Apprenticeship training course

Psychological wellbeing practitioner (level 6)

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Information about Psychological wellbeing practitioner (level 6)

Helping people with mild to moderate anxiety and depression manage their conditions.

• Knowledge, skills and behaviours:
  View knowledge, skills and behaviours

  Knowledge

  • The significance of effective communication within the workplace setting.
  • How to establish and maintain complex partnerships and therapeutic relationships that take into account individual differences and needs including language preferences.
  • The policies and guidelines that relate to the management of confidential information, including data protection legislation e.g.The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2016, the importance of recording accurate patient records securely and how to escalate matters if data protection breaches occur.
  • How to adapt and use communication skills to deliver low-intensity treatments using a range of methods including face-to-face, telephone, presentations and other electronic communication.
  • The importance of signposting patients, with informed consent, to other services and the services that are available locally.
  • The principles, purposes and different types of assessments, undertaken with people with common mental health problems.
  • Complex patterns of symptoms consistent with diagnostic categories and psychological models.
  • The principles and process of ongoing risk assessment, safeguarding and any policies that support this.
  • The principles of patient-centred care and support, and why it makes a difference to how people feel.
  • The significance of actively involving people in their own care.
  • How to establish and maintain a therapeutic alliance with patients during their treatment programme, including managing issues and events that interfere with the therapeutic relationship that threaten the alliance.
  • How to competently select, use and evaluate the efficacy of behaviour change models and strategies in the delivery of low-intensity psychological interventions.
  • The stepped care model in IAPT services and NICE guidelines for depression and anxiety disorders.
  • The principles and practices of medication management.
  • The principles and processes involved in caseload management.
  • The concepts and structure of both clinical skills and case management supervision and the difference between the two forms of supervision.
  • The concepts and models of critical reflection, self-reflection, and use of feedback, to enhance the quality of patient care you provide personally and as part of the team.
  • A range of codes of conduct and employers’ policies relevant to the role.
  • Understand how to respond to people’s need sensitively with regards to individual differences.
  • The boundaries of the role and how low intensity interventions differ from other methods of psychological treatment.
  • How to work within a team and with other agencies with additional specific roles in the wider health and social care system which cannot be fulfilled by the PWP alone.
  • How to practice in a non-judgemental, caring and sensitive manner.
  • The concept of ‘risk’ and how to manage risk and promote health and well-being while aiming to empower choices that promote self-care and safety.
  • The significance of gaining informed consent appropriate to the individual’s capacity.
  • The significance of timely record keeping.

  Skills

  • Communicate effectively with individuals verbally and in writing to build successful caring relationships with patients and colleagues, whilst also keeping information confidential.
  • Evaluate and respond to peoples’ needs sensitively with regards to all aspects of diversity.
  • Manage personal and sensitive information, in line with local and national policies and legislation. Keep information secure and ensure that any information audits are compliant with such policies and legislation.
  • Accurately record interviews and questionnaire assessments using paper and electronic recording keeping systems in a timely manner.
  • Communicate using a range of methods including face-to-face, telephone, presentations and electronic mediums.
  • Communicate effectively with and signpost to other agencies with informed consent. For example, employment, occupational and other advice services.
  • Select and deploy a range of assessments to aid problem recognition and definition e.g. psychometric assessment, problem focused assessment and intervention planning assessment.
  • Recognise and analyse patterns of symptoms of conditions such as anxiety disorders and depression and evaluate patient need and level of ongoing risk to themselves and others.
  • Enable shared decision making and promote empowerment by working collaboratively with patients to provide patient-centred care.
  • Build and sustain a therapeutic alliance with patients to manage emotional distress in sessions and understand patients' perspectives.
  • Collaboratively use behaviour change models to help identify and evaluate patient goals and choice of low-intensity intervention.
  • Formulate and deliver evidenced based low-intensity psychological treatments. For example, supporting patients undertaking recommended treatments for problem solving, panic and sleep management and to review treatment plans continually.
  • Support patients using medication to optimise medication use and minimise adverse effects in liaison with the patient’s GP.
  • Manage a caseload of patients with common mental health problems efficiently and safely, including the assessment of risk and vulnerability.
  • Actively engage in clinical skills supervision to assist the delivery of low-intensity interventions and case management supervision for individual case discussion and skills development.
  • Reflect on and evaluate your practice, keeping your knowledge and skills updated and respond to appraisal/feedback appropriately.
  • Respond professionally to supervisor feedback and initiate change in a timely manner to ensure high quality patient care.
  • Adhere to employers ethical local and national policies and procedures.
  • Recognise, respect and engage with people from a diverse demographic that includes personal, family, social and spiritual values held by communities served by the service.
  • Practice autonomously within your scope of practice and be responsible and accountable for safe, compassionate, patient-centred, evidence based practice.
  • Work within your own practice boundaries and levels of competence.
  • Establish consent appropriate to the patient’s capacity and determine the optimal course of action when consent cannot be secured
  • Establish and maintain appropriate professional and personal boundaries with patients.
  • Recognise the limitations to your competence and role and direct people to resources appropriate to their needs, including step-up to high-intensity therapy and onward referral.

  Behaviours

  • You will treat people with dignity, respecting diversity, beliefs, culture, needs, values, privacy and preferences.
  • You will show respect and empathy for those you will work with, have the courage to challenge areas of concern and work to evidence based best practice.
  • You will be adaptable, reliable and consistent, demonstrate competence, resilience and responsibility.
• Apprenticeship category (sector): Health and science
• Qualification level: 6; Equal to degree
• Course duration: 12 months
• Maximum funding: £9,000 ; Maximum government funding for ; apprenticeship training and assessment costs.
• Job titles include:
  • Psychological wellbeing practitioner

View more information about Psychological wellbeing practitioner (level 6) from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.