03.06.20
HEE announces plans to expand psychological care training places
Health Education England (HEE) has announced its plans to bolster psychological care by increasing key training for these roles by 25% nationally.
From September 2020, the number of training places for NHS Child Psychologists and Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists will be expanded, in line with urgent need identified by the NHS Long Term Plan.
During 2020-21, the education and training commission for both of the professional roles is intended to be expanded by 25% nationally – an increase of 140 positions. They will contribute to the design, leadership, research, development, supervision and delivery of psychological and psychotherapeutic care and treatment for people of all ages.
Jo Lenaghan, Director of Strategy, Health Education England said: “The NHS Long Term Plan identified an urgent need to increase access to psychological and psychotherapeutic services, which requires a significant growth in the workforce.
“Expanding the education and training posts for these two key professions by 25% is a welcome step forward, but to truly improve our nation’s mental health, clinicians must be able to relate to peoples lived experiences.
“That is why Higher Education Institutes will be required to take targeted action to increase the diversity of new entrants to these professions, so that the workforce better reflects the communities they serve and we can deliver better mental health."
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Both of the professions usually enter this training with first degrees usually in psychology, then enter academic training which culminates with a doctoral level academic qualification alongside a clinical qualification to enable them to practice.
They are employed by a mental health trust and undertake clinical placements.
In order to enable wider access to this training, higher education institutions will be required to take targeted action to increase diversity among new entrants to these professions in order to build a workforce which reflects the communities they serve.
The plans are set to be taken forward by HEE in partnership with NHS England and NHS Improvement, the British Psychological Society Division of Clinical Psychology, the Association of Clinical Psychologists and the Association of Child Psychotherapists to ensure successful achievement of the expansion across England.