Final award:
- Level 6 Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner Apprenticeship
- Graduate Certificate Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner
| Duration | 1 year, plus End Point Assessment (anticipated to take place within three months) |
|---|---|
| Entry point(s) | September and March |
| Application deadline | Dependent on employer, see How to apply |
| Campus | Streatham Campus, Exeter |
|---|---|
| Contact |
Overview
- Designed for employees from a wide variety of personal, academic or vocational backgrounds and/or with lived experience
- Candidates are required to have experience of working in a setting (voluntary or statutory) where they have engaged with people experiencing mental health or emotional difficulties
- This apprenticeship develops skills and practical experience in Low-Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (LICBT) for the treatment of patients with common mental health difficulties
- Delivered nationally by clinical academics and researchers through blended learning, comprising in-person and interactive online teaching to maximise study flexibility
- Upon successful completion, apprentices will be fully qualified to work as PWPs within Improving Access to Psychological Therapy (IAPT) services and eligible to apply for entry to the PWP register of the British Psychological Society (BPS)
Flexible, blended learning
Delivered within CEDAR (Psychology) at the University of Exeter since the first year of the NHS commissioned programme
Training informed by the BPS accredited IAPT curriculum
Accreditations
The End-point Assessment is conducted by BPS Assessment & Awards Limited, a subsidiary of BPS.
Entry requirements
Individual employers set the selection criteria in discussion with the University. Applicants will have evidence of successful study at Level 5 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or equivalent, with a minimum of Level 2 English and Maths.
Applicants should also have experience of paid or voluntary work in a setting where they have been likely to have had exposure to people experiencing mental health difficulties. However, there is no expectation they will already have any previous qualifications in psychology.
Applicants must have a valid and eligible residency status to gain entry onto the apprenticeship – please see the ESFA guidance for further information.
How to apply
Applications to this programme may only be made through NHS services or NHS Talking Therapies service (formerly IAPT [Improving Access to Psychological Therapies]) service in the community, who are recruiting apprentice Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners, not directly through the University. Recruitment and selection is led by employers, in collaboration with the University. Posts are typically advertised by services on NHS jobs websites or equivalent.
Once applicants hold the offer of a post, employers will notify the University. Applicants will then be required to undertake an application to the University. If successful, they will be offered a position. A place will be confirmed by us, and we will send further information about how to enrol as an apprentice.
Funding
Full programme cost: £7,000
This apprenticeship is entirely funded through an Employers’ Apprenticeship Levy. Your employer fully covers the cost of the apprenticeship, apprentices do not pay for any of the eligible training costs. As an apprentice you will be an employee of your organisation, gaining a University of Exeter award alongside working and earning a salary.
Employers who pay the Apprenticeship Levy will pay for the apprenticeship fees directly through that contribution. See further information on the Apprenticeship Levy funding.
Employers who do not pay the Levy will be able to claim 95 per cent of the cost of the apprenticeship from the Government. Up to 100 per cent Government contribution may be available if the employer has fewer than 50 employees and:
- Recruits an apprentice aged 16-18
- OR an apprentice aged 19-24 who has previously been in care or who has a local authority education, health and care plan
Employers must pay their apprentices a salary at least consistent with national legislation.
Funding eligibility criteria
- To be eligible for funding you must meet the criteria listed in the ESFA guidance. Full guidance is available here.
- The apprentice must have a valid and eligible residency status to gain entry onto the apprenticeship – please see the ESFA guidance for further information.
Course content
This apprenticeship for Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners (PWPs) is fully informed by the curriculum established for the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme. Successful completion will enable trainees to work as fully qualified PWPs within IAPT services with eligibility to apply for entry to the PWP register of the British Psychological Society. The success of the PWP psychological profession has spearheaded recognition of a wider Practitioner workforce by the Psychological Professions Network.
The Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner Apprenticeship is suitable for those looking to develop their career in the mental health and wellbeing field. It develops apprentices’ competence to undertake a mental health assessment, support LICBT interventions, communicate effectively with patients, respond to clinical challenges and work collaboratively with other health and social care and community-based organisations.
