HSSDoctorateinClinical PsychologyProgrammeSpecification

DOCTORATE IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION Statement of the Knowledge, Understanding and Skills Pertaining to the Taught Doctorate in Clinical Psychology Awarded by the University of Edinburgh Programme Title: University of Edinburgh/NHS (Scotland) Clinical Psychology Training Programme Awarding Institution: University of Edinburgh Teaching Institution: University of Edinburgh, Section of Clinical and Health Psychology, School of Health in Social Science Faculty/College: College of Humanities and Social Science Accrediting Professional Body: British Psychological Society, Committee on Training in Clinical Psychology Final Award: D.Clin.Psychol Date of Specification: Version 1, December 2004 External Benchmarks/Reference Points: The programme specification has been developed to reflect guidance from the following external reference documents:  Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, Guidelines for Preparing Programme Specifications  Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, Clinical Psychology Benchmark Statement  British Psychological Society, Quality Assurance Policies & Practice for Postgraduate Training (second edition), July 2002  Committee on Training in Clinical Psychology Accreditation Criteria  Committee on Training in Clinical Psychology, Information Pack for Institutions Preparing for a Full Accreditation Visit (revised August 2003)  Division of Clinical Psychology Statement of Core Purpose and Philosophy  British Psychological Society Code of Conduct  Division of Clinical Psychology Professional Practice Guidelines Programme Aims: The main aims of the programme are to:  Provide doctoral level training that enables graduate psychologists to develop a wide range of clinical, research and organisational skills, and high standards of professional behaviour, in order to meet the requirements of chartered status and function as flexible and competent clinical psychologists within the National Health Service; and  Equip trainees with the appropriate information and guidance to enable them to achieve and develop a model of reflective professional practice to the standard required of members of the profession These aims are underpinned by a core philosophy that emphasises valuing of, and respect for, the broad range of client groups with whom trainees will work in the context of training The programme is rooted in the scientistpractitioner traditions of the profession, and focuses on the achievement of competence in academic, research and clinical domains The programme draws on the close links and collaborative partnership established between academic staff and their clinical colleagues in local NHS services; and seeks to foster a learning environment designed to facilitate and support both professional and personal development The objectives of the programme are to provide trainees with the skills, knowledge and values required to integrate psychological theory with clinical practice to enable them to:  Assess, formulate, evaluate and solve clinical problems, using a range of psychological theories and knowledge, and drawing on a variety of models of psychological therapies and intervention  Evaluate the efficacy of treatments and work within a framework of evidence based practice, drawing from and developing the professional knowledge base  Apply knowledge of different areas of psychology to form a basis for working in a wide range of specialty areas within clinical psychology  Work in a variety of settings (e.g academic, health, community)  Adopt both direct and indirect modes of intervention to improve and support psychological aspects of health and social care  Communicate effectively with staff from other disciplines and work within multi-disciplinary teams as a clinician, supervisor or consultant  Build effective alliances with individuals (including staff, clients and carers) from a diverse range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds  Demonstrate high standards of conduct and ethical behaviour consistent with recognised guidelines for professional practice  Understand the social context within which psychological problems may develop, and how environments may be modified to ameliorate problems  Understand the policy, legislative and planning contexts of the services in which clinical practice is undertaken  Understand the need for regular evaluation of their work, be skilled in self-reflection and selfawareness, and understand the need for continuing professional development after qualification A curriculum map of the programme specification is presented in Table 10 Programme Learning Outcomes: The programme provides trainees with an opportunity to develop the integrated range of competences necessary for eligibility for chartered status within the British Psychological Society, providing sufficient experiences to equip trainees with the professional knowledge, skills and core values to work effectively with clients in a range of settings using a variety of psychological interventions 10.1 Knowledge and Understanding On completion of training, trainees will be able to:  Understand contemporary psychological theories and the application of the scientific knowledge base in clinical psychology to underpin clinical and research practice  Integrate prior knowledge in novel situations, enhancing their professional ability to think critically, creatively, and reflectively; and to evaluate the impact of planned psychological interventions  Develop, conduct and evaluate research, which is both ethical and of clinical relevance within the NHS and other settings  Apply appropriate assessment procedures, develop appropriate formulations, and carry out appropriate interventions with clients, recognizing and observing appropriate professional boundaries and standards of competence, and conducting appropriate appraisal of the impact of such procedures in service delivery systems, using highly developed self-reflective skills  Understand the importance of fostering productive and therapeutic working alliances with clients, while maintaining awareness of the wider social setting of interventions, and balancing the needs of clients and service delivery systems  Understand the range of service delivery models available for interventions at individual, group and systemic levels with a variety of client groups  Understand consultancy models and the importance of consultancy as an advance practice skill 10.2 Subject Specific Skills On completion of training, trainees will be able to:            Obtain, summarise and synthesise clinical and research material from a range of appropriate