Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to allow speech and language therapists to train to be Approved Mental Health Professionals.
There are no current plans to allow speech and language therapists to train to be Approved Mental Health Professionals (AMHP). AMHPs are highly trained and experienced mental health professionals, who have responsibilities outlined within the Mental Health Act 1983. The Mental Health (Approved Mental Health Professionals) (Approval) (England) Regulations 2008 state that social workers, psychiatric nurses, occupational therapists and clinical psychologists can train to be AMHPs and be authorised by their local authority.