Psychological wellbeing practitioner

Alternative titles for this job include Primary care graduate mental health worker

Psychological wellbeing practitioners support people with common mental health issues and help them to manage their conditions.

Average salary (a year)

£28,000 Starter

to

£39,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

37 to 40

You could work

between 8am and 6pm

How to become

Explore the different ways to get into this role.

How to become

You can get into this job through a university course or an apprenticeship.

University

You could do a degree then apply for a postgraduate training course to become a psychological wellbeing practitioner (PWP).

Relevant degrees courses include:

• psychology
• social work
• nursing - especially in mental health
• counselling
• occupational therapy

After your degree, you would look for a trainee PWP role with NHS Talking Therapies and study for a postgraduate award approved by the British Psychological Society or British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies.

Postgraduate training is funded by the NHS.

You'll usually need paid or voluntary work experience in mental health support services to apply for a trainee position.

You can search for trainee roles on NHS Jobs.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
• a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study

More Information

• equivalent entry requirements
• student finance for fees and living costs
• university courses and entry requirements

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner Level 6 Apprenticeship with an NHS trust.

This takes around 1 year to complete and combines on-the-job training with academic study, equivalent to degree level.

Entry requirements

Employers will set their own entry requirements.

• experience in related work 

More Information

• equivalent entry requirements
• guide to apprenticeships

Volunteering

To get into this role you'll usually need a lot of experience of working with people who have mental health issues. This can be from paid work or volunteering.

You can:

• get work experience in the NHS
• search for roles on NHS jobs, like community support worker
• find opportunities with Mind, Rethink Mental Illness and Turning point

More Information

Registration

• you can register with the British Psychological Society or British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies

Career tips

You could support people with a range of issues, for instance:

• social anxiety
• depression
• eating disorders
• panic attacks
• phobias

You would be expected to have an understanding of how the NHS values would impact your work, if applying for jobs in the NHS.

Further information

You can learn more about a career as a psychological wellbeing practitioner from Health Careers and the British Psychological Society.

You can also explore other careers in the psychological professions.

What it takes

Find out what skills you’ll use in this role.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

• knowledge of psychology
• counselling skills including active listening and a non-judgemental approach
• to be flexible and open to change
• sensitivity and understanding
• the ability to work well with others
• the ability to understand people’s reactions
• excellent verbal communication skills
• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

• pass enhanced background checks

You may need a driving licence for some jobs.

What you’ll do

Discover the day to day tasks you’ll do in this role.

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

As a psychological wellbeing practitioner, you could:

• speak with clients to learn about their situation
• design treatment programmes to meet clients' needs
• set goals to increase confidence and self-esteem
• encourage self reliance in clients to help them overcome challenges
• run therapy sessions with individuals and groups
• help clients to use related support services
• give advice and support in person, over the phone and online
• keep accurate client records

Working environment

You could work at a health centre, at a client's home, at a GP practice, in a prison or in the community.

Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.

Career path and progression

Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities.

Career path and progression

With experience, you could become a senior wellbeing practitioner, supporting colleagues or supervising trainees.

You could train as a high intensity therapist to work with people who have complex mental health needs.

You might also take further training to qualify as a psychologist, psychotherapist or cognitive behavioural therapist.

Current opportunities

Find apprenticeships, courses and jobs available near you.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

We can't find any apprenticeship vacancies in England for a psychological wellbeing practitioner right now.

The Find an apprenticeship service can help you with your search, send alerts when new apprenticeships become available and has advice on how to apply.

Courses In England

Are you interested in becoming a psychological wellbeing practitioner?

Search for training courses near you.

Jobs In the United Kingdom

The Find a job service can help you with your search for jobs and send alerts when new jobs become available.

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