Training is informed by the BPS accredited IAPT curriculum consisting of the following three modules alongside a clinical practice portfolio:
- Engagement and Assessment of Patients with Common Mental Health Problems
- Evidence-Based Low Intensity Treatments for Common Mental Health Problems
- Value, Diversity and Context
- Clinical Practice
Programme structure
| Module 1 |
PYC3031DA Engagement and Asessment of Patients with Common Mental Health Problems 20 Credits |
Clinical Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Module 2 |
PYC3032DA Evidence-Based Low Intensity Treatments for Common Mental Health Problems 20 Credits |
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| Module 3 |
PYC3033DA Values, Diversity and Context 20 Credits |
|
Learning
Approximately 20 per cent of an apprentice's contractual working time will be given over to study. Our model is designed to be flexible around the needs of apprentices and workloads. No weekly day-release is required, mitigating disruption of their daily role and ensuring maximum flexibility.
The blended learning format incorporates:
- Lectures, Narrated Powerpoints/Panopto or live teaching via Teams.
- Competency development supervised role play sessions will be synchronous and engaged in face-to-face* and online.
- Q&A sessions, blogs, tutorials and quizzes to support learning.
- The apprentices will also take part in self-practice self-reflection sessions and role-play for development of competence.
- Clinical educators on the course from CEDAR, bringing strong expertise in the field directly relevant to the classroom.
- Regular clinical skills supervision, and individual LICBT clinical practice.
- Following the last day of the required IAPT curriculum delivery apprentices will receive regular supervision until the end point assessment.
- Apprentices have on average one day a week ‘off the job’ training and a further day a week on average for independent ‘University-directed learning’ related to the academic demands.
*Location of face-to-face delivery can be discussed with the LICBT Director of Portfolio.
The End Point Assessment is conducted by BPS Assessment & Awards Limited, a subsidiary of The British Psychological Society acting as the External Assessment service for the apprenticeship being independent of the course and employer. All Assessors are qualified and experienced clinical professionals who are independent of the cohort being assessed and contracted.
Our dedicated partnerships team liaise closely with employers throughout the programme; apprentices will have dedicated mentors to assist and guide them throughout the whole course of the apprenticeship.
Apprenticeship Standard
The Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner apprenticeship is delivered in full adherence with the standards set down by the Institute of Apprenticeships.
Quality is assured through standard University governance procedures, internal CEDAR quality assurance and management processes, Staff-Student Liason committee, with external monitoring undertaken by an External Examiner. The apprenticeship is managed as part of the Low-Intensity CBT portfolio with a management structure including Portfolio Director, Programme Lead, and Module leads.
This programme aligns with the Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner Apprenticeship Standard.
Employer information
Over the course of the apprenticeship, your staff will learn to develop and apply knowledge and competency in Low-Intensity CBT (LICBT) for the treatment of patients with common mental health difficulties. Upon successful completion, apprentices will be fully qualified to work as PWPs within Improving Access to Psychological Therapy (IAPT) services and eligible to apply for entry to the PWP register of the British Psychological Society.
Apprentices will develop competency in assessing and providing support for evidence-based CBT self-help technologies across a range of delivery platforms. It develops competence to undertake a mental health assessment, support LICBT interventions, communicate effectively with patients, respond to clinical challenges and work collaboratively with other health and social care and community-based organisations.
Careers
Highly employable
Solid industry experience is what employers look for when recruiting. Graduates of an apprenticeship programme will be working in an exciting and relevant job from day one of their studies, meaning when the time comes to move on, they'll have the both the professional and academic experience sought after by employers.
Employer valued skills
Throughout the programme apprentices will learn to develop and apply the knowledge and skills gained in a practical workplace setting providing valuable experience of using Low-Intensity CBT for the treatment of patients with common mental health difficulties. They will develop competency in assessing and providing support for evidence-based CBT self-help technologies across a range of delivery platforms. Upon successful completion, apprentices will be fully qualified to work as PWPs within Improving Access to Psychological Therapy (IAPT) services and eligible to apply for entry to the PWP register of the British Psychological Society.
The role of Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner is fully recognised within the Practitioner workforce by the Psychological Professions Network. Once qualified, and after a period of practice, development opportunities exist with progression into Senior PWPs providing supervision. Increasingly PWPs are moving into specialist roles, developing and taking responsibility for specific areas of practice. PWPs are also moving into senior management posts, leading Low-Intensity services.
