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Children and Young People’s Psychological Trainings: Leadership in CYP Mental Health Services, PG Cert

This postgraduate certificate is part of the Department of Health initiative to Improve Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT). It aims to provide service managers with the necessary background knowledge and understanding to implement change within their CAMHS service.

About this programme

University College London (UCL) and King’s College London (KCL) have set up a formal consortium to deliver the London CYP IAPT training (Children and Young Peoples, Improving Access to Psychological Therapies).

Courses are delivered to current managers, supervisors and therapists of selected CYP MH (Children & Young People Mental Health) SERVICES services, which have formed a collaborative group for London and the South-East of England.

The 2015 Leadership programme curriculum was revised in 2024 by experienced CYP MH service leads in NHS, local authority and voluntary, community and faith sector organisations across England, with input from HEIs, to bring it in line with the current context for CYP MH provision. The programme draws on relevant policy, principles, theory and research that shape and inform CYP MH service delivery. Importantly, it also supports critical thinking and reflexive practice. It encourages participants to view things through a lens of EDI in relation to the needs of both service users and the workforce in their local area.

How is the programme delivered?

The programme is delivered in 12 teaching days across the year, with 3 additional study days to facilitate learning and support participants in meeting the programme requirements. In some areas it is also available as a continuing professional development programme. It includes a mix of lectures, academic teaching and smaller group sessions.

These smaller group sessions help participants link the content of the larger sessions to their own work context, facilitate reflective practice and personal leadership development, and support participants with a service transformation project that they engage in during the year.

Who is this programme for?

This programme is for CYP MH and wellbeing leaders and mangers across health, social care, and education within in the NHS, schools, others statutory and third sectors. This programme aims to be a resource for participants in supporting their own leadership development, as well as in identifying need and implementing service change in their local area.

The programme and the assignments are designed to support real-world challenges and change facing participants who already manage high levels of demand in their work settings. The programme teams, and the managers and leads who attend the programme, are all highly experienced in CYP MH services. This programme recognises that the problems being addressed are not new.

The intention of the programme is to provide a supportive space in which participants learn current ideas, reflect on their existing knowledge and expertise, learn from each other to address challenges, and solve implementation issues. The programme will benefit anyone in a leadership role implementing change in CYPMH and Wellbeing provision including:

  • Senior school staff involved in the EMHP and Mental Health Teams in schools

  • Clinical leads in NHS CYP MH services implementing CYP Psychological Trainings (formerly CYP IAPT) and/or the CWP programme

  • Commissioners and social care leads who are driving service transformation

  • Managers and senior clinicians in CYP MH & wellbeing charities and third sector organisations.

How do I apply?

Please note applications for these courses can only be made directly from selected CYP MH SERVICES services. For more information, please contact the Programme Officer.

Further information

For more information about the programme, including content, structure, fees, qualifications and to make an application, please visit the UCL webpage.