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Senior Wellbeing Practitioner Postgraduate Diploma

Service information about the Senior Wellbeing Practitioner (SWP) Postgraduate Diploma programme.

About this programme

The SWP programme has been commissioned by NHS England (NHSE) to develop the careers and employability of practitioners who have completed Children and Young People’s Mental Health (CYP-MH – previously CYP IAPT) Low-Intensity Trainings.

The programme supports delivery of NHS Long Term Plan and Green Paper commitments in relation to access and extending support to specific groups of young people, and to enhance the stability and sustainability of MHSTs and services with CWPs and EMHPs through:

  • Increasing workforce retention/reducing staff turnover through developing career progression opportunities.

  • Increasing supervision capacity and supply.

  • Extending EMHP and CWP low intensity clinical skillset in response to feedback on the needs of children, young people, and families in educational and community settings.

UCL and King’s College London are jointly commissioned to deliver these training programmes across London and South East England. January 2025 will see the third cohort of SWPs begin the diploma. The second year of the SWP course is closely aligned with the UCL PG Cert Supervision programme.

Course details

The Senior Wellbeing Practitioner course is a part-time postgraduate diploma completed over two years.

During year one, students will develop knowledge and skills in working with various advanced anxiety presentations (OCD, Traumatic stress, School anxiety, Self-harm, Tics) as well as evidence-based low intensity interventions for neurodivergent children and young people (including Autistic Spectrum Conditions and Learning Disabilities), and their families.

In year two, students will develop their skills in supervising in-training and newly qualified low intensity practitioners. Models of supervision will be introduced along with competency frameworks and use of feedback tools.

Please see UCL SWP course brochure for more details.

Who can apply?

The programme is open to graduates of one of the following programmes:

  1. PG Cert/PG Dip Child and Young Persons Psychological Wellbeing (CWP)

  2. PG Dip Educational Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP)

Please see the UCL SWP curse brochure for more details.

Please see the KCL SWP course brochure for more details.

Can I apply if I have already completed CWP or EMHP Supervisor training?

If you have completed modules one and two (PG Cert Supervision training) you do not need to take them again. Credits can be used towards the PG Dip Senior Wellbeing Practitioner qualification through a process called accreditation of prior learning. Please contact us for more information.

How do I apply?

The SWP programme is not a standalone CYP MH training course. The programme requires potential candidates to apply for both the University led training course and the role within a participating mental health service. If you are interesting in applying for SWP training places, please contact us.

NB. The bidding process for training places due to start in January 2025 is now closed.

Course funding

The tuition fee is covered by NHSE. Services are required to cover the trainees’ salaries. This should be at Band 6 wherever possible.