Education Mental Health Practitioner for Children and Young People PGDip

Study with us for a year and learn how to support children and young people with mental health problems. As an Education Mental Health Practitioner, you’ll play a key role in the government’s Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) initiative.

Apply now Contact us Download course leaflet

Overview

Course length:	1 year part-time
Start dates:	January 2025
Location:	Edge Hill University
Subject(s):	Mental Health
Faculty:	Health, Social Care and Medicine
Department:	Allied Health, Social Work and Wellbeing

A busy lecture theatre of students making notes and listening to the lecturer addressing them.

The role of an Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP) is an innovative and important role in the government’s Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) – part of the National Children and Young People’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies initiative.

In your year of study with us, we’ll help you learn the role and teach you how to make a difference working with children and young people.

As an EMHP you’ll work alongside schools and colleagues to support children and young people with mental health problems and wellbeing. This is a dynamic and innovative career choice, responding to the needs of children and young people within your area.

The course has two key components. First you’ll learn how to deliver low intensity, evidence-based interventions. Next you’ll focus on supporting schools to develop whole school approaches to positive mental health. This includes carrying out audits, taking part in consultations and providing group sessions for school staff, parents and young people.

Every child or young person you work with will be different. To prepare you for the different scenarios you’ll face, we’ll help you become confident in identifying areas of adversity, disadvantage and risk. And because you’re employed by local mental health services, you’ll get plenty of practical hands-on experience alongside classroom-based study. This will teach you the skills and knowledge you need to hit the ground running in your career.

Course features

Professional practice placements

What you'll study

The curriculum aligns with the work-based component of Health Education England’s Education Mental Health Practitioner training programme. You’ll graduate with the skills and knowledge needed to support child and adolescent mental health within an education context.

Discover the incidence, prevalence and presentation of common mental health problems. Learn the core skills of active listening, engagement, alliance building, information gathering and giving, and shared decision-making. And find out how to conduct child-centred interviews to identify difficulties, goals, strengths, risk to self or others, and the context of the child in their family and wider environment.

You’ll examine the research around children and young people’s development, psychology and mental health. Enjoy exploring evidence-based interventions informed by behaviour change models and strategies.

Compulsory modules:

Expand all

Assessment and Engagement equips you with a good understanding of the incidence, prevalence and presentation of common mental health problems experienced by children and young people, as well as evidence-based treatment choices. You will develop core competences in active listening, engagement, alliance building, patient-centred information gathering, information-giving and shared decision-making. The module will enable you to assess and identify areas of difficulty, including risk. It will also enable you to establish the main areas for change, establish and maintain a working therapeutic alliance, and engage a child, young person and their family in the self-management of recovery. Identifying and differentiating between common mental health problems in children and young people, you will learn how to navigate and signpost to appropriate interventions and use routine outcome measures and standardised assessment tools effectively.

Module code: HUG4041

Credits: 20

Assessment

100% Coursework

Practical: Pass/fail element

Children and Young People’s Mental Health Settings: Context and Values will instil a commitment to equal opportunities for all as you discover how to encourage children and young people’s active participation in every aspect of treatment and care. The module will introduce the concepts of diversity, inclusion and multi-culturalism and equip you with the necessary knowledge, attitudes and competencies to operate in an inclusive value-driven service. You will learn to manage caseloads, operate safely and to high standards, using supervision to aid your clinical decision-making. You will also be guided in how to recognise the limitations of your role and individual expertise and discover how and when to direct children, young people and their families to resources appropriate to their needs. This will include step-ups to high-intensity therapy.

Module code: HUG4040

Credits: 20

Assessment

70% Practical

30% Coursework

Common Problems and Processes in Education Settings explores the theory and research evidence in relation to child development and child and adolescent mental health. The aim of the module is to understand children and young people’s development and consider effective strategies to increase support from their community of teachers, peers and family members. You will discover how psychological theories, models and psychoeducation can be used to help children and young people understand, tolerate and adapt to negative or distressing emotions such as worry, sadness, anger and frustration. You will also gain an understanding of common problems and experiences, including areas of adversity and disadvantage, while developing skills to support education staff. This will be through a combination of training, implementing peer mentoring approaches and supporting classroom management in education settings. The module will explore the complexity of the health, educational and social needs of children, young people and their families and examine the services available to support young people’s mental health. Developing an understanding of what constitutes high intensity specialist child and adolescent mental health services and psychological treatment, you will gain insight into how this differs from low intensity universal work within education settings.

Module code: HUG4044

Credits: 20

Assessment

100% Coursework

Evidence-Based Interventions for Common Mental Health Problems with Children and Young People (Theory and Skills) equips you with an understanding of the process of therapeutic support. The module will also guide you in the management of individual children and young people who are experiencing anxiety, low mood or behavioural difficulties, including how to support their parents and carers. You will develop general and disorder-defined ‘specific factor’ competencies in the delivery of low intensity treatments, informed by cognitive-behavioural and social learning principles. Examples of support for a range of low intensity self-help interventions include behavioural activation, exposure, cognitive restructuring, problem solving, cognitive behavioural therapy-informed sleep management, parent training and computerised cognitive behavioural therapy packages, as well as supporting physical exercise. The overall delivery of these interventions will be informed by behaviour change models and strategies.

Module code: HUG4042

Credits: 20

Assessment

100% Coursework

Practical: Pass/fail element

Interventions for Emerging Mental Health Difficulties in Education Settings equips you with a good understanding of the process of consultation and group work in schools and colleges. The module recognises the need to develop an awareness of emerging mental health difficulties in education settings and equips you with three key intervention skills. The first of these is consultation skills. You will learn how to advise and support teachers and other school and college staff about the psychological effects of common problems in children and adolescents. Secondly, process consultation skills will provide a framework for you to offer consultation to staff in relation to specific groups of children or young people, or in relation to individual children. The third area of expertise will be intervention skills which you will be taught in relation to the delivery of training and psychological support to groups of children, young people, their parents or carers, and teachers. The key principles of working with groups and classes will be addressed so that you are able to prepare appropriate materials, manage group processes, and deliver training and/or support groups confidently.