sources Demonstrate skills in the psychological assessment and theoretically based formulation of clinical cases Critically evaluate psychological theories and models as they are applied in clinical psychology practice and research Demonstrate understanding in the application of theoretically based treatment in regards to clinical cases Consider and appraise the relative benefits of different models and approaches in clinical practice and research Critically evaluate conceptual and methodological issues and debates in clinical psychology practice and applied research Work in collaboration with others to conduct and report research to test theories of psychological problems and evaluate interventions Work independently when conducting and reporting research in a number of applied areas in clinical psychology Demonstrate competence in the selection and implementation of appropriate methodological designs for the evaluation of efficacious and effective interventions in practice Demonstrate competence in the process of clinical effectiveness and audit Demonstrate competence in the planning and execution of clinically applied research 10.3 Transferable Skills On completion of training, trainees will be able to:        Demonstrate the ability to apply the breadth of psychological science in practice, synthesising and apply theory in practice across disciplinary boundaries Use the knowledge base of psychological science to assess, formulate and develop psychological interventions Use transferable knowledge, skills and values from prior experience and apply these in novel situations Use scientific principles of critical evaluation and analytical thinking to apply theories in practice to develop interventions for a range of client groups and service needs Demonstrate competence in conducting analyses of problems, while considering a range of possible solutions Demonstrate the ability to interact and work effectively with a range of health professionals in multidisciplinary settings Demonstrate competence in written communication skills across placements, understanding the need to consider the needs of different consumers of psychological reports, letters and research outputs 10.4 Psychological Assessment On completion of training, trainees will be able to:    Choose, apply and interpret a broad range of assessment methods appropriate to the client and service delivery systems in which the assessment takes place and the type of intervention that is likely to be required pursuant to the standards normally expected by the profession Demonstrate competence in the use of formal assessment procedures, using standardised psychometric measures, use of systematic interviewing procedures (including standardised semi-structured diagnostic interviews), including the use of other structured means of information gathering, such as observation Demonstrate competence in conducting appropriate risk assessments and the appropriate use of these to guide practice 10.5 Psychological Formulation On completion of training, trainees will be able to:      Demonstrate the ability to develop formulations using a range of possible sources of information Trainees will integrate information from assessments and other wide range of information sources to determine a coherent account of the clients needs and the cause, development and maintenance of clients problems Demonstrate competence in the incorporation of the interpersonal, societal, cultural and biological factors important in the understanding of the clients difficulties Demonstrate competence in the use of formulation to plan appropriate and flexible treatment interventions that consider the clients perspective, including determining possible obstacles to intervention and assist multi-professional communications and understandings of the scientific application of psychological theories Demonstrate the necessary and appropriate knowledge base to develop formulations and use these as hypothesises for the development of interventions and understandings of the client and their experiences As such trainees will understand the necessity to revise formulations as appropriate and the importance of reformulation Demonstrate competence in the communication of formulations with clients in order to facilitate their understandings of their own experiences 10.6 Psychological Intervention and Evaluation On completion of training, trainees will be able to:     Use formulation as a basis for planning interventions, trainees will demonstrate the ability to implement psychological interventions appropriate to the clients presenting problems, taking account of the psychological and social circumstance of the client in a collaborative manner with individuals, couples, families, groups or couples, and systems, services and organisations Demonstrate the ability to implement interventions through and with other professional for the benefit of clients, their carers (formal and informal), or within systems Demonstrate competence in monitoring and evaluating psychological interventions and demonstrate reflective skills that allows for the modification of interventions according to information gathered Recognise when intervention is inappropriate, or where further intervention is inappropriate and provide clients, groups or systems with suitably constructive options that are respectful and appropriate 10.7 Personal and Professional Skills On completion of training, trainees will:    Develop awareness of the impact of diversity and difference when working with a range of clients and in a range of services Understand their responsibilities towards clients they come in contact with Trainees will understand the need to remain cognisant of the ethical demands in practice and remain bound by the BPS code of conduct Develop an awareness of the inherent power imbalance between practitioners and recipients of their care and minimise the potential for the abuse of this power imbalance  Know the professional responsibilities of working within the limits of one’s competence and the duty to seek supervision as appropriate  Know the importance of continuing professional development with respect to the duty of care to clients, carers and within systems  Know their responsibility for managing personal learning needs and maintaining strategies for developing these In addition trainees will understand how to use supervision and feedback as a way of reflecting upon personal learning needs  Know that they have a personal responsibility to develop strategies to minimise the emotional and physical impact of practice and where necessary seeking appropriate support and supervision  Know they have a duty and responsibility to