MSc Advanced Clinical Practitioner in Mental Health

MSc degree apprenticeship programme
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If you have an enquiry about any of the apprenticeships at the University of Plymouth, please complete the below form.
Enquiry form
You can also call us on +44 1752 583625.
Office hours are Monday – Friday, 08:30–16:30

How to apply

The potential apprentice will be required to complete an Initial Needs Analysis (INA) with the support of their employer and the University to ensure the Apprenticeship programme is an appropriate solution to their skills development needs. On completion of the INA the University will assess the information provided and determine the next steps.
The employer must request the Initial Needs Analysis by emailing apprenticeships@plymouth.ac.uk.
Applications for September 2025 will open on Monday 13 January 2025.
Deadline to apply for September 2025 is 30 June 2025.
For more information or to express your interest please contact us.

Fees and funding

Apprentices do not pay any course fees. Costs are covered by the government and/or the organisation. As education funding experts, we can support you in accessing funding via the apprenticeship levy or can provide alternative funding options to minimise or eradicate any up-front costs.

Funding models

There are currently two funding models available:
  • Co-funded: Non levy organisations and Levy who have exceeded their Levy contribution.
  • Fully funded: Levy paying organisations.

Co-funded
If you are a non-levy paying organisation or you are a Levy organisation who has exceeded their pot the government will financial co-support your Apprenticeship training – they will contribute 95 per cent of the costs and as the employer you will contribute 5 per cent.
Government contribution £11,400
Employer contribution £600
Apprentice contribution £0
Fully funded
If the annual pay bill of your organisation exceeds £3 million you will pay for your apprenticeship training through your levy account. If you have exceeded your levy contribution you will fund apprenticeship training through the co-funded model – to better understand how this will work please make contact with us.
Employer contribution £12,000

Stage 1:

APP758 Advanced concepts in research methodology and methods
AMH701 Advanced mental health assessment and formulation
APP717 Fundamental of health assessment

Stage 2:

AMH702 Advanced mental health planning and interventions
40 credits of option modules from:
APP701: Advancing practice in context
APP707: CBT interventions for mental health professionals (psychosis)
APP709: Working with people with a diagnosis of personality disorder
APP721: Perinatal mental health
APP727: The child and young person with mental health needs
APP744: Substance misuse and dual diagnosis
APP759: Advancing knowledge of learning and teaching for practice
NMP703: Non-medical prescribing

Stage 3:

SPP702 Substantive professional project
APP746 Advanced Clinical Practitioner End Point Assessment

Assessment methods

A variety of assessment methods are used throughout the programme to enable learners to achieve the learning outcomes for each module. This approach illustrated below contributes to achieving an authentic, inclusive and equitable assessment strategy.
  • Coursework.
  • Clinical portfolio.
  • Viva examination.
  • Presentations.
  • Case reflections.
  • Open book examination and presentation that forms the End Point Assessment (EPA).

Programme summary

Our innovative and flexible MSc degree apprenticeship programme supports the postgraduate development of registered health and social care practitioners to an advanced level of practice in mental health. It is informed by the Multi-professional Framework for Advanced Clinical Practice in England (HEE, 2017) and the Advanced Practice in Mental Health Curriculum and Capabilities Framework (HEE, 2022); it is the first programme of its kind in the South West.
With a strong clinical focus and alignment to the national frameworks, our future-facing programme prepares health and social care practitioners to work with a high level of autonomy as part of integrated healthcare teams, across all care sectors. Emphasis is placed on the four pillars of Advanced Practice: education; leadership and management; clinical practice; and research, equipping practitioners with the confidence to provide professional leadership and supervision in complex situations and use person-centred approaches to manage defined episodes of clinical care independently from beginning to end.
The incorporation of a variety of optional modules offers the exciting opportunity to tailor the learning experience to meet the interest of both the practitioner and the employer.
Who is the programme for?
This programme is aimed at experienced registered health and social care professionals who are currently working in a mental health setting. It will be of interest to those working in any mental health setting who wish to develop their clinical expertise, research, education and leadership skills to an advanced level of practice and autonomy.

Course facts

Duration: 36 months
Hours of study per week: 7.5 hours per week, however this varies across the programme and will be self-managed by the individual.
Delivery type: Blended learning, with some modules fully online, some with a mix of on campus and online, and some option modules, if selected, fully on campus.
Entry requirements:
  • Must be in employment, working a minimum of 30 hours a week, in a role demanding advanced practice skills and knowledge with agreement from their employer.
  • Access to clinical areas that will facilitate the successful completion of the programme and module learning outcomes.
  • Registered with a relevant professional body, for example the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) or the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
  • Relevant first degree, BSc (Hons) at 2:2 or above; other educational status will be considered on an individual basis.
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Core skills

  • @Understanding how the advanced clinical practice role in mental health practice is used to ensure that the right clinician delivers the right care at the right time

  • @Critical understanding of the contemporary issues that influence service delivery and how the advancing level of practice influences the provision of high quality, patient centred mental health care

  • @Advancing and utilising knowledge, skills and current evidence in professional practice

  • @Leading in management, research, clinical practice and/or education

  • @Using evidence to influence engagement, recovery, shared decision-making, and safeguarding

  • @Cognitive and advanced clinical skills regarding systematic history taking, clinical examination of people who have complex needs in challenging circumstances

  • @Competence, autonomy and professional accountability managing clinical complexity and complex decision-making

  • @The ability to undertake practice development projects to improve care and services for the people you are treating

  • @Critical thinking and analytic skills

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Benefits to the business

  • Opportunity to develop the existing mental health practitioner workforce to advanced practice level.
  • Increase timely access to mental health services.
  • Develops clinical expertise of staff against standardised national frameworks.
  • Improve staff retention rates.
  • Offers a flexible and progressive training route for employees.
  • Embed an ethos of workplace-based learning.
  • Draw on apprenticeship levy to subsidise staff training costs to MSc level.

Benefits to the apprentice

  • Opportunity to pursue funded postgraduate development to an advanced level of clinical practice whilst in paid employment.
  • Access to an innovative and flexible programme which offers clinically focused work-based learning and assessment that aligns with relevant national frameworks.
  • Knowledge that your employer is supporting and valuing the importance of your progression.
  • Protected development time through allocated ‘off the job’ training hours.
  • Opportunity to learn in a diverse and multi-disciplinary environment from experts in the field with a provider you can trust.
  • Ongoing support and guidance from experienced academic tutors and qualified staff throughout the programme who are dedicated to enabling you to maximise your potential and recognise that everybody learns differently.
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