PCAMNHPR - PG Certificate Approved Mental Health Practice

The course is delivered in a series of blocks interspersed with periods of placement. This allows theoretical, academic and practice support to be provided in a classroom context to scaffold the learning that takes place on placement. In this way, the course provides a strong supportive structure for students to prepare for practice and then to debrief in a group setting to consider and share disparities and common experiences following placement.
Training sessions include components of experiential learning and small group work to increase awareness of individual responses, understanding others and working with diversity issues. Students are expected to participate in a role play sessions involving professional actors and assessment scenarios.

The taught component is provided by a broad range of trainers with expertise within their specific areas of practice or who are experts by experience. Some trainers offer sessions on a national basis while others are centred more on the local contexts of issues, practices and service provision. The training providers include AMHP practitioners, nurses, psychiatrists, lawyers, psychologists, other specialist practitioners and service users and carers.
All trainers work toward learning objectives that include the need to link subjects with relevant national policy and current research. They are directed to integrate diversity issues in their training approaches and use a variety of methods which ground the training in experiential learning.

The course is delivered as three modules, running concurrently - one 30 credit module focusing on law and policy, a second 30 credit module that looks at risk, decision making and interdisciplinary working, and a placement module that is a pass/fail component where demonstration of competence in practice is supervised and assessed.

Much of our teaching is led by practitioners and this is one of the ways that we ensure that up-to-date skills relevant to the AMHP role are embedded within our curriculum. Our course committee governance structure with student representation means that the course design is carefully co-produced with students.

The values and culture of London Met, one of the UK’s most diverse universities in terms of disability, age and ethnicity, are underpinned by our sector leading Education for Social Justice Framework which guides course design to ensure inclusive approaches to learning, teaching and assessment including a strong emphasis on a decolonised curriculum.

We place a particular emphasis on the importance of anti-oppressive and non-discriminatory practice, and we carry this through our work in the classroom and on placement. This results in extensive use of debate and discussion to ensure that a culture of constructive collaborative working is fostered throughout the course.

Students are expected to develop skills in evaluating their own learning and to hone their skills in communication in order that they can fully utilise their abilities to take account of the voices of service users and carers

Working closely with employers is also a key aspect of the course with many sessions led by people currently at the forefront of practice.

Teaching takes place on campus – with the option to negotiate virtual delivery where appropriate and beneficial.

The course makes use of a virtual learning environment which means that all students have access to online spaces that hold course content and allow easy access to multimode materials including video conference recordings, blog and podcast repositories and online chat forum.

We work closely with students to develop involvement outside of formal course delivery to deliver a strong sense of community. Our newsletter The Loop provides an example of how we have created opportunities for students to get involved in informal learning and to develop skills in autonomous collaboration outside of the formal syllabus.

As a student on the course, we aim to work with you to:
1. Develop knowledge and understanding of mental disorders and models of treatment and intervention
2. make interventions that result in the best possible outcomes for service users by reflecting on their needs and considering a range of evidence, legal and policy guidance.
3. support you to work collaboratively with service users and carers
4. critically engage with current debates in mental health policy
5. work productively in multi-disciplinary teams with the confidence to express your own professional views.
6. provide planned professional development to extend and build on your current position as either a registered social worker, mental health nurse, learning disabilities nurse, occupational therapist, or practitioner psychologist.
7. provide training to meet the requirements and standards as set out in the Mental Health (Approval of Persons to be Approved Mental Health Professionals) (England) Regulations, 2008
8. provide eligibility for consideration by a local authority for approval to act as an AMHP

At the end of the course, students will be able to:
1. deploy a wide range of communication techniques to promote involvement of people using services, their carers and families and multidisciplinary teams in decision making,
2. demonstrate the skills and confidence to identify and challenge potential sources of discrimination
3. apply an understanding of the law, the legal structures and policy contexts for the delivery of Mental Health Act assessments and decision making;
4. take responsibility for interventions, assessment, and practice decisions for the well-being of individuals in crisis, taking full account of their social circumstances
5. demonstrate a values-led approach and promote equality, diversity and inclusion using anti-oppressive approaches in mental health practice
6. use contemporary research to critically engage with practice issues from a theoretical perspective, develop deep knowledge of mental health, wellbeing and illness models and employ an evidence-based approach,.
7. effectively employ reflective approaches to practice to inform mental health related decision making.
8. understand the relationship between the AMHP role and a range of multidisciplinary inter-professional practice contexts.
9. evidence their ability to meet all 34 competencies outlined in the Mental Health (AMHP) Regulations 2008, Schedule 2, and as delineated by Social Work England (2020)

The course will use a variety of teaching and learning styles and these are, in turn, reflected in the variety of assessment tools employed through the course. Within the general principle of mixed mode formative and summative assessments can be found a diversity of instruments including case studies, exams, essays, assessment reports and an overall practice portfolio.

Transferable skills have been embedded in the learning outcomes of the course modules. It includes formative assessment, so that students can test and assess their own performance before handing in or presenting work.

The University’s Education for Social Justice Framework sets out expectations in relation to Inclusive Assessments to ensure the assessments are varied and that the spread and load is balanced

The course assessment table sets out the volume, timing and nature of summative assessments across the five months of the programme.

The course includes one compulsory placement module ‘Mental Health Practice Placement’.

Students on the course apply with the support of an existing employer and the employer is the provider of the placement.

