Wider Psychological Workforce Registration

What roles do we register?

The register includes people who work in psychological practitioner roles and associate psychologist roles.

These roles are not regulated by law, but the training and scope of the roles has been developed between the society and the NHS and the NHS requires most people in these roles to be registered as a condition of their employment.

Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP)

Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners (PWPs) are trained to assess and support adults who are experiencing common mental health problems including anxiety and depression, and to help them self-manage their recovery.

They do this by providing information and using low-intensity methods that are mainly informed by cognitive-behavioural principles. This is the least intrusive, most effective treatment in the first instance.

PWPs work within a stepped care service delivery model which means they are in a team and patients can be "stepped up" to a more intensive treatment if required.

Further information on the role:

• Find out more about the PWP role from the NHS careers website
• Learn more about the talking therapies used by the NHS
• Read more about common mental health disorders and their treatment (from NICE)

Children's Wellbeing Practitioner (CWP)

Children's Wellbeing Practitioners (CWPs) assess and support children and young people with mild to moderate mental health difficulties, specifically helping children and young people to improve their self-management skills. Support can also be given to their parents/carers through face-to-face work, phone, email or other contact methods.

CWPs must operate within a stepped-care pathway normally employed within a Children and Young People's Mental Health (CYPMH) service. This means that the service within which they work will allow seamless stepping-up and stepping-down to the rest of CYPMH and through appropriate triaging of more complex cases.

CWPs also improve access to therapies available from community services and Children and Young People's Mental Health Services (CYPMHS). They use person-centred assessment and they triage complex cases to make informed decisions about whether a service is right for a person.

Further information on the role:

• Find out more about the role from the NHS careers website
• Learn more about the talking therapies used by the NHS
• Read more about education in the NHS to improve mental health care for children and young people

About the CWP system of care

Visit the NHS Future Collaboration Platform to learn more.

Please note: you will need an NHS email address to access this website

You can request guest access at [email protected].

Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP)

Education mental health practitioners (EMHPs) work in a range of educational settings. They provide mental health support for children and young people in schools and colleges and help children and young people manage common mental health problems including mild to moderate symptoms of anxiety and depression and behaviour problems. Support can also be given to their parents/carers through face-to-face work, telephone, email or other contact methods.

EMHP registrants will primarily support children and young people from aged 5-18 with some EMHPs, with appropriate governance and supervision supporting young people under the age of 26.

Working across education settings, they support Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) and make informed decisions about whether a service is right for a person. EMHPs introduce or develop whole school approaches to mental health as well as helping individuals with a range of low-intensity self help interventions.

Further information on the role:

• Find out more about the EMHP role from the NHS careers website
• Learn more about the talking therapies used by the NHS
• Read more about common mental health disorders and their treatment (from NICE)

Clinical Associate in Applied Psychology (CAAP) Scotland

Clinical Associates in Applied Psychology (CAAPs) work in Scotland as a member of a team delivering psychological services with clients within specified ranges of conditions and age. This includes primary care/adult mental health settings or areas involving children, young people, and their families. CAAPs work alongside other professionals (e.g. Clinical Psychologists and Cognitive Behavioural Therapists) delivering specialist psychological practice.

The CAAP role is specific to Scotland. It was established in 2006 to improve access to mental health services. CAAPs work as independent clinicians with a defined range and severity of problems experienced by a particular client group. The level of clinical responsibility a CAAP has is decided by the employing Health Board and they work under the supervision of a Clinical Psychologist. This takes in to account the nature of the service and the local arrangements.

Knowing when to consult with senior colleagues under whose support and supervision they practise, they make appropriate referrals to a Clinical Psychologist.

Further information on the role:

• Find out more about the CAAP role from NHS Scotland

Clinical Associate in Psychology (CAP)

Clinical Associates in Psychology (CAPs) work in England under the supervision of a Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registered practitioner psychologist to deliver evidence-based psychological assessments, formulations, interventions and research.

