Understanding Mental Health in the Early Years

Level 2 Certificate
For learners who wish to understand mental health in young children in the early years (from birth to 5 years old).

Looking for a course that covers children from 5 to 18 years old? View Understanding Children & Young People’s Mental Health.

▸ Gain a FREE qualification thanks to UK Government funding
▸ Average of 6 weeks to complete
▸ This course is available 100% online
▸ Level 2 qualification is accredited by NCFE CACHE
▸ Dedicated tutor will be available to support your studies

Get an answer within 5 minutes!

Course Overview

This Understanding Mental Health in the Early Years NCFE CACHE Level 2 qualification is designed for learners who wish to understand mental health in young children in the early years (from birth to 5 years old) and the role of the Early Years Practitioner to support children’s mental health and wellbeing. Learners will develop knowledge which would support progression to further qualifications and into relevant employment in the health and social care, childcare or education sectors.

This qualification aims to:

  • focus on the study of mental health within the context of young children in the early years
  • offer breadth and depth of study, incorporating a key core of knowledge

The objectives of this qualification are to:

  • understand key issues surrounding mental health for young children in the early years
  • understand the significance of attachment and adverse childhood experiences for young children in the early years
  • understand the role of the Early Years Practitioner in supporting mental health and wellbeing for young children in the early years

This course is especially useful for job roles such as Teaching Assistant, Nursery Worker or Learning Mentor. 

Cost

Enrol on this course for free, thanks to funding by the UK Government – via the Education & Skills Funding Agency and the Adult Education Budget.

You can only take one government-funded Level 2 course at a time, but you can take up to 4 courses in one academic year.

Important – If you enrol on a course, and decide to withdraw at a later date, you may be charged an administration fee by the learning provider (normally £125) to cover the administration costs.

Eligibility

To qualify for government funding for a distance learning course you must be:

  • Currently living in England
  • A resident in the UK/EU/EEA* for 3+ years, for purposes other than study
  • Aged 19+ (19-23 year olds must already hold a level 2 qualification prior to attainment)
  • Not currently be on an apprenticeship

Important – Your access to this government funding depends on the available funding allocated to the region of the UK where you currently live.**

Find out if you are eligible within minutes:

* EEA nationals may need to provide evidence of having obtained either pre-settlement or settled status

** The Adult Education Budget is a UK Government scheme. Devolved regions of the UK, however, have the authority to decide how to spend their own adult education budget; and they aren’t necessarily required to match the funding that is provided by the government to non-devolved regions of the UK. Access to this funding is therefore dependent on the budget that is currently available to people living in your region of the UK.

Learning Provider

Your eligibility for government funding is only half of the process required to enrol on this course for free – but don’t worry, we make this next part easy for you!

The other half of the process is finding a reputable learning provider or college that:

  1. Currently has an open place for this Understanding Mental Health in the Early Years course
  2. Is accepting applications from students who live in your area

This is where we can help you – Within minutes we can confirm whether you are eligible for UK government funding and, in most cases, recommend a reputable learning provider where you can enrol & start this course today!

Course Delivery

This course is available 100% online.

You will require access to the internet, as well as a laptop or desktop computer to complete this course. Mobile devices are not suitable.

If necessary, learners are able to request paper-based learning resources and paper-based assessment books from their learning provider. We recommend discussing this with your tutor after enrolling on your course.

Tutor Support

Once you enrol on this course, you will be allocated a tutor who will support you, and provide feedback, throughout your course.

Your tutor will be available for you to discuss any queries or concerns that you may have – via email, text or phone.

Course Length

The course takes an average of 6 weeks to complete – based on an average of 4 to 5 hours of study time per week.

This course can be completed faster if you are able to invest more study time over a shorter period of time.

The course must be completed before the submission deadline stated by your learning provider (normally a period of up to 10-12 weeks).

If you fail to complete your course within this time, without a previously agreed extension from your tutor, you may be charged an administration fee (normally £125) by your learning provider.

Assessment Method

This course requires no exams. You will instead be required to complete a series of assessment questions whilst you work your way through the course.

There are no maximum or minimum word counts for the assessments.

You will be required to submit your assessment answers to your tutor for marking, who will give you feedback on each question. It is important that you demonstrate to your tutor that you have fully understood the question and that you have applied your knowledge to each answer in a logical way.

If you do not pass an assessment, don’t worry! Your tutor will provide feedback which highlights the areas that need further attention in order for you to pass. You will then be able to re-attempt and re-submit your answers.

Certification

Upon completion of your final assessment, your work will be marked and you can expect to receive your Level 2 certificate within 8 to 12 weeks.

This course is accredited by NCFE CACHE – a national awarding organisation that designs, develops and certifies nationally recognised qualifications and awards.

All qualifications are regulated by Ofqual.

To start the process of gaining this qualification, please check your eligibility & find an open place on this course now!

Course Units – Understanding Mental Health in the Early Years (Level 2)

To be awarded the Understanding Mental Health in the Early Years level 2 qualification, learners are required to successfully achieve 3 mandatory units:

Unit 1 – Understand mental health for young children in the early years


The aim of this unit is to raise awareness of the significance of mental health for holistic health and wellbeing in children in the early years.

The learner will:

  • Understand holistic health and wellbeing for children in the early years
  • Understand how children’s mental health and well-being should be supported in the early years provision
  • Understand the role of the key person in relation to physical and mental health and wellbeing
  • Understand mental health issues affecting children in the early years

Unit 2 – Understand the significance of attachment and adverse childhood experiences for young children in the early years


The aim of this unit is to raise awareness of the significance of attachment for mental health and wellbeing in children in the early years. This unit will also introduce relevant learning from neuroscience and adverse childhood experiences.

The learner will:

  • Understand the theory and approaches relevant to attachment in early years practice
  • Understand the significance of attachment for the mental health and well-being for children in the early years
  • Understand brain development and functioning in the context of mental health in children in the early years

Unit 3 – Understand the role of the Early Years Practitioner in supporting the mental health and well-being of young children in the early years


The aim of this unit is to increase confidence amongst Early Years Practitioners to support early intervention for mental health and wellbeing in children in the early years.

The learner will:

  • Understand the role of communication in children’s mental health and wellbeing
  • Understand the role of the practitioner to promote mental health and wellbeing in an early years setting
  • Understand sources of support for children, families and practitioners

Check your funding eligibility, find an open place & start this course today!

Enter your details using the form below to:

▸ Verify whether you are eligible for UK government funding
▸ Find a learning provider that is currently accepting applications to enrol on this course
▸ Receive your enrollment form and be able to start this course today!

Important – You can only enrol on one course at a time. Please ensure that you only fill out the form below for your preferred course.




    This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.