PGCert Supervision for Children & Young People

Our Postgraduate Certificate in Supervision for Children & Young People will help your personal and career development by enhancing your supervisory skills. You’ll learn evidence based-approaches to supervising  staff delivering psychological treatments for children, young people and their families.

Choose PGCert in Supervision for Children & Young People

• Your training will be delivered within the Charlie Waller Institute. Established in 2008, the Institute offers award-winning training underpinned by psychological research. 
• Your study will encompass theory and practice-based learning at the University, alongside clinical practice delivering supervision within community mental health, CYPMH services, primary care, local authority or voluntary sector organisation.  
• You’ll be taught by experienced and enthusiastic practitioners who have experience of either high-intensity or low-intensity working. 

Course duration

The course part-time, spanning 12 months.A proportion of your time will be spent at the University, with the majority being spent in your normal working environment. 

What you’ll learn

On this course, you’ll follow the National Curriculum for CYPMH supervisor training. 

The programme combines theory and practice-based learning at the University, alongside clinical practice delivering supervision within your own work environment: community mental health, CYPMH services, primary care, local authority or voluntary sector organisation.  

Who is the course for?

This programme has been designed specifically for experienced professionals seeking to manage staff who routinely work with children and young people presenting with emotional disorders. You will need to have the following experience: 

• recognised postgraduate professional training or equivalent professional experience at senior level 
• recognised postgraduate qualification in CBT, Behaviour Therapy, Social Learning, or Parenting – with eligibility for/actual accreditation
• a minimum of 2 years’ post-qualification experience of working with children, families, and young people in a mental health focused/modality specific role.

You will need to continue to practice within your modality whilst undertaking supervision training as required, for example in the case of ongoing professional registration/accreditation requirements.

Supervisors are required to adhere to the BABCP Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics in the Practice of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies. 

Applicants employed by the NHS 

Most of our students will be directly employed as either a CBT therapist (for the high-intensity CBT supervisor training) or as a SWP/CWP/EMHP (low intensity supervisor training) within a community mental health, CYPMH, primary care, local authority or voluntary sector organisation and the course is fully funded by the NHS for these students. Other professions such as clinical psychologists may also be eligible for the training. 

Fully funded trainee supervisor roles are either advertised on the NHS jobs website or via internal recruitment posts in service. Applicants should apply directly to NHS services for these roles. The University of Reading will review applications to ensure candidates meet our entry criteria. 

Self-funding applicants 

You can apply directly to the University of Reading if you are interested in self-funding (covering the costs of training yourself as an individual) or being sponsored by your employer. 

Self-funded or sponsored routes are only suitable for applicants with access to supervisees in the appropriate modality. You will need to deliver a minimum number of supervision hours in order to pass the course. Prior to starting the course, it is therefore essential that you have access to appropriate supervisees within your service/placement. Please email the Supervision training course Admissions Tutor, Lindsay George (l.george@reading.ac.uk) for further information.

Documents to be provided

You will need to complete our Information Particulars and Objectives form (Word) at enrolment. The form also offers guidance around your responsibilities, and those of your employer/placement organisation and clinical supervisor.

How you’ll learn

You'll study at the University’s Charlie Waller Institute, which specialises in research and high-quality training in evidence-based psychological treatments.

Our courses are taught by nationally and internationally recognised academics who are experts in improving clinicians’ skills.

Your will learn through a variety of teaching methods including lectures, training workshops, self-directed learning and group supervision, with practical supervision of your own supervisory work in your workplace.

Course structure

• Induction days: you will attend two mandatory induction days (one online and one on campus).
• Teaching: In the supervision year, there are two days of teaching in the first two weeks which then reduces to one day per week for the first semester. After this, there is an expectation to attend one day of supervision of supervision per month for the duration of the year. 
• On-campus teaching: you will need to attend all of your timetabled teaching and supervision days on campus. The number of on-campus teaching days will vary from week to week.
• Study days: you are entitled to 8 study days over the course of the year. These must be agreed with your line manager in your service.
• Support services: we offer a range of support services, including individual and group tutorials, study skills support, an allocated academic tutor, and access to student counselling services.