Module code: HUG4045

Credits: 20

Assessment

50% Coursework

50% Practical

How you'll study

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops, critical debate, case studies, problem-based learning, independent study and professional practice.

Commencing with a three-day induction, the programme will typically feature an initial period of classroom-based delivery for three days a week, with two days in practice, for a period of 4-8 weeks.

Following this, there will usually be a transition to three days per week in practice-based settings, with two days a week of classroom-based delivery.

These arrangements are subject to change and are reviewed for each cohort in response to collaboration with partner mental health services.

It is expected that trainees will complete a minimum of 80 hours of clinical practice, see a minimum of eight appropriate cases and receive a minimum of 40 hours supervision. This will include 20 hours of case management and 20 hours of clinical skills in practice.

You can expect to receive your timetable at enrolment. Please note that while we make every effort to ensure that timetables are as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day or evening of the week.

How you'll be assessed

You will be assessed through a combination of assignments, project work, report writing and simulated assessments. These will include video recordings, individual and group presentations, reflective portfolios, and traditional written assignments.

You will also need to evidence running a group or psychoeducation workshop with school staff, children, young people or their parents. You will also evidence and discuss your participation in a consultation.

A 50% minimum pass rate applies to all elements of assessment on this course.

Who will be teaching you

You will be taught by professionals with expertise across disciplines including health, education, the children’s workforce, public health, sociology, psychology, criminal justice, counselling and psychotherapy, ethics and law.

The programme team have practical experience working in the children and young people’s sector as health visitors, school nurses, mental health nurses, youth justice professionals, social workers, psychologists, child and adolescent mental health services’ practitioners, counsellors and psychotherapists. All of these roles involve dealing with the long-term consequences of mental health issues not being addressed at an early age.

Associate tutors and guest lecturers, who have specialist knowledge of working with vulnerable children and adolescents, will also contribute to programme delivery.

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

You should have a degree equivalent to UK first-class or second-class honours (2:2 or above) in a relevant subject, such as child health and wellbeing, child and adolescent mental health and wellbeing, psychology, or early years, primary or secondary education. GCSE English Language and GCSE Mathematics at Grade C or Grade 4 or above (or equivalent) is also required.

Experience of working with children and young people and/or in mental health/education settings is desirable.

An interview forms part of the selection process.

If you accept a formal offer from Edge Hill University you will be required to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced Disclosure indicating that you meet the mandatory criteria of ‘Clearance to Work with Children and/or Vulnerable Adults’. Further information will be sent to you after you have firmly accepted an offer.

How to apply

Apply online through NHS Jobs

We recommend interested applicants create an account with NHS Jobs and set up an email alert to search 'education mental health practitioner'. You will then be made aware when posts go out to advert.

Successful candidates will be employed by a specific NHS trust and released to train at Edge Hill University.

Please note, this course is now closed to international applications for 2024 entry.

Should you accept an offer of a place to study with us and formally enrol as a student, you will be subject to the provisions of the regulations, rules, codes, conditions and policies which apply to our students. These are available at www.edgehill.ac.uk/studentterms.

Facilities

The Faculty of Health, Social Care and Medicine offers outstanding facilities for the education and training of health and social care professionals.

The contemporary teaching and learning resources include leading edge clinical skills facilities, an 860-seat lecture theatre, and a variety of teaching rooms and social learning spaces.

Where you'll study

Faculty of Health, Social Care and Medicine

Finance

Tuition fees

£11,500

for the course

If you are joining the course on a place commissioned by NHS England, your tuition fees will be paid on your behalf by the public body. If you have a non-commissioned place, you will be liable for the payment of tuition fees.

Tuition fees for UK students enrolling on the course on a non-commissioned basis in academic year 2023/24 are £11,500.

EU/EEA and Swiss students who have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme may be eligible to apply for financial support. Irish nationals can ordinarily apply to Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI). Please see our EU student finance page for further details.

Financial support

If you are commissioned by NHS England, you will be funded at NHS Agenda for Change (AfC) Band 4 level for the twelve months of study. Further information about pay and benefits in the NHS is available on the NHS Health Careers website. If you start an NHS-funded psychological professions training from April 2022, you will normally be unable to access further NHS-funded training for a new occupation in the psychological professions until two years after your qualifying exam board (or the date individual award is formally recommended by chair’s action post-exam board). Visit the funding for psychological professions training programmes webpage for more information about NHS funding.

Tuition fees

£11,730

for the course

2025/2026 fee information will be added when available.

Financial support

Your future career

Child and adolescent mental health services are being transformed across England. As part of a Government strategy to ensure services are available in schools, third-sector voluntary agencies and the private sector, new roles are being created to deliver evidence-based brief psychological interventions.

Once you have successfully completed the course, you’ll be eligible to apply for band 5 education mental health practitioner posts supporting children and young people, as well as their parents or carers. Your experience of intensive practice-based sessions and multi-agency working will enhance your employability and give you a variety of options for career progression. You may wish to return to Edge Hill to train as a supervisor in children’s mental health, or a senior wellbeing practitioner.

This is a dynamic and innovative career choice, responding to the needs of children and young people within your area.

Course changes

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information, however our courses are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may necessitate alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses.

Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of professional bodies, revisions to subject benchmarks statements, to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.

Download our course leaflet

Contact us

Search for a course

View all our courses