Entry Requirements and how you can increase your chance of getting on the course
Have a look at a person specification for a trainee PWP post (see http://www.jobs.nhs.uk/). This indicates the essential and desirable elements to look for in a prospective candidate.
It is essential that applicants have relevant experience working with individuals who experience mental health difficulties. This might include voluntary work, care assistant work, etc. but the more relevant and the greater quantity of the experience, the stronger the influence it will have in the selection process.
For the post-graduate certificate, applicants will usually have a Bachelors level honours degree. However, direct access to the programme by candidates who have partially achieved this level of educational attainment, can be achieved through “advanced standing”. In this instance, applicants are required to provide a portfolio of evidence sufficient to prove that their previous education and experience is at, or exceeds, graduate level.
We have additionally established an undergraduate route which is ideally suited for individuals with less experience of academic work. In terms of academic eligibility requirements, these are of a lower level for this route than for the PGCert, but some successful experience of university level study is still required.
How do I apply for a place?
For NHS funded places, applicants must have been successful in obtaining a Trainee PWP post in the NHS (access application here). This course forms an automatic part of such a training post and application for the course is achieved through application for these posts which are also advertised on the NHS jobs website.
Degrees and post-graduate course should be completed before commencement of this course (i.e., no concurrent taught degrees or post-gradudate courses). Candidates must be in a position to attend the course upon its commencement.
For self-funded posts, we will be likely to advertise these places in Autumn.
Potential applicants can ask to be placed on an e-mailing list which will alert them when we advertise these. Self-funding students will be responsible for finding their own placement where they will get their clinical experience. We hope to have a number of partnerships with IAPT services that we can draw upon to facilitate this for students. The placement will need to be approved by the University in that to compliment the training it will need to have appropriate cases for students to see (broadly mild to moderte anxiety and depression in adults), use appropriate low intensity approaches for treatment (e.g., supported self-help, computerised CBT, use of outcome measures), and appropriate supervision (skills development and clincial case management). We offer training for appropriate supervisors which will familiairise them with the course, the PWP approach and supervision methods). Ideally placements should be organised at the beginning of the course.
