Psychological Practitioner Community of Practice

The Psychological Practitioner Community of Practice has been established to ensure that psychological practitioners including Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners (PWPs), Children and Young People’s Wellbeing Practitioners (CYWPs), Education Mental Health Practitioners (EMHPs), and Mental Health Wellbeing Practitioners (MHWPs) have solidarity and recognition as new professions, and to enable appropriate representation of the psychological practitioner voices in other forums.

Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners (PWPs):

• What is a PWP? - The Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme was established in 2008 with the aim of establishing psychological therapy services to enable people to receive evidence based, NICE approved psychological therapies and interventions for common mental health problems. It has recently had a national update to become NHS Talking Therapies for Anxiety and Depression.
  • • In line with the programme, the Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) role was developed specifically to deliver 'low intensity' interventions by working psychologically in a framework based on CBT principles, engaging with people earlier in their journey of mental health issues to promote their wellbeing.
    • PWPs help people use evidence-based psychological treatment in the form of guided self – help, in a way which is effective, accessible and person-centred. They use proven, straightforward and effective techniques which focus on people's own strengths.

Senior Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners Group:

• The Senior PWP Group held its inaugural meeting in October 2014. The aim of the group was to bring together Senior PWPs working across the North-West with a view to sharing best practice, strengthening our voice and promoting parity of esteem.
• The group welcomed Senior PWPs (and other PWPs working in senior roles including management and clinical lead roles), and those working in PWP training organisations. The shared agenda included promoting psychological wellbeing, delivering safe, effective and compassionate psychological care, and promoting the development of this new professional role, to support the development of future leaders of psychological services and encourage innovation.
• The group supported the work of the PWP Professional Network and provided a forum to begin to consider issues which arose for the PWP workforce both at a local and national level. It also began to develop relationships with Senior PWPs from the Northeast and Yorkshire and Humber localities.
• Due to the changing landscape of the Psychological Practitioners, as a workforce, a kick starter event was held in December 2022 for the Psychological Practitioners Community of Practice, which welcomed the addition of three further roles, with the aim of strengthening the voice of Psychological Practitioners in the North-West.

Children and Young People’s Wellbeing Practitioners (CYWPs):

• What is a CYWP? – Children and Young People’s Wellbeing Practitioners (CYWPs) are part of the Children and Young People’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme (CYP-IAPT) and play a vital role in providing early mental health and wellbeing support. Similar to the Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) role, the CYWP role was developed for children and young people specifically to deliver ‘low intensity’ interventions by working psychologically in a framework based on CBT principles and engaging with people earlier in their journey of mental health issues to promote their wellbeing.
  • CYWPs help children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health problems within community settings through delivering evidence-based early interventions in the form of guided self-help.

Education Mental Health Practitioners (EMHPs):

• What is an EMHP? – Education Mental Health Practitioners (EMHPs) are part of the Children and Young People’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme (CYP-IAPT) and deliver brief evidence-based early interventions for children and young people. Different from the Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) and Children and Young People’s Well-Being Practitioner (CYWP), EMHPs work in educational settings as part of NHS led Mental Health Support Teams. EMHPs are also trained in providing support to educational settings with Whole School Approaches, designed to improve emotional well-being and mental health more broadly in the school.

Mental Health Wellbeing Practitioners (MHWPs):

What is a MHWP? – Mental Health Wellbeing Practitioners (MHWPs) is a newly developed role that has been developed to support the transformation of adult community mental health services. MHWPs work with adults from many different backgrounds with severe mental health problems and work collaboratively with other healthcare professionals to improve access to psychological interventions. Specific treatment interventions provided by MHWPs are based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) principles.

Aims of the Psychological Practitioner’s Community of Practice and Who is it For:

• The Psychological Practitioners Community of Practice aims to unite all psychological practitioners throughout the North-West with the intent of developing solidarity as a workforce and sharing and enhancing skills and knowledge.
• The group is open to all trainee, qualified, and senior PWPs, CYWPs, EMHPs, and MHWPs, and provides a central hub of resources as well as an online forum. The forum can be used to network with other psychological practitioners, share skills and knowledge, and as a tool to solicit opinion across the workforce to help shape policy and inform psychological practitioner representation.
• The co-chairs of the Psychological Practitioners Community of Practice sit on the PPN North-West Workforce Council – giving a voice to the professions in this forum.
• We continue to review the needs of the Community of Practice and welcome new members, as well as, views and suggestions from members as to the vision and aims of the Psychological Practitioners Community of Practice going forward. To discuss any aspect of this, to get involved with current actions or just for more information please contact:

Key Contacts Section:

• Elspeth Ward – representing PWP (currently New Roles Leadership Fellow in the PPN) – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
• Scharine Mebarkia – representing MHWP (currently a trainee MHWP within GMMH) - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
• Chloe Booth – representing CYWP (currently a CYWP in Merseycare) - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
• Kirsty McNeilis – representing EMHP and CYWP (currently a Specialist Lecturer on the CYWP training) - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Yorkshire & Humber Senior PWP Network: Heather Stonebank, Andy Wright & Sarah Boul

North-East Senior PWP Network: Sarah Turner & David Rayson, Co-Chairs