Closure of mental health training in Norfolk will local services- union
Programmes that train CBT Therapists, Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners and Clinical Associates in Psychology are closing at UEA
An education union says the closure of three local training schemes means health service will struggle to recruit more workers.
Three NHS supported mental health programmes are closing at the University of East Anglia- which could affect 17 members of staff.
The closures affect programmes that train CBT Therapists, Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners (PWPs), and Clinical Associates in Psychology (CAPs) who work directly with vulnerable patients.
"Abandoning it's responsibility"
Nick Grant is from UEA UCU:
"We've heard from senior NHS leaders that the East of England needs 150 new psychological well-being practitioners and 150 new CBT therapists in the next year alone.
"We thinking that by closing these programmes UEA is abandoning it's responsibility to train the mental health workers that our region desperately needs.
He has this message for senior management:
"We urge them to work with the trade unions and colleagues who are risk, to mitigate those financial challenges, so that we don't cut a vital service prematurely and are in a position to grow the programme again".
"Impacted staff have been informed"
A UEA spokesperson said:
“Our provision for three psychological therapy training courses has been affected by external factors including NHS England restructuring, decreased uptake of NHS commissions for talking therapies programmes and a reduction in employment opportunities within the NHS for apprenticeship roles.
Level 7 apprenticeship funding, which applies to one of these courses, also ceases across all sectors from January 2026.
“Applications for the courses only come from those in appropriate NHS roles, they are not open to self-funded students. Therefore, the continued delivery of the courses is no longer viable.
“Students currently on the courses have been informed and will be supported to complete their studies.
“A reduction of 10.9 full-time equivalent roles has been proposed. Impacted staff have been informed and consultation with our Trade Unions is under way.
Compulsory redundancies will always be a last resort.”