This programme, an initiative of the Department of Health, intends to develop a new workforce of Children’s Wellbeing Practitioners. As part of a tiered care model of service delivery, graduates will supplement the work of current practitioners by strengthening community relationships and providing timely access to brief treatment treatments for children and adolescents with mild to moderate mental health challenges. 

The program’s specific objectives are to provide students with the following:

• Knowledge, attitude, and skills necessary for effective operation in an inclusive, values-driven service.
• Essential abilities to assess situations using suitable and effective assessment instruments and to interact with young people and their families.
• Knowledge and skills in short (low-intensity) treatments that are successful for children, adolescents, and family systems, based on the most recent scientific data.
• Knowledge of a variety of interventions (including handwritten and computerised intervention) and services available to Children and Young People (CYP) and their families across CYP agencies.

Trainee CWPs will receive one year of postgrad certificate level training hosted by either University College London or Kings College London  and will be based within a service. They will be trained to provide brief, proof therapies in the form of low severity support and guided self-help to children and young people with mild to moderate:

• Anxiousness (primary and secondary school age)
• low morale (adolescents)
• Common behavioural problems (working with parents for under 8s)