CAPs work in various settings including in the community, in hospitals or inpatient services, and in secure and specialist mental health settings and they support people across the lifespan from different backgrounds, cultures and beliefs, who have long-standing and complex difficulties. They're trained to work with specific populations and they provide a more circumscribed range of activities than HCPC registered practitioner psychologists.

The CAP was developed in England as part of a programme of work to provide greater access to psychologically informed mental health services. The level of clinical responsibility a CAP has should reflect their level of competency and training and the employing Trust takes in to account the nature of the service and the local arrangements. CAPs are accountable professionals, responsible for managing their own caseload. The supervising HCPC registered practitioner psychologists retains overall clinical responsibility for their work. 

Further information on the role:

• Find out more about the CAP role from the NHS careers website
• Find out more about the CAP role from NHS Scotland 

Being on the society's PSA-accredited register shows your patients that they are in safe hands

On successful application, your name, role and employing organisation will be published on our register, showing that you have been appropriately trained and that you are committed to maintaining high-quality standards in clinical practice, supervision and continuing professional development.

Registration is voluntary (not required by law), however some employers may require you to be registered in your role as a condition of your employment. This is required by the NHS for the following roles: Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners (PWP), Children's Wellbeing Practitioners (CWP), Education Mental Health Practitioners (EMHP), and Mental Health Wellbeing Practitioners (MHWP).

To join the register, you'll need to:

• be a Graduate Member, Full Member or Associate Member of the BPS (you can apply to join the society and the register at the same time)
• meet the training requirements for your specific role 
• meet the practice requirements for your specific role
• meet the supervision requirements for your specific role
• complete the application form including supervisor confirmation and academic transcript
• pay your application and registration fees

The society is the sole accrediting body for the training courses for all of these roles.

We ensure the quality of the education and training for the roles on this register.

You can find an accredited course through our accredited course search.

Registration and membership expectations

You will need to be a member of the society to join the register (you can join the society and the register at the same time).

As a member of the society you will sign up to our Member Conduct Rules and act in accordance with our Code of Ethics and Conduct.

The Code of Ethics and Conduct is the overarching guidance document for all members, which you should familiarise yourself with.

As a registrant you will be required to operate in accordance with the Fitness to Practise Framework. This sets out the required conduct and ethical expectations of all registrants and is based on the Society's Code of Ethics and Conduct.

In addition, registrants will be expected to comply with the requirements for maintaining their registration (see our information on 'Maintaining registration').

The society publishes a range of guidance documents, including the Practice Guidelines, which will have useful information for registrants to consider for informing their decision-making.

Registrants should be aware that these guidance documents may have been written for a wider or different audience and not specifically intended to support the scope of practice of WPW registrants.

Whilst this guidance should be helpful in parts, the expectations of registrants are clearly set out in the Member Conduct Rules, the Code of Ethics and Practice, and the Fitness to Practise Framework.

If there's a complaint raised against you and it's considered serious enough to suspend you from the register whilst an investigation takes place, or if the complaint is upheld after investigation, the society will, in accordance with the process outlined in the Complaints Procedure, change your entry on the register to denote the existence or outcome of a complaint and publish a short description of the complaint, and any sanction applied, on our website.

This is to ensure that we fulfil our duty of public protection.

Credibility

Being on the WPW register shows your employer and your service users that you are fully trained and committed to upholding high standards of care. 

Employability

Many employers require registration as a condition of employment and the Society's register assures employers that you are a reliable member of the workforce..

Reassurance for your clients

Clients and service users can see from your registration status that you are committed to the Fitness to Practise framework and that they can have peace of mind when engaging with your services. 

Career development

Being part of the BPS gives you access to a range of networks and expertise in all professional fields of psychology. Registering as a PWP with the BPS also provides eligibility for BABCP's Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes (KSA) condensed portfolio route to provisional accreditation.

