Course summary
The course trains social workers for the role of Mental Health Officer (MHO) in which they will be able to contribute positively to the care and treatment of those experiencing mental disorder by ensuring an approach that recognises the impact of social as well as medical circumstances on their lives. The role of MHO is as defined in Section 32 of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003, and as qualified by the direction of the Scottish Ministers (Requirements for appointment as Mental Health Officers) Direction (January 2009. *Only available to qualified social workers currently employed by local authorities. Ranked 3rd in the UK for Social Work (Guardian 2023)
Modules
Mental Health Officer Theory and Practice 1, Mental Health Officer Theory and Practice 2.
Assessment method
Each module has three written assessment elements: practice assessment, assessment of knowledge and understanding, critical analysis of practice.
Professional bodies
Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.
- Scottish Social Services Council
Entry requirements
1. Be nominated by their employing local authority, be supported by their employing local authority and be provided with appropriate learning opportunities. 2. Hold a professional social work qualification recognised by SSSC. These include: BA (Hons) Social Work Diploma in Social Work (DipSW) Certificate of Qualification in Social Work (CQSW) together with its predecessor qualifications Certificate in Social Service (CSS) If you trained abroad, a letter of comparability with the CQSW or a letter of verification issued by SSSC (or another registering Council in the UK) will be required. 3. Normally have a minimum of two years post-qualifying experience. You should be able to demonstrate that you've improved and extended the level of competence acquired when you qualified. 4. Satisfy the programme provider that you have the capacity to achieve the Mental Health Officer standards, that you can be competently demonstrated as eligible to be appointed as a Mental Health Officer, and can achieve the award at SCQF Level 11 by: - critically reviewing your professional development since qualifying as a social worker; this should include issues of effective communication with adults who have individual communication support needs, and working with professional tensions, challenges and conflicts; also included should be evidence from workload of challenging discrimination and demonstrating an understanding of what's meant by this - analysing interest in, and motivation for, undertaking mental health work including the extensive networking and collaborative practice involved - showing developed skills in empowering clients; this should be particularly in relation to developing their understanding of their rights to legal support and advocacy, and their views about how their needs may be more effectively met through complex decision making processes - exploring current awareness of the Mental Health Officer role, the complexity of the power/control issues involved and how you would use Mental Health Officer training in your current work setting
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| England | £2950 | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £2950 | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £2950 | Year 1 |
| Wales | £2950 | Year 1 |
| International | £5350 | Year 1 |
Additional fee information
No additional fees or cost information has been supplied for this course, please contact the provider directly.
Sponsorship information
There are several scholarship opportunities available for students applying for this course. Please see website for further details.
Provider information
University of Strathclyde
McCance Building
16 Richmond Street
Glasgow
G1 1XQ