Senior Wellbeing Practitioner, PG Dip
A two-year, part-time postgraduate diploma for qualified CWPs and EMHPs to develop advanced clinical skills and supervision expertise. Delivered by UCL and King’s College London and fully funded by NHSE.
Programme overview
The Senior Wellbeing Practitioner (SWP) Programme, commissioned by NHS England (NHSE), develops the careers and employability of practitioners who have completed Children and Young People’s Mental Health (CYP-MH) Low-Intensity Trainings (formerly CYP IAPT).
It supports the NHS Long Term Plan and Green Paper commitments by extending access to mental health support for specific groups of young people, enhancing the skillset of CWPs and EMHPs, and increasing supervision capacity in services.
Course details
UCL and King’s College London (KCL) are jointly commissioned to deliver these training programmes across London and South East England. January 2026 will see the fourth cohort of SWPs begin the diploma. The second year of the SWP course is closely aligned with the UCL PG Cert Supervision programme.
The Senior Wellbeing Practitioner course is a part-time postgraduate diploma completed over two years. The programme combines:
Advanced clinical skills development to broaden low-intensity practice.
Specialist training in supervision to build leadership capacity.
Career progression opportunities to improve workforce retention and service stability.
Year one focuses on advanced knowledge and skills in:
Clinical presentations: OCD, trauma-informed practice, Emotionally Based School Absence, self-harm, and tics.
Low-intensity interventions for neurodivergent children, young people, and families (including autism and learning disabilities).
Year two focuses on supervision skills:
Supervising in-training and newly qualified low-intensity practitioners.
Models of supervision, competency frameworks, and feedback tools.
Alignment with the UCL PG Cert Supervision programme.
Programme delivery
The SWP programme is delivered part-time over two years through a combination of university teaching, service-based practice, and supervision. Teaching includes:
Face-to-face and online lectures to develop advanced clinical and supervision skills.
Small-group skills practice to consolidate learning and apply techniques to real-world cases.
Specialist workshops on topics such as OCD, trauma-informed care, Emotionally Based School Absence, and interventions for neurodivergent children and young people.
Supervision skills training in year two, aligned with the UCL PG Cert Supervision programme, including observation, feedback, and competency assessment.
Throughout the course, participants remain employed within a CYP-MH service, applying new knowledge and skills directly in their work setting. This ensures learning is embedded in practice, supporting sustainable service change and leadership development.
Who can apply
The programme is open to graduates of one of the following:
PG Cert / PG Dip Child and Young Persons Psychological Wellbeing (CWP)
PG Dip Educational Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP)
If you have already completed CWP or EMHP Supervisor training (modules 1 and 2 of PG Cert Supervision), you will not need to repeat them. Credits may be transferred towards the PG Dip Senior Wellbeing Practitioner qualification via accreditation of prior learning.
Please contact us for more information.
How to apply
You must apply for both the university-led training course and a role within a participating mental health service.
Speak to your service lead or manager if you are interested in an SWP training place.
If you are interested in applying for SWP training places, please contact us. NB. The bidding process for training places due to start in January 2026 is now closed.
Funding
The tuition fee is covered by NHS England. Services are required to cover the trainees’ salaries. This should be at Band 6 wherever possible.