Swift service

Apply and appear on the register in two to four weeks.

Practice guidance

The society publishes practice guidelines and a range of supporting document and journals to help you understand the latest developments and what they mean for your practice. Our networks open space for you to discuss practice issues with networks of colleagues with relevant experience.

CPD and networking

As a member of the society, you also have access to the networking and continuing professional development opportunities that make you part of the largest community of psychologists and psychological professionals in the UK. You will have abundant opportunities to learn with and from experienced colleagues on a range of topics to develop and expand your horizons.

Access to PSA logos

As a registrant on a PSA-accredited register you are entitled to use specially designed and exclusive logos to professionalise your online presence and to show your commitment to high standards in your registered role.

MyCPD online records

As a member of the society you can use the MyCPD online recording area. You can track your plans, continuing professional development (CPD) completed and get help in preparing your reflections on your learning. All this puts you in a strong position to be able to evidence your commitment to CPD and to successfully complete the CPD audit when required.

Visibility to the public

Once your application is approved and you've paid your registration fee you'll appear on the register so that members of the public or employers can search to see if you are listed. The register will display your name, membership post nominal, unique register ID, registered role and location of your employing organisation.

If you are concerned about your name appearing in public, you can contact the Membership team to request that your details are kept off the register. You will be asked to provide an explanation, including evidence as appropriate. Requests may be made on the grounds of personal safety (for example, to minimise threats arising from known stalking or domestic abuse issues) or to protect the privacy of vulnerable client populations. Any requests will be considered on an individual basis by the Fitness to Practise team. Decisions will seek to enable registrants to practise safely while ensuring public protection.

Further information about PWP Registration

NHS England, BPS and BABCP, held an open webinar in April 2022 to provide information on PWP registration.

You may read the responses to questions raised during the session which have been provided by NHS England.

How do I apply to join the Wider Psychological Workforce register?

If you're not already a member of the society, you can join as a Graduate or Associate Member at the same time as applying to join the register. 

You'll need to provide all relevant information such as your personal details, place of work and qualifications.

Completing the application form

Before you get started please make sure that you meet the eligibility criteria and have read the Fitness to Practise Framework.

Please note: your application will require you to upload your academic transcript, apprenticeship certificate (if applicable) and supervisor confirmation form.

Supervisor Confirmation Forms

• Supervisor Confirmation Form - Children's Wellbeing Practitioner
• Supervisor Confirmation Form - Clinical Associate in Applied Psychology
• Supervisor Confirmation Form - Education Mental Health Practitioner
• Supervisor Confirmation Form - Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner
• Supervisor Confirmation Form - Clinical Associate in Psychology

Application fees

You will need to pay the one-off application fee on submission of your application. This is currently £30 for existing Graduate Members and £35 for people new to the society who are joining as an Associate Member at the same time as joining the register.

This is a non-refundable application fee.

Registration fees

If you meet all the requirements for registration and your application is successful, you will then be asked to pay the required registration fee.

• Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP, CWP, EMHP and MHWP): £54
• Associate Psychologist (CAAP and CAP): £66

To remain on the register you will need to pay your registration fee annually.

Submit an application online here

Declarations for registration

You must agree to the following conditions to join the register:

• you will abide by the Fitness to Practise Framework.
• you will inform us of any disciplinary proceedings or complaints made against you
• you will inform us of any changes in employment circumstance that potentially relate to an impairment of fitness to practise as outlined in the Fitness to Practise Framework.

You must declare this as part of your application process and any time throughout your registration.

If you will be unable to sign the declarations to join the register because of any disciplinary proceedings or complaints made against you, please contact our membership team at [email protected].

Once you have contacted our membership team, your details will be passed to the Register Fitness to Practise Team and we will be in touch to ask for further information as your application will be considered taking into account the circumstances you have raised.

