 6.

Fees and Funding

The course is fully funded by Health Education England (HEE) and students’ participation in the diploma is with the full support of their employer, who will nominate or employ students to undertake the diploma.

Staff

• Kathryn Congreve: Lecturer in Psychological Therapies
• Alysia Janes: Senior Lecturer in Psychological Therapies
• Fiona Reeves: Senior Lecturer in Psychological Therapies (Clinical Lead)
• Jynna Yarrum: Senior Lecturer in Children and Young People (LIST)
• Tamana Bassi: Lecturer in Psychological Therapies

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