Neurodevelopmental Conditions PGCert
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Course Summary
A course designed and delivered by staff working in this speciality for all allied health and social care staff. The overarching aim of this course is to enable students to gain in-depth knowledge of current thinking and practices in neurodevelopmental conditions to incorporate directly into health and social care practice. This course will be delivered by current interdisciplinary practitioners and specialist academic staff.
This course has been designed by senior clinicians at Cheshire and Wirral Partnership Trust (CWP) and the Centre for Autism, Neuro-Developmental Disorders and Intellectual Disability (CANDDID) and the University of Chester. The course taught module content and assessments can be completed over nine months.
An informal discussion is welcome with the Programme Team to answer any questions you have before applying. If this course interests you then please contact Professor Steven Jones: steven.jones@chester.ac.uk or Professor Sujeet Jaydeokar: sujeet.jaydeokar@chester.ac.uk
Cheshire and Wirral Partnership Trusts staff only maybe entitled to a tuition fee bursary from CWP directly. Contact Sujeet Jaydeokar for further information.
Download further information about our Postgraduate Certificate in Neurodevelopmental Conditions to find out more about what you will learn, the support you will receive as a student on this course, and more.
The course offers an opportunity for experienced interdisciplinary staff to study for a qualification that directly benefits themselves, their working practice, persons who they care for, and perhaps meet your employer’s minimum educational requirements.
What you’llStudy
Module content:
- definitions and epidemiology of neurodevelopmental disorder
- cognitive, communicative and social characteristics of people with autism and neurodevelopmental disorders
- biological, social and environmental causes of neurodevelopmental disorder
- ideology, policy and service development
- definition and measurement of service quality
- relationships between service organisation and quality
- Clinical audit structure and implementation
Module aims:
The module provides a deeper understanding into the process of service innovation in neurodevelopmental disorders in order to drive forward service improvements.
Module content:
- Evolution of diagnostic conceptualisation of Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC) and epidemiology of ASC
- Neuro-psychology and neuro-biology of ASC
- Sensory integration and communication and its impact of clinical presentation, assessment, and management
- Clinical presentations, assessment, and management of mental disorders and challenging behaviour in people with ASC
- Evolution and current diagnostic conceptualisation of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD), Tics, and Tourette’s Disorder
- Clinical presentations, assessment of and management approaches to neurodevelopmental disorders
- Psychological, biological, and social aetiological conceptualisation of ADHD
- Mental health co-morbidity in neurodevelopmental disorders: epidemiology, assessment, and management
- Physical health considerations in ASC and NDD
Module aims:
A specialist module examining specialist understanding of diagnostic conceptualisation, co-morbidity, and management of Autism spectrum conditions including their clinical presentations.
Module content:
- Mental Health Act [1983] as Amended
- Mental Capacity Act [2005]
- Consent to Treatment for all age ranges
- English Legal Research
- Deprivations of liberty and safeguards
- Case law and Statutes
- Ethics, law and professional practice
Module aims:
Professor Steven Jones
Professor; Programme Leader for Neurodevelopmental Conditions PGCert
Dr Mahesh Odiyoor
Visiting Professor
This course is designed for in person teaching at Chester. Please note there is no online delivery option for the Postgraduate Certificate.
Beyond the Classroom
There are two routes of course entry, international (blended online only) and home students (blended learning and face to face).
Students need to be accountable for their educational and professional practice, be able to recognise the limits of their expertise, and be capable of challenging practices and initiating care that is patient focused and based upon available evidence. The School is committed to providing students with opportunities to discover, apply and disseminate knowledge and recognise lifelong learning as the path to successful professional development. To this end, the course provides students with a climate for learning that is grounded in the mission of the University of Chester that values and fosters personal and professional growth.
The specific course aims are:
- Produce challenging and critical thinking practitioners with a range of transferable skills who can effectively contribute to mental healthcare care assessment and treatment provision.
- Prepare effective practitioners whose interventions will be underpinned by the best available evidence, contemporary knowledge and high-level clinical decision-making skills.
- Develop the student’s confidence, competence and emotional resilience to consistently exercise personal responsibility and professional decision making providing high quality evidenced based practice.
- Promote commitment to the concept of lifelong learning and thereby foster ongoing personal and professional development.
- To provide students with opportunities to engage with ‘cutting-edge’ theory and evidence in applied mental health domains, with a view to promoting societal innovation.
- To offer a dynamic and quality educational experience relevant to neurodevelopmental person-centred care.
Entry Requirements
2:2 honours degree
All home and international student applicants will be interviewed by the course team to ensure they meet the admission criteria. The primary purpose of the interview is a two-way process to make sure the course meets your educational and clinical career plans. Students should primarily be working in a mental health setting, have a minimum 2:2 honours degree classification in a health-related subject (or equivalent), and must be a recognised/registered health or allied health care professional.
2:2 honours degree
All home and international student applicants will be interviewed by the course team to ensure they meet the admission criteria. The primary purpose of the interview is a two-way process to make sure the course meets your educational and clinical career plans. Students should primarily be working in a mental health setting, have a minimum 2:2 honours degree classification in a health-related subject (or equivalent), and must be a recognised/registered health or allied health care professional.
English Language Requirements
For more information on our English Language requirements, please visit International Entry Requirements.
City centre location
On-site library
Social spaces
Fees and Funding
£3,120 for the full course (2024/25)
Guides to the fees for students who wish to commence postgraduate courses in the academic year 2024/25 are available to view on our Postgraduate Taught Programmes Fees page.
Your course will involve additional costs not covered by your tuition fees. This may include books, printing, photocopying, educational stationery and related materials, specialist clothing, travel to placements, optional field trips and software. Compulsory field trips are covered by your tuition fees.
If you are living away from home during your time at university, you will need to cover costs such as accommodation, food, travel and bills.
The University of Chester supports fair access for students who may need additional support through a range of bursaries and scholarships.
Full details, as well as terms and conditions for all bursaries and scholarships can be found on the Fees & Finance section of our website.
Your future Career
Job prospects
This course will largely appeal to those working clinical health and social care settings. It will enhance their professional portfolio towards senior posts, whilst at the same time may be undertaken by staff in senior positions that do not have higher qualifications.
This course may be undertaken by other registered professionals, which could include doctors and nurses for example. Students must work with persons with intellectual conditions/ issues relevant to this speciality. We anticipate that the majority of students on this course will be NHS staff, but did not want to exclude other health professionals in the UK. 
Health professionals need to continually seek ways to improve their career prospects in an increasingly competitive job market where a postgraduate qualification is often now deemed essential.
The course provides a highly relevant specialist mental health qualification, adding to a portfolio of qualifications that are now requisite for senior mental health positions. 
Careers service
The University has an award-winning Careers and Employability service which provides a variety of employability-enhancing experiences; through the curriculum, through employer contact, tailored group sessions, individual information, advice and guidance.
Careers and Employability aims to deliver a service which is inclusive, impartial, welcoming, informed and tailored to your personal goals and aspirations, to enable you to develop as an individual and contribute to the business and community in which you will live and work.
We are here to help you plan your future, make the most of your time at University and to enhance your employability. We provide access to part-time jobs, extra-curricular employability-enhancing workshops and offer practical one-to-one help with career planning, including help with CVs, applications and mock interviews. We also deliver group sessions on career planning within each course and we have a wide range of extensive information covering graduate jobs .