A panel, drawn from the Standing Panel who consider complaints, will investigate concerns about the safety or effectiveness of registrants' work (their fitness to practise). We will investigate whether there is or may be, a risk to people who are receiving psychological treatment or services provided by you as a registrant.

We look at every case individually and keep you informed of progress, and follow out our process as outlined in the Complaints Procedure to make a decision about your admittance on to the register.

It will take two to four weeks to process your application, depending on the information submitted with the application. If we need further details, or if we have to wait for your clinical skills supervisor to get back to us confirming their role then it may take longer. 

You can check the progress of your application at any time by signing into the Society website and selecting the Applications tile. Alternatively you can contact the team at [email protected] for an update.

How do I maintain my registration?

Your registration is valid for a period of one year and to remain on the register you'll need to pay the registration fee annually.

You'll be invoiced for each year around the anniversary of when you first joined. You'll also make a declaration by renewing your registration that you are:

• In current employment and working within the scope of practice (specified system of care) for the role you are registered with
• Fulfilling the required continuing professional development (CPD) activities for your role <link to guidance>
• Continuing to receive the minimum supervision from an appropriately qualified supervisor
•  Continuing to abide by and operate within the Fitness to Practise Framework.

By paying your registration fee when renewing your registration each year you confirm that you continue to meet the eligibility requirements to be registered on the Wider Psychological Workforce Register and that you've fulfilled the required standards of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and supervision.

If any of these requirements change during the year, you must tell us by emailing [email protected]

You'll receive a reminder one month before your registration is due for renewal. If we don't receive your renewal payment your registration will lapse and you'll no longer appear on the register.

We operate a no refund policy. Once registration is paid for the period of one year it's non-refundable.

Keeping your record up to date

It's important that you inform us of any changes to your registration record so that the information displayed on the register is correct.

Employment

If you change employment but are remaining with your current registered role, you need to update your new employment details via the Personal details tile on your portal page so that this information is updated on the register.

You can also update your job title via your portal page, for example if you become a Senior PWP.

Please note: the register does not display job titles, only the role that you are registered under but this helps to keep the information we hold in your record up to date. Always check with any changes to your details that you continue to meet the registration requirements for your role.

Supervision

If you change supervisor, you'll need to provide us with the details of your new supervisor so that we can confirm that you are working under appropriate supervision. Please complete the Supervisor Confirmation Form for your role and return it to [email protected]. 

Leaving the register

If you need to take a leave of absence please download and complete the leave of absence Form.

Find out more about the leave of absence and return to practice process.

If you're no longer employed within the role that you are registered with you'll need to resign from the Wider Psychological Workforce register because you are no longer working within the scope of practise or specified system of care outlined for your role which is a requirement to appear on the register.

Please contact [email protected] for help with updating your record and the register.

Meeting your CPD requirements

As members of the society, you'll have access to the BPS MyCPD platform to record your CPD.

The MyCPD platform supports you to plan your development and record activities, including the upload of evidence e.g. certificates and reflect on your learning. You can also generate reports on all of the content.

It's expected that you'll record all of your required supervision and CPD activities on the MyCPD platform.

If you're selected for audit you'll be required to evidence that you've met all the requirements by providing a report of the required content.

Find out more about ongoing registration with the WPW Register and the expectations and process for audit.

This includes acceptable types of CPD learning and development activities and the society's approach to audit.

Concerns about a WPW registrant

The WPW Register is a voluntary register for psychological practitioners who are not regulated by law. This means that registrants have chosen to join the register to demonstrate their commitment to providing good and safe care.

If you have concerns about a registrant's fitness to practice, we will investigate these issues in line with our objective of maintaining public protection.

Informal Resolution

We encourage resolving complaints informally whenever possible. If you have a complaint, please try talking to the registrant or their employer first. This gives them the chance to address your concerns and is often the quickest way to resolve the issue. However, if you feel that this approach is not suitable or if the matter remains unresolved, please contact us.

