Before you apply, please note the programme is for experienced mental health professionals with a placement in an adult talking therapies service. We anticipate the vast majority of places to be NHS England funded training posts – these are often advertised on NHS jobs.
- Applicants should normally have a science based honours degree or demonstrate equivalence.
- Applicants should have a core profession in mental health as recognised by BABCP or demonstrate the BABCP requirements for Knowledge Skills and Attitudes (KSA) through a satisfactory KSA portfolio.
- Applicants should have a clinical placement in a Talking Therapies service that includes weekly clinical supervision from a BABCP accredited practitioner and a clinical caseload of patients experiencing depression and anxiety disorders (equivalent to NICE Step 3).
English Language Requirements
IELTS: 6.5 (Min 5.5 in each sub-skill)
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
Enhanced Check
Occupational Health
Required
Additional Admission Processes
- Applicants that meet the entry qualifications must attend and be successful at an interview for the course.
- No accreditation of prior learning is accepted for this course
Information for BABCP Knowledge, Skills & Attitudes pathway applicants
The following video contains important information about KSA Portfolios, including who needs to complete one, what they contain and useful tips.
Who needs a KSA?
To apply for this BABCP accredited programme you must have a Core Profession or equivalent knowledge, skills, attitudes and experience.
Core Professions
Core Professions are those recognised by the BABCP as having a substantial amount of mental health training and which meet their accreditation requirements. Core professions hold specific qualifications and registrations. If you are not sure if you have a Core Profession, please refer to the guidance on the BABCP website.
Knowledge Skills and Attitudes Portfolio
Students without a Core Profession must demonstrate that they have the equivalent knowledge, skills, attitudes and experience by completing a KSA portfolio. Please note the following important information from BABCP KSA guidelines:
Evidence of meeting the KSA criteria can be demonstrated by assembling a Portfolio or Evidence for Course Assessment, which can be made up of formal qualifications, formal and informal training, self-directed study, formal assessment of knowledge, skills and attitudes as demonstrated by course or job entry requirements, work related experience, and references attesting to knowledge, skills, competencies and attitudes. An individual meeting the relevant recognised Core Professional qualifications or trainings will usually have undertaken a first degree or foundation course, followed by post-graduate level of study. It is therefore reasonable to expect that someone evidencing how they meet the KSA criteria should demonstrate equivalent levels of knowledge, skills, attitudes, competencies and experience. Relevant recognised Core Professional qualifications and trainings are considered to provide the foundation knowledge and skills that underpin all psychotherapeutic work.
However, they vary in their attention to all aspects of the KSA criteria. How each training would match each criterion would be different if examining Clinical Psychology training, RMN training, or Psychiatry training, for example; if comparing these trainings, some would have strengths in some areas, and less weight in others – although overall these are hefty full-time trainings that often take three to four years to complete.
KSA Portfolio Content
The BABCP requires that KSA portfolios demonstrate training and experience in relation to specific criteria.
More information about what must be included in a KSA and the forms to complete is available on BABCP's website.
It is particularly important that you read the document Guidelines for assembling and assessing KSA portfolios or evidence for course assessment. This contains all the essential information you need to assemble your portfolio.
Along with all the documents which are required by the BABCP, please include the University of Chester KSA Cover Sheet and the University of Chester Clinical Experience Record for KSA Criterion 14.
Full or Condensed KSAs
Dependent upon your profession, you will need to complete either a “full” or “condensed” KSA. Professions eligible for a “condensed” KSA portfolio are listed on the BABCP website.
If you are eligible to submit a “condensed” KSA portfolio, you must attach evidence to demonstrate this. For example, Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners (PWPs) who meet the requirements for a “condensed” KSA must include evidence that:
- they are registered with the BABCP
- their psychology degree meets the BPS ‘graduate basis for registration’ (GBC).
KSA Portfolio Submission
KSAs must be submitted to ksa@chester.ac.uk prior to interview. All evidence and references must be included.
Your KSA portfolio will be reviewed by a BABCP trained assessor. Gaining a place on the programme will be dependent on the outcome of your interview and whether you have met the KSA criteria.
