Subject Areas

PGCert Professional Practice in Mental Health Law (Trainee MPAC)

Please note: This page is for 2027 entry. Click here for 2026 entry.

Summary

UCAS code
Duration 12 months full time
Entry year 2026
Campus Streatham Campus
Typical offer

View full entry requirements

Applicants must be working in a relevant profession

Contextual offers

Why study PGCert Professional Practice in Mental Health Law (Trainee MPAC) at Exeter?

  • This course will support you to develop the expertise required to become a Mental Health Act Approved Clinician (AC) and guide you through the completion of your portfolio
  • Our graduates have significantly higher rates of approval on first submission to the regional AC approval panel compared to those who don’t complete a preparedness programme
  • Learn through a combination of remote and in-person learning, where you can choose whether to attend our South West or South East venues
  • Our trainee feedback highlights the benefits of studying with, and learning from, peers across a broad range of professions – cohorts include registered nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, psychologists and SAS doctors
  • Learn from legal and clinical experts – teaching staff include a qualified solicitor who is an accredited member of the Law Society’s mental health panel, and a Consultant Clinical and Forensic Psychologist who is a practicing Approved/Responsible Clinician
  • You’ll receive guidance around suitable supervision, teaching on current law, practical discussion through Action Learning Sets (ALS) and assessments which will mirror the portfolio process

Who this course is for

This programme is for social workers, registered mental health nurses, psychologists and occupational therapists who want to train to become a Mental Health Act Approved Clinician. 

This course is also for SAS (Specialty, Associate Specialist, and Specialist) doctors who are looking to build their understanding of the role and responsibilities of the Approved Clinician and Responsible Clinician (AC/RC). 

Clinical Education Development and Research (CEDAR)

Contact

Web: Enquire online

Phone: +44 1392 72 2549

This programme is delivered by Clinical Education, Development and Research (CEDAR): an applied psychological practice centre of excellence, focussed on training the new psychological therapies workforce of the future.

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Competency-based training, delivered according to the latest evidence-informed clinical teaching approaches

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Dedicated training facilities equipped with video and audio recording

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A strong emphasis throughout the programme is placed upon your personal and professional development

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CEDAR is 1st in the sector for student satisfaction in three out of seven themes

National Student Survey 2025

Course content

Teaching of Mental Health Law 

We will cover the following:

  • The role and responsibility of the Approved Clinician/Responsible Clinician
  • Key statutory terms
  • The legal frameworks and criteria for detention
  • Holding powers
  • Section 17 leave
  • Community Treatment Orders (CTOs)
  • Consent to treatment
  • The interface between the Mental Health Act (MHA) and Mental Capacity Act (MCA)

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the role, legal responsibilities and key function of an Approved Clinician and Responsible Clinician
  2. Demonstrate an applied knowledge of mental health legislations, related codes of practice and national and local policy and guidance in relation to the trainee MPAC role
  3. Explain and reflect upon ethical, legal and commercial issues which may arise in mental health context in relation to the trainee MPAC role
  4. Analyse complex situations and problems in mental health field with specific reference to the Trainee MPAC role
  5. Use supervision and personal reflection as a means to improve your personal effectiveness as demonstrated in the reflective assessments in relation to the Trainee MPAC role.

Please note that the module information displayed here is subject to change.

60 credits of compulsory and non-condonable modules.

Compulsory modules

CodeModuleCredits
Compulsory 1
Underpinning Knowledge and Skills for Approved Clinician Practice30
Trainee Approved Clinician Practice30

PYCM130: Underpinning Knowledge and Skills for Approved Clinician Practice

Are you looking to develop the competencies that are required to become an Approved Clinician for the purposes of the Mental Health Act 1983? Do you want to enhance your ability to manage challenges that you face within a mental health context as a psychologist, nurse, occupational therapist or social worker? This module will be particularly useful if you are considering applying for Approved Clinician status and need to develop the relevant knowledge and competencies of that role.

Towards the beginning of this module you will be asked to develop your learning needs plan with your service based supervisor, mentor and University tutor to identify where your current levels of knowledge and skills are and those needed to develop further.

You will be required to attend 9 days of workshops of content relevant to the Approved Clinician competencies and designed to prepare practitioners to apply for approval to become an Approved Clinician. As such they will cover, for example: the legal context and overall legal framework relating to the Approved Clinician role; assessment in the context of the Approved Clinician role; clinical leadership, report writing and communication; equality and diversity; and preparation of the Approved Clinician portfolio.