Making a Complaint

If you wish to make a complaint against someone on the WPW Register, please complete our Wider Psychological Workforce (WPW) Register Concerns form.

Anonymous Complaints

We can consider anonymous complaints where we can verify the issue independently. For example, if you report a criminal conviction or outcome from another professional body or regulator, or if the matter is in the public domain. However, we would not normally pursue an anonymous complaint as the registrant needs to know who is complaining to respond effectively.

If we decide to proceed with an anonymous complaint, we will do so only when it is in the public interest. In such cases, please be aware that providing detailed information about the case may allow the registrant to identify you.

Group Complaints

 You can submit a complaint as a group of people affected by the same issue. Please choose someone from the group to act as a representative and inform us that you are acting on behalf of a group.

Your Confidentiality

We will only use your information to investigate your concerns and will anonymise it where possible. However, in some cases, we may need to share information with others to effectively investigate. We will explain the situation to you and tell you who we think we should share the information with.

We share information about complaints with the BABCP who are the other registering body for these psychological profession roles. 

Data Protection

Your personal data will be protected in accordance with current Data Protection laws and regulations and our compliance policy.

Contact Us

You can contact us by:

Email: [email protected]

Post: The British Psychological Society, St Andrews House, 48 Princess Road East, Leicester, LE1 7DR

Phone: 0116 252 9919 (dedicated complaints line)

Further Information and Guidance

Please find further information about our procedures in the WPW Register Complaints Procedure. If you need help or cannot find what you're looking for, please contact the Fitness to Practise Team by emailing us at [email protected] or phoning us on 0116 252 9919.

What if the person I am looking for does not appear on the WPW Register?

If the person you are looking for is not listed on the WPW Register, then this usually means that they have not met the criteria for being on the register.

If the individual you are searching for is a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP), Children's Wellbeing Practitioner (CWP) or Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP) it could be that they are registered with The British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) who are also a registering body for these professionals.

Visit BABCP's website to search their register.

It may be the case that the person concerned is a student or in the process of applying to the register, but their training or application is not yet complete.

If a serious complaint has been raised against a registrant they may be suspended from the register whilst an investigation takes place. If any complaint is upheld after investigation, the registrant may be removed from the register or their register entry may be changed to denote the existence or outcome of a complaint. The society publishes a list of sanctioned registrants with a short summary description of complaints, and any sanctions applied, on the website for public information.

There are rare instances where a registrant's details may not be published on the WPW Register. This will be in exceptional circumstances related to the registrant's safety, when publishing their name may put them at risk.

Our procedures, information and guidance

Please find further information about our procedures in the WPW Register Complaints Procedure.

Where the matter is not about fitness to practise, we may still consider a complaint about a registrant under our Member Conduct Rules

If you can't find what you need, please contact the Fitness to Practise Team by emailing us at [email protected] or phoning us on 0116 252 9919

How we can support you

We understand that it can be upsetting and stressful for everyone when a concern is raised and we want to do what we can to reduce this where possible whilst remaining in line with our objective of maintaining public protection.

We will support complainants and registrants by being clear about what will happen at each stage of our investigation process. We do not take the side of the complainant or of the registrant in handling complaints. We are impartial and we work to find out what has happened and to find a fair resolution that ensures public protection.

If you would like to speak to someone in our Complaints Team who can explain how the process works and answer any further questions you have please emails us at [email protected] or phone us on 0116 252 9919.

Advice and support from other organisations

There are a number of organisations who may be able to advise you about your concern

• Citizens Advice Bureau

England

• NHS Complaints Advocacy
• Healthwatch
• Health Service Ombudsman

Scotland

• NHS Inform
• Patient Advice and Support Services
• Scottish Public Services Ombudsman

Wales

• NHS Wales
• Public Services Ombudsman

Northern Ireland

• Patient and Client Council
• Northern Ireland Ombudsman

Advice and support for your wellbeing:

• Patients Association
• Samaritans
• Victim Support

Contact details

You can email us at [email protected]

Alternatively, you can write to us at:

• The British Psychological Society St Andrews House 48 Princess Road East Leicester LE1 7DR

Or if these methods don't suit you, you can call us and talk to someone who will be happy to discuss your individual needs. Please use our dedicated complaints line: 0116 252 9919.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to be registered to practice in my role?

