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APPROVED MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS (AMHP) TRAINING POLICY Mental Health Act 1983 as amended by the Mental Health Act 2007

AUTHOR: WENDY GERARD DATE: 17.10.2008 DRAFT AMHP Training Policy Mental Health Act 1983 and 2007

Contents Page 1. Policy Statement 3

2. Purpose 3

3. Scope 3

4. Definitions 3

5. Legal Context 4

6. Action Plan 4

7. Implementation 6

8. Monitoring and Review 6

2 1. Policy statement

This joint policy agreed by the Local Social Services Authority and 2gether NHS Foundation Trust has been written in response to the changes to the Mental Health Act 1983 introduced by the Mental Health Act 2007, the requirements of the General Social Care Council as written in the report “Approved Mental Health Professional Training Requirements: Revised PQ Specialist Mental Health requirements and Standards”, and guidance from the Care Services Improvement Partnership and the South West of England Consortium Programme for Approved Mental Health Professionals Training. Approved Social Workers (ASWs) authorised within Gloucestershire have been required to complete assessed transition training in order to be authorised as Approved Mental Health Professionals (AMHP) from 3rd November 2008. From that date The Mental Health (Approved Mental Health Professionals) (Approval) (England) Regulations 2008 apply, notably matters to be taken into account to determine competence when an AMHP is approved or re-approved and the amount of relevant training they must undertake to maintain their approval.

2. Purpose

With the introduction of permission for qualified and registered nurses and occupational therapists and qualified, chartered psychologists as well as qualified and registered social workers to train as AMHPs, this policy is to support all eligible professionals to gain and maintain competence in the application of the identified values, knowledge and skills required of approved mental health professionals.

3. Scope

Qualified social workers who are registered with the GSCC; qualified nurses who are practicing in the fields of mental health of learning disabilities and registered under article 5 of the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 (a); qualified occupational therapists who are registered in Part 6 of the Register maintained under article 5 of the Health Professionals Order 2001 (a); chartered psychologists who are listed in the British Psychological Society’s register of Chartered Psychologists and hold a relevant practising certificate issued by that society; the People Resourcing & Development Training Delivery Team of Gloucestershire County Council Training Department, 2gether NHS Foundation Trust training department, team managers for AMHPs, professional leads for AMHPs.

4. Definitions

AMHP means approved mental health professional, a statutory role within the MHA

3 Approved Clinician is a statutory role within the MHA GSCC means the General Social Care Council which is the regulator for AMHP training MHA means the Mental Health Act 1983 as amended by the Mental Health Act 2007 NOSMH means National Occupational Standards in Mental Health that are statements of competence describing good practice PG Diploma Level Award means the post graduate diploma level to which AMHP trainees are required to study. PQ Advanced Award in Social Work means the award level which would enable a social worker to access Approved Clinician training PQ Higher Specialist Social Work Award means the post qualifying award for social workers which equates with the PG Diploma PQ Specialist Mental Health Standards and Requirements are GSCC guidelines for qualified social workers working in mental health services QAA means Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education that clarifies the need for consolidation of initial social work competence in a specialist setting Other?

5. Legal Context

Section 18 of the Mental Health Act 2007 amends Section 114 of the Mental Health Act 1983 to introduce national regulations regarding the local social services authority’s powers to approve a person to act as an approved mental health professional (AMHP). This includes Section 114 (5) (a) the period for which approvals have an effect; (b) the courses to be undertaken before such approvals are to be given and during the period of approval; (c) the conditions subject to which approvals are to be given; and (d) the factors to be taken into account to determine whether the person has appropriate competence to be approved as an AMHP. Section 19 of the Mental health Act 2007 introduces Section114A which permits the General Social Care Council to approve courses for persons in Gloucestershire who wish to become AMHPs on behalf of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the Health Professionals Council (HPC) and the British Psychological Society (BPS) and to carry out or assist other to carry out research into matters relevant to training for AMHPs. The Mental Health (Approved Mental Health Professionals) (Approval) (England) Regulations 2008 Schedule 1 identifies the professional requirements for eligibility for AMHP training and Schedule 2 identifies the matters to be taken into account to determine a professional’s competence to be approved to practice as an AMHP.

6. Action Plan

6.1 2gether NHS Foundation Trust and Gloucestershire County Council will ensure that relevant training programmes are funded through the

4 Section 31/75 contract to enable eligible professionals to achieve and maintain the competences to fulfil the AMHP functions and the LSSA to provide a 24/7 AMHP service for Gloucestershire in line with the AMHP Service Management Statement.

6.2 2gether NHS Foundation Trust and Gloucestershire County Council training departments will ensure that it is possible for all professionals eligible to train as AMHPs to access relevant post qualifying consolidation modules prior to going on to further training. This will bring together the Ten Essential Capabilities (NIMHE) for mental health practice and the GSCC requirements regarding knowledge, skill and value base for social workers practicing in specialist mental health settings.

6.3 2gether NHS Foundation Trust and Gloucestershire County Council training departments will make AMHP training available to at least three eligible professionals per year.

6.4 2gether NHS Foundation Trust and Gloucestershire County Council training departments will make a minimum of three days relevant training per year available to AMHPs following approval or re-approval.

6.5 2gether NHS Foundation Trust and Gloucestershire County Council training departments will make five days of specific AMHP refresher training available to AMHPs in the third year after their approval or re-approval and in the twelve months prior to consideration of their re-approval.

6.6 2gether NHS Foundation Trust and Gloucestershire County Council training departments will make AMHP practice assessor training available to maintain a sufficient pool of assessors to support the practice element of AMHP training.

6.7 2gether NHS Foundation Trust will include AMHP training in the list of mandatory training for Band 6 and above posts that are linked with an expectation of AMHP training. Gloucestershire County Council will ensure that its quota of potential AMHPs are similarly expected to train. This will be kept under review to be in line with the AMHP Service Management Statement and the AMHP Approval Procedures.

6.8 AMHPs will be provided with the 1983 and 2007 Mental Health Acts and the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act Codes of Practice and the Mental Health Act Manual Eleventh Edition by Richard Jones.

6.9. AMHPs will be made aware of e-learning which is available on the Mental Health Act, the Mental Capacity Act and the interface between the Mental Health Act and the Mental Capacity Act.

6.10 AMHPs will be offered joint training with partner agencies on

5 practice related to Section 136, Section 17A and Section 37 and 37/41 and the interfaces between the Mental Health Act and the Mental Capacity and the Mental Health Act and Children Acts 1989 and 2004.

7. Implementation

The current Annual Training Plan for 2gether Foundation Trust for Gloucestershire has identified one of its priorities as being to meet its “legal obligations by training all relevant staff in the Mental Health Act revisions 2008 and its related code of Practice”. The policy has a review date of 1st April 2009 when it is intended that “ Appendix 2 Practitioner Professionally Mandatory” will be amended to reflect the changes in post qualifying awards for social workers and the statutory AMHP training requirements .

8. Monitoring and Review

The policy will be monitored through the records kept by Collingwood House, Training and Education Centre at Horton Road, Gloucester; the AMHP’s Team Manager and through the records maintained by the Social Care Lead within the context of approval and re-approval. The policy will be reviewed through the 2gether NHS Foundation Trust Workforce Committee and the JNCC and Gloucestershire County Council’s normal review procedures.