Structured interviews

A structured interview is for occupational health staff to clarify potential problems and identify suitable interventions such as counselling or further referral, or in some cases, signposting to information, advice or training.

This page details our structured interview training. 

Page updated on 16 June 2023

Who is eligible for structured interview training

Our structured interview training is designed for occupational health nurses, OHA’s, psychologists or counsellors who are qualified to undertake the structured interviews, such as:

  • A qualified nurse working as an occupational health nurse adviser, carrying out clinical case management.
  • A registered counsellor with accredited status with United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) or British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
  • A qualified clinical psychologist registered with British Psychological Society (BPS).

Structured interview training course

This is a one-day course.

Course outcomes:

  • Psychological surveillance: Gain an understanding of the concepts and techniques involved in psychological surveillance, including data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
  • Assessing stress and trauma: Learn how to use psychological surveillance data to determine stress and trauma levels in police officers and staff in high-risk roles.
  • Psychological structured interviews: Acquire the skills needed to conduct structured interviews that delve into the psychological wellbeing of individuals, allowing for a comprehensive assessment.
  • Feedback and advice: Learn how to provide constructive feedback and offer advice based on psychological surveillance findings, supporting individuals to build a more resilient future.
  • Referrals and resources: Learn how to identify appropriate referrals and connect individuals with the necessary resources, ensuring they receive the professional support they need.

If I have already completed the structured interview training course can I do it again?

Yes, if you completed the structured interview training more than three years ago, please get in touch using the 'contact us' button at the bottom of this page.

Structured interview refresher course

A refresher course is a half-day course.

It’s aimed at OHAs / counsellors etc who have been involved in the surveillance screening for at least a year, who have good amount of experience of undertaking structured interviews and reading reports etc and are looking to refresh their training in undertaking structured interviews and interpretation of reports.

Course outcomes

Aims of the course:

  • Discover the latest best practices and industry insights in psychological surveillance, ensuring you have the most current tools.
  • Deepen your understanding of determining stress and trauma levels in police officers and staff by analysing psychological surveillance data.
  • Enhance your skills in conducting psychological structured interviews, allowing for a more comprehensive evaluation of individuals' psychological well-being.
  • Refine your ability to provide constructive feedback and deliver helpful advice based on psychological surveillance findings, enabling practical support.
  • Explore new resources and referral pathways, ensuring you can connect individuals with the appropriate support services.

If I have undertaken the structured interview course but not had the opportunity to undertake any or only a limited number of structured interviews and I feel I need to attend a refresher course, can I do the course?

If it is some time since you did the course and / or if you have not carried out any structured interviews recently, please use the 'contact us' button at the bottom of this page, to discuss the best course of action.

Advanced structured interview course

Our advanced course is a full day course and is designed for practitioners who have experience in undertaking structured interviews and wish to extend their knowledge and practice and develop a more in-depth knowledge of the model. 

How many structured interviews should I have done, before attending an advanced structured interview course?

You must have undertaken at least 20 structured interviews.

Course outcomes

By the end of the day, you will have:

  • Refreshed your skills in undertaking initial, ongoing and follow-up structured interviews
  • Determined how and when to use a referral screening questionnaire
  • Demonstrated advanced awareness of skills in structured interviews and feedback sessions
  • Delivered an effective presentation of screening results with recommendations for management actions and interventions
  • The knowledge on how to commission and undertake research / evaluations which could be published or support an academic qualification.

How to access this training

For dates of upcoming courses please go to events.

Other FAQs

I am a qualified, registered general nurse, but do not hold a specialist qualification in occupational health. Would I be eligible to attend structured interview training?

Yes, because you are a qualified nurse.  

Can this training be recorded against my continuing professional development (CPD)?

Yes. A certificate of completion will be emailed to delegates after they have successfully completed a course.

How will competence to undertake a structured interview be assessed during the course?

You will be required to undertake a role play assessment and you will receive a feedback report.

What if I can’t make the training or I have to cancel?

If you can’t attend or have to cancel, please decline the Teams meeting you have been sent, then let us know as soon as possible using the 'contact us' button at the bottom of this page.

General

Who will have access (and why) to my contact details?

The National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS)

The NPWS will issue you with your course invite and joining instructions, as well as your certificate of completion. In addition, they will keep your details on a training database as a record to show when you attended the course.

Noreen Tehrani Associates (NTAPS)

NTAPS deliver the training. With your permission, your contact details will be forwarded by the NPWS to Noreen Tehrani Associates (NTAPS) in advance of the structured interview course, to enable them to send you a psychological screening form.

Your own force point of contact / wellbeing lead

Once you have been chosen to attend a course by your force, NPWS will inform your force SPOC of your attendance or non-attendance and the outcome of the training. How this information is held and for what purpose will be determined by your force.

Get in touch

If you have any other questions not covered on this page or you wish to cancel please use the button below. Please ensure that you add 'Structured interview training' to the subject line of the email.

Contact us