Health and Social Care Act 2012

217 Approval of courses for approved mental health professionals

(1) Part 8 of the Mental Health Act 1983 (miscellaneous local authority functions etc.) is amended as follows.

(2) Before section 114A insert—

“114ZA Approval of courses: England

(1) The Health and Care Professions Council may approve courses for persons who are, or wish to become, approved to act as approved mental health professionals by a local social services authority whose area is in England.

(2) The Council must publish a list of—

(a) the courses which are approved under this section, and

(b) the courses which have been, but are no longer, approved under this section and the periods for which they were so approved.

(3) The functions of an approved mental health professional are not to be considered to be relevant social work for the purposes of Part 4 of the Care Standards Act 2000.

(4) Where the function under subsection (1) is, in accordance with the Health and Social Work Professions Order 2001, exercisable by a committee of the Council, the committee may arrange for another person to exercise the function on the Council’s behalf.”

(3) In section 114 (approval of mental health professionals by local social services authority), in subsection (6), after “section” insert “114ZA or”.

(4) Section 114A (approval of courses) is amended as follows.

(5) For subsection (1) substitute—

“(1) The Care Council for Wales may, in accordance with rules made by it, approve courses for persons who are, or wish to become, approved to act as approved mental health professionals by a local social services authority whose area is in Wales.”

(6) Omit subsection (3).

(7) In subsection (5), omit “General Social Care Council and the”.

(8) For the title to that section substitute “Approval of courses: Wales”.