School of Health and Society

PG Cert Mental Health Practice (for Approved Mental Health Professionals)

Award
PG Cert
Start date(s)
11 October 2023
UCAS Code
Course specifications
Course length
Part-time (1 year)
Campus location
Wolverhampton City Campus
School
School of Health and Society
UCAS points calculator

Why choose this course?

The course will enable you to develop their knowledge, skills and values in mental health practices in order to enhance your capabilities within your own areas of expertise. The course is designed to enable mental health professionals to develop and demonstrate practice in accordance with the published requirements of external professional, statutory and regulatory bodies in order to act as Approved Mental Health Professionals.

Please complete and upload the Agency Nomination Form (Word doc 75k) when completing your application.

What happens on the course?

The course covers the legislation and policy underpinning the AMHP role, including a module on the Mental Health Act (1983). Candidates will also critically appraise other aspects of essential knowledge, such as models of mental distress, interventions and cultural competence.

 

Course Modules

Potential Career Paths

Approved Mental Health Professionals undertake a range of duties under the Mental Health Act 1983. The Code of Practice to Mental Health Act (1983) states that local authorities should ensure that sufficient AMHPs are available to carry out their functions under the Act and that a 24-hour service is available. 

A local authority will approve an AMHP to act on behalf of the authority and will only do so if satisfied that the applicant has appropriate competence in dealing with mentally disordered people (MHA 1983 s114(3)). This can be demonstrated by successful completion of the course.

Additional Information

Everything you need to know about this course!

The AMHP Training at University of Wolverhampton has been approved by Social Work England. For the ‘validation’ they inspected the course and spoke with candidates, employers and service users and carers. Employers said they were confident in the way the course is designed, their views were taken into account and the partnership with the academic team was strong. The course includes a wide range of learning opportunities and a high level of support to learn and develop potential and expertise in Mental Health Social Work Practice.

At the end of this course you, the student, will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate critical and analytical knowledge and understanding of medical, social and psychological perspectives in mental health practices, including clear reference to service user and carer perspectives and cultural competence
  2. Demonstrate critical and analytical knowledge and understanding of the legal and policy context of mental health practice
  3. Demonstrate critical and analytical knowledge and understanding of evidence-based practice
  4. Demonstrate critical and analytical knowledge and understanding of values-based practice and ability to recognise and resolve complex ethical dilemmas
  5. Demonstrate the ability to deal with complex and unpredictable issues systematically
  6. Demonstrate practice competence as determined by published requirements for AMHP approval.
     

Location Mode Fee Year
Home Part-time £2665 per year 2022-23
Home Part-time £2798 per year 2023-24
Home Part-time £2798 per year 2023-24
Home Part-time £2938 per year 2024-25

These fees relate to new entrants only for the academic year indicated for entry onto the course, any subsequent years study may be subject to an annual increase, usually in line with inflation.

All candidates will need to have;

  • at least 2 years post-qualifying experience of mental health or related health and social care services; and
  • an honours degree or successful study of at least one module at level 6.

To be eligible for entry to AMHP training modules, candidates must:

  • be a social worker registered with the Health and Care Professions Council; or
  • be a first level nurse, registered in Sub-Part 1 of the Nurses’ Part of the Register maintained under article 5 of the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001, with the inclusion of an entry indicating their field of practice is mental health or learning disabilities nursing; or
  • be an occupational therapist registered in Part 6 of the Register maintained under article 5 of the Health professions Order 2001; or
  • a chartered psychologist who is listed in the British Psychological Society’s register of Chartered Psychologists and who holds a relevant practising certificate issued by that Society.

(The Mental Health AMHP Regulations 2008, Sch 1.

  • be nominated by the local authority or other employer
  • meet locally  agreed employer criteria for recruitment and selection.

Local Authority/Agency commitment to provide a placement.

Additionally an AMHP candidate needs to be able to undertake the appropriate practice requirements under the supervision of an employer provided practice supervisor and assessor.

The course is linked to two stand-alone modules.  It is recommended that one is taken before the PG Diploma in Mental Health Practice for AMHPs. These are:

  • 6SO016 Decision-making & interventions for adults in a legal framework (L6);
  • 7SO009 Decision-making & interventions for adults in a legal framework (L7).

Social Work England

Approved by Social Work England (SWE) for the purpose of providing eligibility to apply for registration with SWE as a social worker in England.

Postgraduate Loyalty Discount:

You can get 20% discount on a taught postgraduate course if you’re a University of Wolverhampton Graduate.

The University offers a generous 20% Loyalty Discount to students progressing from an undergraduate programme to a taught postgraduate on-site programme, where both courses are University of Wolverhampton Awards.

There is no time limit on how long ago you completed your degree as long as this is your first Masters level qualification.

The discount applies to the first year of enrolment only. Students who receive a loyalty discount are not entitled to any further tuition discount or bursary. For full terms and conditions click here.


Self-funded:

If you are paying for the fees yourself then the fees can be paid in 3 instalments: November, January and April. More information can be found by clicking here.


Sponsored - Your employer, embassy or organisation can pay for your Tuition fees:

Your employer, embassy or organisation agrees to pay all or part of your tuition fees; the University will refer to them as your sponsor and will invoice them for the appropriate amount.

We must receive notification of sponsorship in writing as soon as possible, and before enrolment, confirming that the sponsor will pay your tuition fees.


Financial Hardship:

Students can apply to the Dennis Turner Opportunity Fund for help with course related costs however this cannot be used for fees or to cover general living costs.


Charitable Funding:

You might also want to explore the possibility of funding from charitable trusts; please see the following websites Association of Charitable Foundations, Directory of Social Change or Family Action. Most charities and trust funds offer limited bursaries targeted to specific groups of students so you will need to research whether any of them are relevant to your situation.

You can find more information on the University’s Funding, cost, fee and support pages.

Telephone

01902 32 22 22

Email

enquiries@wlv.ac.uk

Online

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