An Early Intervention Practitioner is responsible for identifying and sourcing the right intervention at the right time in an individual’s life. They provide early mental health, wellbeing and behaviour support to children and young people and nurture the vital skills they need to engage with life and learning.

Early Intervention Practitioners work in many different environments within early years, schools, colleges, youth organisations, charities, and across the community to meet the mental health needs of the children and young people they are supporting.

The apprenticeship is a work-based programme completed over 12-18 months.

The training will be delivered by experienced Thrive experts using a blend of interactive classroom sessions, 1:1 tutor time, small tutor group sessions and self-directed e-learning. 

You'll spend around 20% of your working hours completing off-the-job training related to your apprenticeship.

The Early Intervention Practitioner is a work-based programme for people already in employment.

Your employer will need to give you time during your working hours each week for activities and learning related to your apprenticeship. This is called off-the-job training.

Thrive will work with employers to ensure this time is spent on activities that both build the apprentice’s capabilities and benefit the organisation. For example, apprentices will be taught how to assess and respond to a child’s social and emotional needs using the Thrive Approach then tasked with applying this new knowledge to children in their setting and sharing their findings and recommendations with colleagues.

Off-the-job training can include:

• Thrive training
• Tutor time
• Working with children and young people
• Inset days
• In-house training
• Mentoring
• Shadowing
• Conferences & seminars
• Reflective learning
• Networking
• Project work
• Research

The exact blend of activities will be agreed with the apprentice and employer at the start of the programme. 20% of your contracted hours need to be for off-the-job training.

During the Early Intervention Practitioner apprenticeship, you’ll learn how to help young people understand and manage their emotions, cope with stress, and take on life's ups and downs - leading to a positive impact on wellbeing, behaviour, school attendance and learning outcomes.

The apprenticeship will teach you how to provide practical advice and emotional support to children and young people with complex needs, or those experiencing specific barriers to learning. Plus, you’ll cover safeguarding, managing cases and referrals, and how to handle working relationships.

The apprenticeship will be split into 13 core modules:

• Module 1: Building effective relationships
• Module 2: Understanding development
• Module 3: Supporting development and assessing risk
• Module 4: Developing self-awareness and the capacity to reflect
• Module 5: Understanding the drivers of behaviours
• Module 6: Supporting relationships and effective communication with others
• Module 7: Working effectively with others
• Module 8: Recognising need and responding effectively
• Module 9: Understanding and responding to change
• Module 10: Analysing impact and celebrating success
• Module 11: Navigating and managing systems and processes
• Module 12: Moving forwards as an Early Intervention Practitioner
• Module 13: Developing observational skills

Your final session will support you to prepare for your End-Point Assessment.

The apprenticeship is a level 4 qualification, equivalent to a Higher National Certificate (HNC).

Successful candidates will qualify as an Early Intervention Practitioner and also as a Thrive Licensed Practitioner.

Don't worry about extra work—the Thrive Licensed Practitioner training is fully integrated into the apprenticeship programme.

The End-Point Assessment will be carried out by an external organisation. Your Apprenticeship Tutor will make sure that you are prepared for these assessments throughout your apprenticeship training. The EPA will consist of:

1. A professional discussion underpinned by a portfolio of evidence.

2. A work-based case study with a written report and video recording of a meeting, plus questioning.

You'll receive a grade of fail, pass, or distinction for these assessments. If you receive a fail, there is an opportunity to resit.  

To be eligible for the upcoming cohort, you must: 

• Be employed in a role working closely with children or young people
• Have support from your employer and levy account holder 
• Have achieved GCSE grade 9-4 (A* - C) or equivalent in English and maths. If you haven't secured a grade 4 (C) or above in GCSE English and maths, you will be required to complete Functional Skills Level 2 in these areas. You will be fully supported by your tutors using a range of materials that best suits you.
• Be based in England
• Have held residency in the UK for the last 3 years 
• Be available to start the apprenticeship w/c 6th January 2025

Yes. If you work fewer than 30 hours per week or have a zero hours contract, you can still apply for a place on the apprenticeship. However, it will take longer for you to complete the training as we are required to extend the duration of the apprenticeship in this situation.

If you work fewer than 16 hours per week, the training will have to be extended over a lengthy period, making it difficult to successfully complete the apprenticeship.

The Early Intervention Practitioner apprenticeship is valued at £3,500. If your setting pays into the apprenticeship levy, the training is funded. If not, your organisation only needs to pay 5% of the cost, which is £175.

If your setting contributes to the apprenticeship levy fund employers can use their apprenticeship service account to access and manage fund contributions for apprenticeship training in England.

Apprenticeship Levy transfer: 

• Employers with unspent levy funds can transfer up to 50% of their contributions to another employer. That means your setting could use another organisation's levy funds to cover the full apprenticeship cost.

If your setting has fewer than 50 employees: 

• If you work for an organisation with less than 50 employees, and are aged 16-18, or 19-24 with an EHCP, you’re eligible for 100% of the funding.

Government incentive:

• Employers and training providers will receive an additional £1,000 where the apprentice is between 16 and 18 years old. 

Download your free guide to the apprenticeship levy here.

If you’re looking to qualify as an Early Intervention Practitioner and a Thrive Licensed Practitioner and you meet the eligibility criteria, you can start the application process by completing the form above.

A member of our team will get back in touch with you to progress your application.

As part of the application process, your employer will automatically be sent a declaration to complete.

Yes, there is no cap on how many people from the same setting can apply for the apprenticeship.

If you’d like to train current staff members as Early Intervention Practitioners and Thrive Licensed Practitioners, please ask them to start by completing the form above. You'll automatically be sent a declaration to complete as part of the application process.

No. If your organisation contributes to the apprenticeship levy fund, you can access your fund contributions through your apprenticeship service account. 100% of the cost of training will be paid for by the government.

If your organisation doesn’t contribute to the apprenticeship levy fund, you must pay 5% towards the cost of training, which is £175 for this apprenticeship. The remaining 95% will be paid by the government.

Smaller organisations can benefit from the levy contributions of other employers to cover this 5% cost. This is because employers with unspent funds can transfer up to 50% of that contribution to another employer.

If your organisation has fewer than 50 employees, you’ll receive 100% of the funding where the apprentice is 16–18 years old or is between 19 and 24 and has a local education, health and care plan. Employers and training providers will receive an additional £1,000 where the apprentice is between 16 and 18 years old.