Children's Wellbeing Practitioner Programme

CWPs are trained to offer guided self-help to children, young people and families with mild to moderate anxiety, low mood and common behavioural problems.

CWPs work in a variety of different settings including CAMHS, Local Authority and Voluntary Sector organisations. The work of CWPs is very varied as each service will be tailored to local need and provision but can include assessments, face to face sessions, telephone work, workshops, groups and service user involvement activities.

Trainee CWPs will undertake postgraduate certificate level training for 1 year, hosted by either University College London (UCL) or Kings College London (KCL) whilst being based within a service.

Trainee CWPs will be trained over the course of a year to offer brief, focused evidence- based interventions in the form of low intensity support and guided self-help to young people who demonstrate mild/moderate:

• Anxiety (primary and secondary school age)

• Low mood (adolescents)

• Common behavioural difficulties (working with parents for under 8s)

During the first term, CWPs will receive an initial three days a week of University led training, with a further two days a week allocated to work within their service under close supervision. During the second term, this reduces to one day a week University training, with four days for CWPs to put their skills into practice within their service, supported by local supervisors and service development leads. The third term sees CWPs in their service full time. 

The Course Fee is covered by HEE funding pending a successful application process. As this is a HEE funded course with employment placements, prospective candidates must be able to access Home fees. 

Teaching will be conducted in a blended format, but with more in-person teaching than the 2020-2022 cohorts. Organisations will be working to their own coronavirus policies to ensure remote/safe working for trainees. 

Please follow the links below to see the course brochures (previous Jan 2022 cohort brochures): 

UCL CWP course brochure

KCL CWP course brochure

Providers (NHS, Local Authority, Voluntary Sector) and CCGs can apply in partnership for a funding package provided by Health Education England to create up to 4 CWP training posts at band 4, which in previous cohorts has included:

• 1 year certificate level CWP training course at University College London or Kings College London for trainee CWPs

• Salary support at the equivalent of NHS mid-point band 4 for each trainee CWP (in addition to on costs and high-cost living area weighting where applicable)

• Placement support funding for each service to recruit a CWP Supervisor/Service Development lead to provide intense supervision and support for 1 day a week per CWP within their service

• A training course for new CWP supervisors

Services interested in the CWP programme should contact cwp@annafreud.org as a first step to discuss further.

For more information about the CWP programme please take a look at the FAQs: CWP Service FAQs 

You can find a thorough evaluation of the first year of the CWP programme here: CWP Cohort 1 audit

You can read an article about the typical week of a CWP in the ‘New Beginnings’ issue (page 14) of Aspire.

If you have any questions please contact cwp@annafreud.org