Jynna Yarrum
Senior Lecturer in Psychological Therapies (Clinical Lead)
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Postgraduate Diploma in Education Mental Health Practitioner
Key Facts
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Duration
1 year full time
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Level
PostgraduatePG PGDip
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Starting
September
SEP
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Waterside
Updated 12/02/2026
Overview
Taught by Psychological wellbeing practitioners, psychotherapists and psychologists who are specialists in specific areas of CAMHS, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Education.
The programme is designed to equip students with the skills to work with children, young people and parents to assess and support common mental health difficulties, including depression and anxiety, through cognitive behavioural therapy approaches.
The Diploma consists of 4 compulsory 30-credit modules, assessed at Level 6 or 7 depending on your existing qualifications.
Should you require more information you can contact the IAPT team.
Highlights
- You will use evidence-based CBT principles to assess and support children experiencing depression and anxiety within school settings
- Mental Health and Education Specialists develop you into competent practitioners in the whole-school approach, group work and 1:1 treatment
- We work closely with your employers to allow you time to hone and practise skills and have adequate placements in schools. We offer regular dedicated time for pastoral support through the placement year
Entry Requirements
Please note that applications for this course can only be made following a successful appointment in the CAMHS workforce, as a trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner. For further information and to register your interest please contact the IAPT Team.
If you would like to be assessed at Level 7 and earn the Postgraduate Diploma award, you will need to have evidence of study at University level (partial completion potentially accepted) or a level 6 equivalent qualification.
Alternatively, you can be awarded a level 6 Graduate Diploma if you have existing qualifications at level 3.
The programme welcomes applications from undergraduate students and from professionals in the workplace who can demonstrate evidence of experiential learning in keeping with the admissions criteria.
Students will be required, as part of their admissions process, to apply for an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. Unless you are signed up to the DBS update service, we cannot accept previous DBSs as evidence of clearance – each student will need to go through this process before being allowed to undertake any work that requires contact with potentially vulnerable members of the public, including children. If either is not completed or withheld for any reason (e.g. current or spent convictions) the student will not be able to progress to any element of the programme that requires contact with children and young people or vulnerable people.
All International and EU students applying for a course with us must meet the following minimum English language requirements:
- Minimum standard – IELTS 6.5 overall (or equivalent) with a score no lower than 6.0 for writing and no remaining band/component below 5.5 for study at postgraduate level.
For information regarding English language requirements at the University, please see our IELTS page.
What You'll Learn
The programme utilises lectures, skills workshops and seminars, work-based learning, and supervision (led by the HEI and workplace supervisors) to support students in developing knowledge and critical understanding of low-intensity working in child and adolescent mental health in schools and colleges.
It is therefore assumed that the employer will provide students with sufficient support and time to complete their assessed work and to participate fully in all elements of their learning.
Successful applicants are recruited into a full-time Role within a Mental Health Support Team linked with schools. The attendance to the course is part-time within this training scheme, days not at university are spent in school placement.
This course places a strong emphasis on work based learning, and students will develop and assess the knowledge and skills developed in workshops, individual and online learning contexts, supported by academic staff as well as supervisors in learning sets in their places of work. Students’ participation is with the full support of their employer, who has collaborated with the University to recruit students to work in their service and be trained on the programme.
The course draws heavily on the internet (particularly our NILE platform), as a means of communicating with students, and as a learning platform. If you do not have internet access at home, please familiarise yourself with the large range of computer facilities the university offers. Students have access to IT suites in the Learning Hub, computers in the library.
Compulsory Modules
This module builds the knowledge, attitudes and competencies required to operate effectively in a CAMHS context and to engage with and assess children, young people and families where there are mild presentations of anxiety and depression, conduct difficulties and where parenting support is needed.
This module provides students with robust training in evidence-based low-intensity psychological treatments for working with children, young people and familiesStudents focus on behaviour change models and strategies in exploring low-intensity psychological treatments that place greater emphasis on patient self-management and are designed to be less burdensome than traditional approaches.
In this module students will learn about the education context in which they will be working, including how schools are organised and challenges working with mental health issues in educational settingsStudents will learn assessment and engagement skills with education staff, and the broad range of difficulties experienced by youth.
Students will utilise theory and research to increase support for children and young people from their communityStudents will support education staff through training, implementing peer mentoring approaches and supporting classroom management in education settingsStudents will learn appropriate circumstances to seek further advice or signpost clients to other services.
Please note the modules shown here relate to the academic year 25/26. The modules relating to the academic year 26/27 will be available from June 2026.
Staff
Kathryn Congreve
Lecturer in Psychological Therapies
Tamana Bassi
Senior Lecturer in Children and Young People (LIST)
Careers and Employability
Following successful completion of the course, you will qualify as a Educational Mental Health Practitioner at NHS Band 5.
