Everything you need to know...
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What is the fee?
Home: £3,650 for the course
International/EU: £3,720 per 60 credits -
How long will I study?
8 Months
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Where will I study?
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When do I start?
September 2026
Course summary
- Gain collaborative skills on a multi-professional distance-learning course.
- Learn how to intervene effectively with children, young people and families Evaluate the evidence base in the delivery of mental health care and services.
- Develop your skills in critical thinking and collaboration for effective practice.
- Analyse your own practice in supporting young people and their families.
Young people’s mental health is a national and international priority, requiring a universal approach to support emotional wellbeing. The PG Cert in Child Young People and Family Mental Health shares knowledge in a collaborative learning community. Mirroring the diverse workplace, you’ll learn alongside professionals such as teachers, nurses, medics, occupational therapists and youth workers.
Come to an open day
Find out more at our postgraduate open days. Book now for your place.
How you learn
On this distance-learning course, you’ll critically reflect and collaborate with other learners while applying your knowledge to your professional role. You’ll develop the academic, professional and transferable skills to improve services and support your career progression.
The curriculum is designed to deepen your understanding of child, young people and family mental health within your specific area of practice, considering its broader societal impact. You’ll explore evidence-based interventions in young people’s mental health alongside a health-promotion approach to the prevention of mental illness.
You'll also use your own role and experiences to link professional practice with academic learning, engaging in a variety of teaching methods and assessments. This includes critically analysing care provision and exploring new ways of thinking about the mental health agenda.
You learn through:
- recorded lectures
- taking part in live webinars
- online learning materials, support resources and articles
- discussion with peers, professionals and lecturers
- coursework and case studies
- reflecting on your own practice
- creating a health promotion resource
Key themes
On the course you’ll study two modules about child, young people and family mental health – one about early intervention and one to enhance practice. You’ll explore a range of topics from cognitive, neurological, physical and social development to attachment and attunement.
You’ll learn about family relationships, dynamics and parenting – plus risk, resilience and social factors, including the impact of technology and social media. You’ll also examine specific mental health issues and related behaviours within children or young people, alongside the stigma and perceptions that can accompany mental health issues.
We’ll then explore different approaches and interventions that can be used in assessing and working with children or young people with mental health issues – gaining understanding of various models and theories of health promotion.
Course-level support
You’ll be supported in your learning journey towards highly skilled employment through a number of key areas. These include:
- access to academic experts in child, young people and family mental health
- activities to prepare you for assessments and reflection on your practice
- peer interaction and collaborative learning opportunities
- access to our Skills Centre for academic writing and study development
Applied learning
Live projects
Your learning is designed so you can actively draw from your own personal and professional experiences and integrate them with your academic learning experiences. This makes your learning relevant to your current practice and interests – as well as your future aspirations in life and work. Integrating your experience with theory also helps you develop autonomy, as you’ll be able to ground your learning in the real world.
Assessments include critiquing case studies from your own experiences, and creating resources that can improve awareness of child, young people and family mental health within your workplace.
Networking opportunities
You’ll learn alongside professionals from a range of health, education and social care backgrounds, building your network while sharing knowledge that supports collaboration.
Course leaders and tutors
Greg Thomas
Senior Lecturer Mental Health NursingHaving qualified as a Mental Health Nurse I specialised straightaway in the area of CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health), and my clinical career involved worki … Read more
Modules
Module and assessment information for future years is displayed as currently validated and may be liable to change. When selecting electives, your choices will be subject to the core requirements of the course. As a result, selections may be limited to a choice between one of two or more specified electives in some instances.
Final year
Compulsory modules
This module explores factors in childhood and
youth which contribute to emotional wellbeing and mental health within families.
Module Content
You’ll study topics including:
Cognitive, neurological and physical development.
Social development.
Attachment and Attunement.
Family Relationships and Dynamics.
Parenting.
Risk and resilience factors.
Social Factors (inherent and external to the family situation)
The impact of technology and social media.
Stigma and perceptions of mental health issues.
You will consider the theoretical background related the above issues and relate them to your own role in a practical and applied sense.
To gain knowledge and skills in working with specific mental health disorders/issues in this client group, and effective evidenced based approaches/interventions that address these needs.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
The following topics will be included in the teaching sessions:
- Specific mental health disorders in children, adolescents and families (e.g. Anxiety, Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Conduct Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Psychosis, Eating Disorders, Depression, etc.)
- Behaviours related to issues with emotional wellbeing (e.g. Self Harm, Para-suicide, Substance Misuse, Disinhibition, Dysfunctional Risk-Taking, etc.)
- Approaches/interventions that can be used in assessing and working with the above (e.g. Diagnostic tools, CBT, Motivational Interviewing, Solution Focused Therapy, Family Therapy, Sensory Assessment/Integration, Medication, Psychotherapy, etc.
- Models and theories of Health Promotion.
Future careers
Previous graduates have achieved promotion and been successful in gaining employment in a variety of roles related to children and young people’s mental health, such as:
- mental health leads in schools
- band 7 jobs in clinical areas
- further study with a doctorate
Equipment and facilities
The course is delivered by distance learning, so you’ll need regular access to a PC, laptop or Mac with reliable internet connectivity.
You’ll have access to:
- our Blackboard platform of digital learning materials
- our online and physical libraries
- scheduled webinars
Where will I study?
You study this course online from any location
Entry requirements
All students
Normally an undergraduate degree at 2:2 or above, in a related field.
If English is not your first language, you will need an IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills, or equivalent.
Additional information for EU/International students
If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.
For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.
Fees and funding
Home students
Our tuition fee for UK students starting part-time study in 2026/27 is £3,650 for the course. The tuition fee displayed above is for the full course. If the full course is more than one year in duration, the fee will be divided into annual payments which will then be rounded. This may mean the total fee you pay is slightly higher than the fee stated above. If you take a break in study or have to re-take part of the course, you may also be charged an additional fee and will be notified of this at the time.
If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
International students
Our tuition fee for international/EU students starting distance learning study in 2026/27 is £3,720 for 60 credits
Scholarships and financial support
Find information on scholarships, bursaries and postgraduate student loans.
International scholarships up to £3000 ›
Alumni scholarships up to £2000 ›
Postgraduate loans for UK students ›
Additional course costs
The links below allow you to view estimated general course additional costs, as well as costs associated with key activities on specific courses. These are estimates and are intended only as an indication of potential additional expenses. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
General course additional costs
Additional costs for Health and Social Care (PDF, 277.7KB)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.
