Graduate Diploma in Children and Young People’s Wellbeing Practice

Program Overview

The Graduate Diploma in Children and Young People's Wellbeing Practice empowers professionals with advanced knowledge and skills in supporting children and youth facing mental health challenges. Through evidence-based Low Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy approaches, the program equips participants to deliver effective interventions and collaborate effectively with children, families, and other professionals. The program emphasizes workplace learning, teamwork, and reflective practice to enhance clinical expertise and career advancement in low-intensity mental health settings.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The Graduate Diploma in Children and Young People’s Wellbeing Practice equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to support children and young people experiencing common mental health difficulties. The program focuses on delivering effective low-intensity interventions informed by evidence-based Low Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) approaches.

Objectives:

• Equip students with the knowledge and skills to assess and engage children, young people, and families experiencing common mental health difficulties.
• Enable students to deliver effective low-intensity interventions informed by a critical and advanced understanding of contemporary research and evidence in child and adolescent mental health.
• Enable students to collaborate effectively with children, young people, and families, and with other professionals in a multi-agency service context.
• Develop and enhance students' ability to reflect on their clinical practice using various methods, including reflective models, supervision, and observational feedback.

Outline:

Course Content:

• The program emphasizes the development of key skills through learning, teaching, and assessment strategies.
• Modules are structured to support students in developing existing skills to an advanced level and encouraging them to develop greater expertise in chosen areas.
• The program emphasizes transferable skills, including critical evaluation, synthesis, and application of research and theory in a practical organizational context.
• Students are encouraged to examine the tensions between theory and practice and develop flexibility and creativity in applying research and theory to real-world contexts.
• The program encourages teamwork and collaboration through action learning sets and reflexive and problem-focused group work.
• The diploma places a strong emphasis on work-based learning, with students developing and assessing knowledge and skills in workshops, individual and online learning contexts, supported by academic staff and supervisors in learning sets in their places of work.

Course Structure:

• The certificate consists of two, 30-credit modules assessed at Level 6.

Course Schedule:

• The modules shown in the context relate to the academic year 24/25.

Teaching:

• The program utilizes a variety of teaching methods, including workshops, individual and online learning contexts, and group work.
• Students are supported by academic staff and supervisors in learning sets in their places of work.

Careers:

• Upon successful completion of the program plus one year post-qualifying experience, students may consider our Postgraduate Diploma in Low Intensity Senior Practice.

Other:

• The program is a "Recruit to Train" program, meaning students will work in a relevant Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services setting in the voluntary sector, NHS, or a local authority setting as they study.
• The program is not open to international or self-funded applicants.
• The program is suitable for staff whose role includes brief interventions for children, adolescents, and families and who already have basic clinical competencies.
• During the period of training, students will be required to hold a caseload, receive regular clinical supervision, video record their sessions with children and families, and use the battery of CYP IAPT routine outcome measures.
• Students must have been recruited to a relevant organization and should be working in services that have access to colleagues in specialist CAMHs for consultation and where they can refer children and young people for specialist multidisciplinary care as necessary.
• Suitability for the program is ascertained through an application form, personal statement, and admissions interview.
• The interview may include a young people's representative and representatives from an employer and the University of Northampton.
• The program is not available to international applicants.
• During the period of training, students will be required to:
• Hold a small clinical caseload of children with mild to moderate anxiety, behavioral difficulties, low mood, or self-harm, and work as appropriate with their parents/carers and other professionals who support them.
• Receive regular clinical supervision from an appropriately trained and qualified supervisor.
• Video record their sessions with children and families for supervision and assessment purposes.
• Use approved CYP IAPT Routine Outcome Measures (ROMs).
• With their application, students need to complete and submit an Employer Declaration form signed by their manager.