Professional registration is a requirement set by the NHS for PWPs. PWPs are expected to maintain continuous registration as set out in the IAPT manual.  

Although voluntary and not mandated by law, it is expected that employers will see registration as good practice and it is likely that registration will become a requirement for these roles.

Can I be registered if I work outside the NHS or similar statutory system of care?

It is recognised that these occupations are found in public and private sector organisations. If you are employed in one of the registered roles working in the private sector (for example a private hospital, school or clinic), you must be working in the specified system of care for your role, with provisions for stepped care specified for PWP, CWP and EMHP roles.

For all registered roles this includes working within your field of competence and under appropriate supervision which must be evidenced in your application.

PWPs, CWPs, EMHPs, CAAPs and CAPs are not able to use their registration to practise independently due to the requirements that these occupations must operate within a specified system care under appropriate supervision.

You will not be eligible to register if you do not operate within the defined specified system of care.

Inappropriate use of job title is against the terms of your registration and is likely to result in removal from the register.

Can I transfer from one role to another on the register?

At present there is not a formal process for transferring from one role to another unless you have undertaken the appropriate training.

Individuals can only register if they are working in the role that they trained in. You can maintain your BPS grade of membership but not their WPW registration if the role is different to the area that they trained in.

There is likely to be further discussions about movement across roles with funding bodies across the four nations and employers in the future.

What if I have qualified and moved on from these roles, can I still register?

Registration is only for individuals currently practising in these roles. As part of the application process you are required to evidence that you are currently working in the role that you are registering with through the provision of a supervisor reference.

Membership of the society is still available and our Membership Team can help to illustrate the options based on your individual circumstances.

What happens if I train in one nation and move to another nation, would my registration and training be recognised?

Some of the roles on the register are in the workforce across the four nations. For example the PWP role has been established in Northern Ireland and we accredit the training for this role.

Your registration will be recognised in different nations as long as you can evidence that you meet the requirements of working in the specified system of care for the role as described when you join the register and have a supervisor reference as evidence of you working in this specified system of care under supervision.

The CAAP role for example is only established in Scotland and is not a recognised role in the English workforce.

We are hoping that these registration developments will provide recognition for individuals that have trained to work in a particular role and we are working with programme leads to facilitate a way for individuals that have trained in these roles to evidence their competence when applying for roles in a different nation.

Employers will continue to have their own local and national recruitment practices in place and registration is to provide a further layer of governance and assurance for employers that high standards are maintained by individuals in these roles.

Who do I contact with further questions about registration?

For any further questions, please contact [email protected].

What do I do if I change my supervisor?

You should arrange for the new supervisor to complete the relevant supervision confirmation form for their role and send this to [email protected]

What to I need to do if I'm taking time out of my role?

If you are taking time off off work eg for maternity leave, sabbatical leave, long term sickness – then you must notify us. Please refer to the Leave of Absence information.

Who needs to complete the supervision confirmation form?

Your clinical skills supervisor must complete this form.

How can I prove that I'm registered?

When you are registered your name will be listed on the publicly available register listing. If you need written confirmation, email [email protected] and a letter can be issued to you by email

How can I find out the status of my application? 

It will take two to four weeks to process your application, depending on the information submitted with the application. If we need further details, or if we have to wait for your clinical skills supervisor to get back to us confirming their role then it may take longer. 

You can check the progress of your application at any time by signing into the society website and selecting the Applications tile.  Alternatively you can contact the team ([email protected]) for an update.