Children and Young People's Psychological Trainings: Therapy, PG Dip

University College London (UCL) and King’s College London (KCL) work in partnership to deliver CYP IAPT training (Children and Young People’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) across London and the South East.

CYP IAPT courses are funded by NHS England (NHSE) with the aim of expanding the workforce, building capacity and addressing gaps in provision. The training is delivered to current managers, supervisors and newly recruited practitioners in CAMHS and third-sector services.

There are five courses within the CYP IAPT training pathway. This page focuses on the Recruit to Train route, also known as the Children and Young People’s IAPT Therapy Programme.

Each service sets its own criteria for assessing applications, so it is important to pay close attention to the person specification for each role. However, as a minimum university requirement, candidates are normally expected to demonstrate:

• A minimum of a second-class bachelor’s degree from a UK university, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard in a relevant subject (e.g. psychology). Applicants without a bachelor’s degree but with relevant professional experience are encouraged to apply and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

• A registerable professional qualification in a relevant subject (e.g. psychology, psychotherapy, counselling, social work, nursing) from a UK university, or an overseas professional qualification of an equivalent standard.

• Two years’ experience working in a professional setting related to the mental health of children, young people, or families (e.g. as a mental health worker).

• Professional experience of working with children and families (e.g. as a family support worker, psychosocial liaison, midwife, or health visitor).

• The capability to complete academic work at postgraduate diploma level. Students whose first language is not English must demonstrate proficiency at IELTS Band D (or equivalent). More information for international students is available on UCL’s website.

• Eligibility for UK Home fees at UCL.

Once funding for the programme is confirmed by NHSE, services will begin advertising for Recruit to Train practitioners. Adverts are usually posted on sites such as jobs.nhs.uk and healthjobs.com, but we also recommend searching through platforms like Google to find recent listings. Suggested search terms include:

• Recruit to Train Practitioner

• CYP IAPT Practitioner

• CAMHS Practitioner CYP-PT Therapy Trainee

• Trainee ASC/LD Practitioner

• The specific modality title (e.g. CBT, IPT-A, Systemic Family Practice)

Please also see the Prospective trainee FAQs which contains further useful information.

We have devised a comprehensive FAQ document for all prospective candidates interested in the course. We strongly recommend you review this FAQ as it will answer most questions you may have.

Prospective trainee FAQs can be viewed on this Google doc.

For further queries on the programme, please contact the programme team via email at cyppttherapy@annafreud.org.