Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) Training

Our programme is designed to nurture your potential and help you grow into a confident, skilled practitioner. You will develop core therapeutic competencies in Low‑Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Interventions, gaining the tools needed to support people with common mental health difficulties, in the context of fast paced Talking Therapies services.

This is a highly sought after programme of study and its importance to NHS patients is recognised through government backing and funding. During your time as a Trainee PWP you will learn, through hands‑on experience, as part of your NHS employment, skills that will allow you to work in a dynamic clinical setting, making a difference to the lives of real patients.

You will be taught and supported by a dedicated team of Clinical Educators, all of whom bring extensive experience from NHS Talking Therapies and wider psychological practice.

By the end of the programme, you will be ready to step into a qualified PWP role within NHS Talking Therapies services across England. This also means you will be eligible to apply for professional registration with the BPS and/or the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy (BABCP).

The British Psychological Society 

Receive specialist education to enable them to support people experiencing common mental health difficulties, such as depression and anxiety disorders. They carry out compassionate, patient‑centred assessments to understand each person’s unique needs and deliver effective, evidence‑based low intensity CBT‑informed interventions.

Patients are guided through practical self‑help strategies, with PWPs offering the support and encouragement needed to help them build confidence and overcome their challenges.

Throughout their work, PWPs engage with clients in a variety of ways – whether face‑to‑face, over the telephone, via videocall, online platforms, or in group settings – ensuring support remains flexible and accessible.

Collaboration is at the heart of the role. PWPs work closely with a range of professionals, including psychologists, GPs, employment advisors, community organisations and social care services, to ensure patients receive holistic, joined‑up support. This joined up collaboration  works best when supported by organised work practices and high quality clinical records (a PWP forte!).

The programme runs for one calendar year. It focuses on developing Trainee PWPs’ skills in conducting patient-centred mental health assessments, delivering low intensity CBT interventions, interpersonal therapeutic techniques and inclusive practice with diverse populations.

As such, there are three modules within the programme, informed by the PWP national curriculum:

• Engagement and Assessment of Patients with Common Mental Health Problems
• Evidence-Based Low Intensity Treatment for Common Mental Health Problems
• Values, Diversity and Context

Teaching is delivered by our team of Clinical Educators who collectively have a wealth of experience in psychological therapy. We are pleased to host guest lecturers throughout the year who offer expertise on a variety of subjects in the context of PWP training.

The programme has a blended learning format consisting of:

Teaching days

There are 30 teaching days across the academic year (typically 2-3 per week during term-time) being a blend of face to face and online.

During teaching days, trainees can expect to be involved in PowerPoint lectures incorporating group activities, roleplays, Q&A sessions and quizzes.

Our trainees must attend and participate in all of these teaching days activities so as to acquire the learning essential for front line patient care.

Directed learning days

There are 15 days of self-directed learning.

Throughout the programme trainees are supported in their role as adult independent learners. Directed learning days give trainees an opportunity to develop their independent learning and embed their practice within their workplace.

Clinical practice

Trainee PWPs will be NHS employees recruited externally to an NHS Talking Therapies service within the Midlands region. During this employment, trainees’ employers will release them for all programme related activities such as teaching and directed learnings.

To support patient care, trainees, like qualified practitioners, will receive regular case management and clinical skills supervision by qualified NHS Talking Therapies staff.

Activities in the workplace, e.g. patient activity and supervision, are documented using a Clinical Practice Portfolio (CPP) that is submitted to the programme for assessment.

Academic assessments

Learning is evidenced via examinations, written assignments and portfolios, a presentation and observed practice on the programme and in the workplace. To meet the academic and clinical requirements central to this programme of study, all trainees must be able to engage with these assessments in line with the National Curriculum.

We pride ourselves on training and supporting applicants from a broad range of backgrounds. Whether or not you have gone to university before, whether you have formally studied psychology or mental health, or perhaps you have come from a different professional background within mental health, we welcome you to apply to our course.

Routes to entry

Although every successful candidate comes away with the same qualification, the way their learning journey is assessed is slightly different depending on their prior experience and qualifications. We offer two routes of entry:

Graduate Certificate (H level 6)

• Two or more Advanced Level GCEs or equivalent (for example, BTEC); GNVQ or NVQ at levels 3 or 4

Postgraduate Certificate (M level 7)

• Degree in a relevant subject or equivalent qualification (for example, as a registered nurse or allied health professional)

All candidates (H level 6 candidates or M level 7 candidates) will need to demonstrate clinical experience in the field of mental health, working with people experiencing common mental health issues, which can be a minimum of either:

• Twelve months direct clinical experience in a one-to-one or group setting
• OR 2 years part-time voluntary experience with an established charity (for example, Mind or Samaritans) who will provide you with direct clinical experiences.

If your first language is not English (or your first degree was not taught in English), the minimum requirements for TOEFL/IELTS are:

• 100 for internet-based TOEFL with no less than 23 in any band
• 600 for paper-based TOEFL (TWE4)
• 7.0 for IELTS with no less than 6.5 in any band
• Clinical experience listed next

There are no programme costs for Trainee PWPs. Instead, trainees can expect to earn Band 4 NHS pay via Health Education England funding provided to NHS and NHS-commissioned services.

Step 1: Securing a position as an employed learner within a Talking Therapies Service

You will need to monitor NHS jobs so that you are ready to complete the job application process when the posts are advertised by Talking Therapies Services.

We understand that NHS Talking Therapies Services will begin their recruitment sometime in May 2026 and will hold interviews early in the Summer of 2026 with a view to their employment starting sometime in September 2026.

Step 2: Applied learning

The training element is separate from securing a position as an employed learner, so it has a different focus. The programme team are keen to ensure that an applied programme of learning is right for you and will do this by inviting you to complete activities designed for that purpose.

Our course completers have excellent employment prospects, with the majority moving into clinical practice as qualified Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners. This is a versatile and dynamic role that balances high-volume therapeutic work with the highest standards of evidence-based treatment, as outlined by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

Once qualified, there are a variety of opportunities to progress to Senior or Lead Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner posts (providing leadership and supervision to a team of practitioners), Specialist Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner posts (with expertise in particular populations such as neurodiversity, older adults, or long-term health conditions), and other therapeutic or managerial roles.

Delegates from recent cohorts reported their upcoming employment as follows:

We provide Continuing Professional Development that is open to all.
Please contact us for any bespoke training that would benefit your teams: PGCertLIPI-CPDprog@bsmhft.nhs.uk

Our previous CPD days have spanned topics as broad as:

• Health Anxiety
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Long Term Conditions
• Behavioural Experiments
• Tree of Life
• Reflective Practice
• Mindfulness
• Supervision
• Self-compassion
• Self-esteem
• Dementia awareness
• Diagnosis and collaborative decisions
• Effective communication in the NHS
• Diversity
• Eating Disorders
• Substance Use
• Bipolar Disorder
• Older Adults

If you would like further information on the PGCert LIPI training programme please email bsmhft.pgcertlipi@nhs.net

Other useful information can be found via the links below:

• Health Careers
• The British Psychological Society
• Improving Access to Psychological Therapies