New degree-level programme for staff

St Andrew’s are delighted to announce that an in-house training programme for staff caring for young people with challenging mental health needs has been validated by the University of Northampton.

The ‘Working within Child and Adolescent Mental Health Inpatient Services Training’ module, part of the BSc (Hons) Mental Health degree course, has been specially designed for staff who are new to working with young people cared for as inpatients. The training aims to provide practitioners with a basic foundation of knowledge that can be enhanced by further training, reading and experience gained in clinical practice on the wards.

The University of Northampton provides a validation service for several courses which have been developed and taught by St Andrew’s, and completion of these programmes leads to a professional development award.  St Andrew’s also welcomes undergraduate and postgraduate students from the University on placements to gain valuable first-hand experience of the sector.

Paul Bentham, Service Director for St Andrew’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Pathway, commented: “I’m thrilled and proud that the CAMHS Pathway has developed this specialist child and adolescent training for its clinicians in partnership with the University of Northampton. The training will support our teams and provide the skills needed to work closely with the young people in our care. Programmes like this move our services one step further to world class.”

The University of Northampton’s Steve O’Brien, Dean of the Faculty of Health and Society, commented: “This development represents another successful step in the strengthening of a key critical health partnership for the University, and we are delighted with the outcome.”

The training – which will be taken by staff members in nursing, Occupational Therapy, social work and teaching – comprises of five components, covering: Child/adolescent and family development, staff behavioural skills, self-care of professionals and team work and risk management.

 For further information about our partnership, visit the University of Northampton website.