The programme will provide underpinning knowledge and support skill development in relation to the multi-disciplinary Approved Clinician framework and competencies:

View an example full module specification

PYCM131: Trainee Approved Clinician Practice

This module builds on the Underpinning knowledge and context for approved clinician practice module. Are you looking to develop the competencies that are required to become an Approved Clinician for the purposes of the Mental Health Act 1983? Do you want to enhance your ability to manage challenges that you face within a mental health context as a Psychologist, Nurse, Occupational Therapist, or Social Worker? This module will be particularly useful if you are considering applying for Approved Clinician status and need to develop the relevant skills and competencies of that role.

Various teaching and learning strategies will be offered as part of this module:

  • 4 hours workshop on the preparation of the Approved Clinician portfolio.
  • Four Peer-led Group Action Learning Sets to support the development of your competencies, build your reflective practice skills and support preparation for your portfolio submission. One of these sessions will be a formative assessment and during the session you will present a case study and or presentation on an area of mental health law.
  • Two individual tutorials to monitor individual progress through the course.

As part of this module, you will also be developing your trainee approved clinician practice in your service setting and receiving regular supervision and mentoring from an Approved Clinician in that setting.

The programme will support skill development and reflective practice in relation to the multi-disciplinary Approved Clinician framework and competencies:

View an example full module specification

Teaching

Your training will include teaching sessions, tutorials and Action Learning Sets (ALS). Teaching will be co-delivered by our Programme Leads, a practising Approved/Responsible Clinician and Law Society-approved mental health solicitor.

There will also be facilitated Action Learning Sets (ALS)– these sessions are peer-led and designed to help you understand or resolve real-world challenges within your own workplace. You will be asked to present an AC/RC relevant topic or case study at one of the ALS sessions as part of a formative assessment.

Overview of assessments

During the programme, you will complete some formative submissions, which will guide your learning and provide valuable feedback. You will also complete some summative submissions, which will evaluate what you’ve learned, provide feedback and will contribute to your overall grade.   

Learning Needs Plan/Proposal:

For this formative submission, you will reflect on your existing knowledge in relation to AC/RC competencies, as well as your workplace’s needs in relation to your trainee AC role. 

You will identify aims that you wish to achieve during the programme and the steps needed to do this. Once your plan is submitted, you will then have the opportunity to discuss your plan with your tutor.

Essay:

In this summative submission, you will demonstrate your understanding of the AC/RC role and its requirements. You will also discuss examples of when you have carried out the role’s responsibilities under supervision. 

Statutory Report:

This is a summative submission where you will act as if you are the Responsible Clinician for an anonymised or hypothetical case study. You will create a statutory report for the First Tier Tribunal or Manager’s Hearing which you have prepared. 

Reflective Case Commentary: 

In this summative submission, you’ll write an anonymised, concise case commentary relating to your involvement in the care of a detained patient. This commentary should demonstrate your awareness, understanding and reflection on key areas of applied AC competence, and the guiding principles of the Code of Practice. 

Multiple Choice Exam

This summative submission is a timed, open-book, online exam made up of multiple-choice questions. 

Read more

Teaching staff

Teaching is carried out by a qualified solicitor who is an accredited member of the Law Society’s mental health panel, and a Consultant Clinical and Forensic Psychologist who is a practicing MPAC.

We also provide two sessions with the approval panel, who give guidance on the structure and content of the portfolio.

Find out more about teachers on the course in the gallery below.

Entry requirements

To be eligible for this course, you will need to be in one of the following professions:

-    Social worker
-    Registered mental health nurse 
-    Psychologist 
-    Occupational therapist 
-    SAS (Specialty, Associate Specialist, and Specialist) doctor

You will also need to have experience of working with people who are subject to detention or condition under the Mental Health Act. 

How to apply

Any application must be made through your employing clinical service.

Please note it is not possible to apply directly to the University of Exeter as you are required to be employed within a clinical service in order to participate in the course.

Fees

This course is funded by NHS England, so fees are not payable by candidates. Places are also available for privately funded applicants who are based in England or Wales. If you are interested in a self-funded place, please contact us. 

Careers

This programme allows you to develop the skills and knowledge required to become an Approved Clinician (AC). Our timetable and assessments are designed to effectively prepare you for the demanding role as an AC. 

You will also receive guidance in how to collate and complete your portfolio – our previous graduates have significantly higher rates of AC approval on first submission to panel as opposed to those who don’t complete a preparedness programme. 

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