Increase of 25% for key training in psychological care announced

Health Education England (HEE) is delighted to announce plans to expand the number of training places for NHS Clinical Psychologists and Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists, from September 2020.

During 2020-21, we intend to increase the education and training commissions for both of these professional roles by 25% nationally an increase of 140. 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."

Both professions enter this training with first degrees usually in psychology and then enter academic training that 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.

To enable wider access to this training, Higher Education Institutes  will be required to take targeted action to increase the diversity of new entrants to these professions in order to build a workforce that reflects the communities they serve.

HEE will be taking forward these plans in partnership with NHS England and 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 this expansion across England.

More info can be found here