AMHP and approved mental capacity professional training standards launched for consultation

Story updated 15 May 2022

Social Work England has issued proposed training standards for approved mental health professionals (AMHPs) and the new role of approved mental capacity professional (AMCP) for consultation.

The standards – when agreed – will be used to approve and reapprove AMHP training courses and approve programmes to train up AMCPs once these are up and running. The AMCP role is being brought in under the Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS), which are due to replace the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), potentially in 2023, though a date has not been set. It will, in effect, replace the existing best interests assessor (BIA) role, though will have different functions.

Though AMHPs and AMCPs can come from multiple professions – social workers, nurses, occupational therapists and psychologists, in both cases, and speech and language therapists as well, in the case of AMCPs – Social Work England is the regulator assigned to oversee the training of both roles.

What the proposed standards say

Both standards set the following requirements for providers of AMHP and AMCP courses:

  • Admissions: to ensure that applicants have “suitable prior experience” of applying appropriate legislation and policy, including in relation to mental health, mental capacity and human rights, and an “advanced level of legal literacy”.
  • Course management: to ensure there is adequate provision of appropriately qualified and experienced teaching staff, and that they are supported to maintain their knowledge and understanding.
  • Supporting students: to ensure that students have access to resources to support their health and wellbeing, including through confidential counselling services and careers advice.

There are also several standards specific to each role, for example:

  • AMCP: to ensure the student has at least two opportunities to carry out AMCP tasks under observation by a suitably qualified professional.
  • AMHP: to ensure practice placements are integral to the course, their number, duration and range are appropriate to meeting learning outcomes and, through collaboration with providers, that they provide a safe and supportive environment and have an adequate number of appropriately trained and qualified staff.

Both consultations will run for 12 weeks, until 1 August, with the AMHP standards due to be agreed in the autumn. Social Work England said it would publish guidance to help course providers meet the standards, which will replace existing guidance.

It will also publish guidance to help providers meet the AMCP standards, though the implementation of these will depend on the government’s plans for introducing the LPS.