The placement is designed to meet the required criteria set out in Schedule 2 to the Mental Health (Approved Mental Health Professionals) (Approval) (England) Regulations 2008 and consists of 37 days. Students will experience different organisational contexts and will work with different people with lived experience during their placements.

Students will be supported on their placement by a suitably qualified and experienced practice educator who is responsible for holistically assessing their practice and providing support and guidance during their placement.

All placements are evaluated using clearly set out criteria. Students and practice educators are asked to complete an evaluation of the placement so that further support or training can be provided to placement organisations if required and areas of good practice can be reflected upon and shared widely amongst partner agencies.

A part-time route can be agreed by the student taking the Law module when the course first runs, and the other two modules with the following year’s cohort

Course Regulatory schedule

This schedule should be read alongside the University’s general regulations, which govern courses and the responsibilities of the University and students.

There are also course specific guidelines on the design, delivery and monitoring of an AMHP course provided by Social Work England that will be adhered to:
https://www.socialworkengland.org.uk/education-training/amhp-course-guidance/

All University students are bound from the commencement of their course or from the point of enrolment, by all relevant Regulations, Procedures and policies.

Students enrolled on this programme are governed by:

• The University’s Academic Regulations which govern the standards of the University’s awards, the responsibilities of students and the formal roles played by staff in relation to admission to courses and programmes of study, assessment of student’s work and conferment of awards.

• Regulations and Procedures, which govern the conduct of students, in particular, the Regulations applicable to all students in cases of misconduct – incorporating a Code of Discipline; Fitness to Study and Fitness to Practice.

• Responsibilities placed upon students regarding not only their conduct but also their professional suitability and Fitness to Practise, as set out in the standards for their respective professional bodies. Social Work students are expected to understand and work towards these professional standards in preparation for when they apply for registration. Students should ensure that during the course, including whilst on placement, they do not do anything that contravenes the professional standards or the policies and procedures of their placement provider.

All breaches of the professional standards/codes will be progressed in accordance with the Fitness to Practice Procedures or other University Regulations or Procedures as appropriate

In addition, students on the qualifying programmes have specific regulations governing professional practice placements that are also outlined below in the weblinks

It is the responsibility of all students to read the handbook to familiarise themselves with all responsibilities and requirements.

Issues that may affect a student’s suitability to commence or continue training

Students must familiarise themselves with the Fitness to Practice Procedures, which set down the suitability requirements and the process for reporting and investigating any breaches.

It is the responsibility of each student to bring to the attention of the Principal Lecturer for Social Work or nominated staff member, in a timely manner any matter including ill health of any kind that could be considered to have a bearing on their continued suitability for training. Likewise, students are required to bring to the attention of the Principal Lecturer for Social Work any matter as indicated above that could be considered to have a bearing on the suitability of another student on the course.

Failure to disclose any circumstance or information affecting a student’s suitability occurring prior to entry to the course or subsequent to enrolment shall be deemed a breach of the University’s Code of Discipline and shall be progressed in accordance with the Student Disciplinary procedures (see 5 and 6 above).

Exemptions and credit transfer

Students may apply for credit where they have prior accredited learning at level 7 in a module which covers the same learning outcomes with the same volume of credit as an equivalent module on the course. In cases where a student wishes to claim credit on the basis of prior experiential (i.e. non-accredited) learning, it is necessary to present a portfolio to demonstrate the learning. Because of the time it can take to build a portfolio of prior experiential learning, it is advisable to begin a conversation with the course leader early in the academic year prior to joining the course.

Placement Requirements

Information on Placement Requirements can be found in the course handbook:
AMHP Course Handbook January 2023 Draft.docx

Re-registration of module and timetabling

As far as possible, the course will be scheduled to allow modules that need to be re-registered and repeated from a previous year to be undertaken in such a way that they do not clash with the following year’s modules.

External Examiner Appointments

Responsibility for recruiting external examiners for the social work course rests with the Head of Social Work. Appointments are made via the University’s quality assurance processes. The appointed external examiner must be appropriately experienced and qualified and be from the relevant part of the Social Work England Register.

Termination of training information, whistle blowing and complaints procedures in relation to practice placements and fitness to practice procedures can be found in a separate document entitled:

Course Regulatory schedule for programme accredited by Social Work England.docx

No interim award.

The student’s Personal, Professional Development Plan (PPDP) creates an opportunity for the student to identify their overall professional goals related to criteria set out in Schedule 2 to the Mental Health (Approved Mental Health Professionals) (Approval) (England) Regulations 2008.

Students are given the PPDP at the start of the course. They also complete this during each of their professional placements.

The mid-way placement meeting is an opportunity to review the student’s PPDP. The student must have begun to complete this prior to the mid-way stage meeting by stating their goals for the end of placement. This should be shared regularly in supervision in order for it to be discussed and signed by the tutor, practice educator and student during the mid-way meeting.

Before the end of the placement the PPDP should be completed and signed by the Practice Educator and Placement Tutor. The completed and signed form must be included in the placement portfolio

This PG Cert Approved Mental Health Practice course will give you skills in an area that is highly sought-after and open opportunities to significantly enhance your career prospects.

Passing the course meets the Social Work England criteria to be eligible to apply for AMHP registration with a local authority or mental health trust as set out in the Mental Health (Approved Mental Health Professionals) (Approval) (England) Regulations 2008.