New courses for Community Mental Health and Learning Disability nurses
Specialist Practitioner Qualification (SPQ) programmes have been commissioned by HEIW in Community Mental Health Nursing and Community Learning Disability Nursing. For the first time the courses will be delivered in Wales with Bangor University starting in Spring 2026.
Community Mental Health Nursing (CMHN) and Community Learning Disability Nursing (CLDN) are integral to delivering equitable, person-centred care within community settings in Wales. CMHNs provide early intervention, relapse prevention, and recovery-focused support, reducing hospital admissions and promoting social inclusion. CLDNs work with individuals with learning disabilities to facilitate healthcare access, enhance independence, and address complex comorbidities, thereby tackling health inequalities.
A Specialist Practitioner Qualification (SPQ) develops advanced clinical competence, critical thinking, and leadership capacity, enabling Registered Nurses to deliver evidence-based interventions, work across organisational boundaries, and drive service innovation.
Lisa Llewelyn (Executive Director of Nursing Health Professionals & Quality) advised
“The commissioning of these educational programmes aligns closely with HEIWs Strategic Nursing Workforce Plan and Mental Health Workforce Plan as well as key Welsh Government policy drivers. A Healthier Wales (2018) which promotes integrated, community-based care; Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy (2025) and Improving Lives (2018) which emphasise early intervention, stigma reduction, and equitable provision.
“By enabling nurses to operationalise these strategies, the SPQ education strengthens the capacity of CMHNs and CLDNs to lead preventative, person-centred care that addresses social determinants of health and supports a sustainable, inclusive healthcare system for the benefit of the Welsh population.”
Ian Mathieson (Director Of Education Strategy & Transformation) said
“For the first time in Wales, Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) is commissioning both CMHN and CLDN SPQ education programmes. These programmes are delivered online by Bangor University to ensure accessibility for Registered Nurses across all regions of Wales, promoting equality of opportunity and supporting the career development and retention of nurses throughout the country”.
Community Nursing Specialist Practice Qualification (SPQ): Mental Health (PGDip) | Bangor University