The course is run jointly by the Tavistock & Portman NHS Foundation Trust and the University of East London. The Diploma in Infant Mental Health can be completed in 2 years, the MA degree in 2 years and 2 terms. The course can be taken on a unit or modular basis, taking a maximum of 5 years to complete to Diploma level with another 2 terms to complete the MA dissertation.

The course offers an experiential and theoretical approach to understanding children’s emotional, social and cognitive development.

Aims

This course aims to help professionals:

• Gain an increased understanding of the factors which promote healthy emotional development in infants, pre-school age children and their families
• Develop an understanding of the psychological problems which can affect this group
• Enhance professionals' observational and therapeutic skills
• Improve skills in assessing behavioural difficulties and underlying family problems
• Increase awareness of the emotional and behavioural problems which can affect this age group.
• Gain an understanding of the developing relationships of infants and young children within the family context

The course seeks to:

Develop skills in Infant and Child observation – tuning in to the baby’s signals;

Enhance the extend understanding of infant and young children’s behaviour, play and communications, including early identification and assessment of emotional difficulties.

Develop a therapeutic approach to work with parents, infants and young children through family interventions

Respond to families where problems include: attachment and parent-infant relationship difficulties; post-natal depression; separation anxiety; feeding and sleep difficulties; tantrums and disruptive behaviour; communication and developmental delay in young children.

There is a strong emphasis on the development of observational skills and their application to the work context, with a significant academic component.

A range of theoretical models, modes of intervention and methods of research is introduced and the focus is on helping students to integrate their expanding understanding of theoretical concepts into their professional practice.

The course should not only enable students to become more effective in their own therapeutic work and in their capacity to communicate with colleagues, but where appropriate, to become teachers of students of their own profession. Many professionals employed as professionals working in early years settings have found this course invaluable in supporting their approach to the emotional needs of the under fives and their families.

Students who complete this course will be eligible to apply for the Tavistock Clinic training in child psychotherapy, should they wish to do so.

Academic Qualifications:

This course is suitable for early years’ professionals – health visitors, midwives, nursery managers, teachers and assistants, family social workers, clinical psychologists, paediatric and neo natal nurses.
Candidates are usually expected to have a degree and/or a relevant professional qualification and experience in related fields. We also accept applications from students who have experience in the field, and are currently working as an early years’ professional who do not hold a degree. For students in Athens, the normal requirement for admission is a HE degree which requires a full command of the Greek language; in exceptional circumstances those without a degree but with relevant professional experience may be considered for admission.

Part time - The course may be completed to Postgraduate Diploma level in a minimum of three years and a maximum of six. The minimum time for completion of the full course, including the Masters Dissertation, is three years, the maximum is six years.

Seminar and small group based. Observations are organised by the students themselves and take place in the community. The London, Bristol, Florence and Athens courses are held in purpose built seminar rooms located in working clinics.

Written assignments are required for each unit, 6 in total, to be completed by the end of year 2. The MA Dissertation can be submitted when all other course work has been completed usually in the third year of studies. Work is formally assessed annually in July. In Year 1 of the course students are formatively assessed for Infant Observation 1 and Work Discussion 1.

The course is directly related to the workplace as students are expected to be employed in an appropriate professional context in which they will be encouraged to develop their thinking and practice during the course and from which they can bring work concerns and examples. Typically students will already have a professional qualification and will work with pre-school age children and their parents or carers.

Upon completion of the course and MA Dissertation, students will have demonstrated the following:

1. Development of a greater capacity for independent study.
2. Development of capacity to integrate observational data with theoretical concepts.
3. Development of the ability to frame a dissertation proposal or hypothesis, based on the academic and experience based learning on the course.
4. The ability to develop hypotheses and make links on particular themes, issues, interests or preoccupations which arise for the student during the first two years of the course.
5. The ability to carry out literature searches and a critical review of literature.
6. The ability to integrate theory into their working practice.
7. The ability to produce a coherent hypothesis linked with relevant evidence in a well-structured and clearly written format.

This Postgraduate course should enable students to become more effective in their therapeutic work and in their capacity to communicate and to teach, and where appropriate, to facilitate colleagues’ professional development. It could lead to promotion to more senior levels for practitioner’s supervisory roles.

The course seeks to extend and deepen professional awareness and understanding of developing relationships of infants and young people within the family context, and the emotional and behavioural problems which can affect this age group. There is a strong emphasis on observation and the development of observational skills, alongside a significant academic component looking at relevant research findings and effective modes of therapeutic intervention that can be applied in the working environment, thus promoting ongoing professional development.

The course is based on teaching methods in small and large seminar groups, which promote an observational stance and seek to develop a greater capacity for reflection in the students, as well as promoting an active participation in observation, practical and theoretical seminars, through group discussion, in preference to a more didactic method. Attention is also paid to discussion of group and institutional dynamics, where relevant to the students’ work setting or special interest observations.

All students have a personal tutor and Tavistock Clinic based students have access to the clinic's library. The Bristol, Florence and Athens based students have access to the relevant electronic journals etc via the web and can use the library's postal facility. There is also a good library of key texts and Journals available in the Knowle Clinic, Bristol, and key texts in the Centro Studi Martha Harris in Florence. Students in Athens will use the following libraries: the small A.P.H.C.A library; the EKT (National Hellenic Research Foundation) Library in Athens, and the library in the Child Psychiatry Department of the University of Athens Medical School.

In 2006-7 the Trust implemented MOODLE. MOODLE is a virtual learning environment accessible to students on courses validated by the Trust’s university partners. Each academic course has been allocated a MOODLE page which contains substantial information and resources. Students can hold virtual meetings in chat rooms and debate over a longer period of time using the discussion forum. MOODLE represents a significant technical advance for the Trust and offers excellent support to students, particularly those studying part-time or at a distance. Students also have access to UEL libraries