About this course
Provide low intensity CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) interventions for children, young people and their parents or carers. Support common mental health problems including anxiety, low mood and behavioural difficulties on this Education Mental Health Practitioner PGDip.
Gain the skills to work in education settings and assist schools with their mental health strategies. When you successfully complete the course you'll be qualified to practice.
The role of an Educational Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP) was developed to improve access to high quality mental health support for children and young people within education settings.
This course follows the agreed national curriculum. You’ll learn theory and take part in education practice in live settings. You’ll carry out your education practice as part of a Mental Health Support Team (MHST) who will also support you. Your MHST must be your employer.
You’ll develop the skills to:
- work in a values-driven service
- understand common mental health problems experienced by children and young people and the evidenced-based treatment options
- understand therapeutic management of children, young people and their parents/carers experiencing anxiety, low mood or behavioural difficulties
- understand education settings, including legislative and policy frameworks
- promote the wellbeing of children and young people by supporting their cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development in the context of their family, school and other systems
- understand the process of consultation and group work in schools and colleges
This course is fully funded by the NHS. The training is provided as part of an MHST clinical training role. The trainee role is full time and you earn a wage equal to the NHS Agenda for Change Band 4.
Course lead
Mrs Sarah Monk is a trained Cognitive Behavioural Therapist specialising in children and young people’s mental health and low intensity working. Sarah has worked in a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service and is accredited by the British Association for Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP). Sarah is a qualified CBT supervisor. Visit Sarah’s profile page to learn more.
If you have a question about the course you can contact the EMHP team inbox: emhp-admin@soton.ac.uk
Course location
This course is based at Highfield.
Awarding body
This qualification is awarded by the University of Southampton.
Download the programme specification
The programme specification sets out the learning outcomes of this course and details how the course is taught and assessed.
Entry requirements
You cannot apply for the course directly without applying for the role of a trainee EMHP. To learn more about these roles visit www.jobs.nhs.uk
You’ll need a 2:2 degree in any subject and experience of working or volunteering with children and young people in a mental health context.
Find the equivalent international qualifications for your country.
We consider professional experience in these fields:
- education
- mental health
- children and young people
English language requirements
If English isn't your first language, you'll need to complete an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) to demonstrate your competence in English. You'll need an overall score of 6.5 and the following scores for reading, writing, listening and speaking:
IELTS score requirements
- reading
- 6.0
- writing
- 6.0
- speaking
- 6.0
- listening
- 6.0
We accept other English language tests. Find out which English language tests we accept.
Recognition of professional experience
If you don't have the exact entry requirements, but you have significant work experience in this sector we’ll assess your relevant professional experience, your subject knowledge and your aptitude for learning.
This can be discussed at interview with the University and Mental Health Support Team.
Got a question?
Please contact us if you're not sure you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.
Email: enquiries@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8059 5000
Course structure
This educational mental health practitioner PGDip follows the nationally prescribed curriculum and is designed to train you to become an EMHP to work in schools and colleges.
You’ll learn about providing mental health interventions in education settings. You'll develop the ability to assess children and young people with common mental health problems and provide evidence based low intensity CBT interventions. You'll also work with schools to support their mental health policies.
You must study all the modules on this course and you’ll need to pass them all before you can practice.
You must also have passed the simulated clinical examinations and the clinical practice video assessment by your second attempt. This is part of the British Psychological Society’s accreditation requirements.
Want more detail? See all the modules in the course.
Modules
For entry in Academic Year 2020-21
Year 1 modules
You must study the following modules:
Learning and assessment
Learning
The learning activities for this course include the following:
- lectures
- small seminar groups
- observation of example interventions by trained clinical staff
- clinical simulation
- exploration of real practice scenarios using ‘forum theatre’
- role play
- educational videos
- self directed study
- assessment of practice documents and competencies
Assessment
We'll assess you using the methods stipulated in the national curriculum which includes:
- multiple choice answer examinations
- group and individual presentations
- reflective essays
- simulated clinical examinations
- clinical practice video recordings
- case reports
- audits
Academic Support
Your EMHP service supervisors and the University programme team will keep in regular touch to support you, and your progress on the course.
You'll have access to a wide range of clinicians in your practice area. This is to make sure that you’re developing effective EMHP skills.
Careers
Successful completion of this education mental health practitioner training means you can practice as an EMHP. You'll be employed as part of the new Mental Health Support Teams.
Careers services at Southampton
We're a top 20 UK university for employability (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2020). Our Careers and Employability Service will support you throughout your time as a student and for up to 5 years after graduation. This support includes:
- work experience schemes
- CV/resume and interview skills workshops
- networking events
- careers fairs attended by top employers
- a wealth of volunteering opportunities
- study abroad and summer school opportunities
We have a thriving entrepreneurship culture. You'll be able to take advantage of:
- our dedicated start-up incubator, Futureworlds
- a wide variety of enterprise events run throughout the year
- our partnership in the world’s number 1 business incubator, SETsquared
Fees, costs and funding
Tuition fees
This course is fully funded by the NHS through Health Education England (HEE).
What your fees pay for
Your tuition fee covers the full cost of tuition and any exams.
Find out how to:
Accommodation and living costs, such as travel and food, are not included in your tuition fees. Explore:
Funding your postgraduate studies
A variety of additional scholarships, grants and bursaries may be available to help you fund your master’s study, both from the University and from other organisations.
Funding for international students
Find out about funding you could get as an international student.
How to apply
To make an application, you must apply for a trainee EMHP role with one of our affiliated MHSTs through NHS jobs. We don't accept self funded applicants.
During your EMHP interview, you’ll meet a member of the University team, alongside a member of staff from the MHST. You’ll be able to ask questions about the course during the interview.
If you’re successful in securing a position, the MHST and the University will guide you through the application process for the course.
The trainee role is full time and your working week is divided into 3 days of clinical practice and 2 days attending university. To learn more about the role, visit the NHS website.
Application deadlines
UK students
Applications must be received no later than 4 weeks before the start of the course. You must supply all supporting documentation at least 2 weeks before starting your course.
Supporting information
When you apply you’ll need to submit a personal statement explaining why you want to take the course.
You’ll need to include information about:
- your knowledge of the subject area
- why you want to study a postgraduate qualification in this course
- how you intend to use your qualification
You'll also need to send 2 academic references.
Please include the required paperwork showing your first degree and your IELTS English language test score (if you are a non-native English speaker) with your application. Without these, your application may be delayed.
Learn more about how to apply with our postgraduate application guide.
What happens after you apply
Should we need to clarify anything on your application we will contact you.
We'll get back to you within 6 weeks with a decision about your application.
Equality and diversity
We treat and select everyone in line with our Equality and Diversity Statement.
Got a question?
Please contact us if you're not sure you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.
Email: enquiries@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8059 5000