maintain collaborative working arrangements with colleagues, fellow psychologists and service users 10.8 Communication, Teaching and Service Delivery Skills On completion of training, trainees will be able to:  Understand the need to develop skills in effective communication with colleagues from other health professions Providing psychological information in a manner appropriate to the needs of the audience  Demonstrate good communication and teaching skills for the purpose of presenting clinical and nonclinical psychological information, at an individual, group and delivery system level  Develop competence in the delivery of information to people with a wide range and levels of ability Taking account of the needs of learners and participants in any training as well as respecting the needs of others to benefit from a variety of teaching methods Trainees will understand that clarity of communication is essential in ethical practice in research such that any participant in research has a right to a full understanding of the extent of their involvement and their rights within the research relationship  Understand the need for clarity and precision in communication within supervision  Develop skills, knowledge and values that will equip them to function as an effective member of multidisciplinary teams  Understand change processes in organisations and service delivery systems that are likely to come into contact with as part of their practice  Apply transferable knowledge, skills and values when working at the level of organisations  Develop understandings of the need for consultancy in practice and when working at a consultative level will be fully cognisant of the boundaries of competence when providing advice and consultation 11 Teaching, Learning and Assessment: A variety of teaching and learning methods are employed to achieve the learning outcomes specified above:        Formal teaching including didactic lectures, small group seminars and skills based participatory workshops Experiential case presentations by experienced clinicians Presentations of case studies by trainees within their cohort group, with support and feedback provided by academic and clinical staff Peer presentation and review sessions, focussing on critical evaluation of published research and presentation of research ideas Private independent study time to support academic and clinical course components Supervised research time allocated to each individual trainee, to assist development of their own research ideas and support their small-scale research and thesis Supervised clinical experience over three years covering four core areas and two specialist/elective clinical placements (each trainee being supervised by a suitably qualified, locally based, chartered clinical psychologist) Assessment of learning outcomes occurs through a range of different procedures as follows:  Four unseen written examinations covering four broad areas in Clinical Psychology: Adult Mental Health, Learning Disabilities, Children and Adolescents, Older Adults/ Neuropsychology Trainees      complete two examinations at the end of each of the first two academic years In the Flexible Training Scheme the timing for completion of examinations is dependent upon the planned developmental training sequence of academic and core competence clinical placements as set out by the ITDP One seen written essay on professional issues is completed in year three Trainees are given a choice of topics for the essay In the Flexible Training Scheme the timing for completion of the professional issues essay is dependent upon the planned developmental training sequence of academic and core competence clinical placements as set out by the ITDP Four case studies submitted following completion of the first four training placements, one from each of the core competence training placements (Adult Mental Health, Learning Disabilities, Child & Adolescents, Older Adults/Neuropsychology) In the Flexible Training Scheme the timing for completion of the four case studies is dependent upon the planned developmental training sequence of academic and core competence clinical placements as set out by the ITDP Six clinical placements in four core areas of clinical psychology (Adult Mental Health, Learning Disabilities, Child & Adolescents, Older Adults/Neuropsychology) and two elective areas At the end of each placement, the trainee and their supervisor jointly agree upon ratings completed in the Evaluation of Clinical Competence (ECC) forms On placement, trainees are responsible for completing an up to date portfolio of relevant clinical experience and practice The portfolio is made up of placement contracts, learning objective forms, weekly records of clinical activity and any other associated placement paperwork Four small-scale research projects completed at the end of each clinical placement in years one and two Two of these small-scale research projects require to be fully written up and submitted as part of a trainee’s portfolio of training The remaining two small-scale research projects are submitted as abstracts In the Flexible Training Scheme the timing for completion of the small-scale research studies is dependent upon the planned developmental training sequence of academic and core competence clinical placements as set out by the ITDP A substantial independent doctoral research thesis 25,000-30,000 words in length This thesis is examined by viva voce examination by internal and external examiners In the Flexible Training Scheme the timing for completion of the thesis is dependent upon the planned developmental training sequence of academic and core competence clinical placements as set out by the ITDP Trainees can develop and plan their thesis from the beginning of year two and can choose to submit their completed thesis by the end of years three, four or five of their training depending upon their ITDP The assessments are comprehensive and objective The four written examinations are double-marked anonymously; other written work is also second marked in order to compensate for positive and negative biases in the primary markers The external examiner may adjust marks also Details of the requirements for each piece of assessed work are provided in the Course Handbook supplied to trainees The Handbook also contains guidelines for marking; details of the ground for academic and clinical failure; and information on the appeals procedure as agreed by the training committee and following university regulations A description of the relationship between assessments and learning outcomes is provided in Table 12 Programme Structure: The programme is a partnership between the University of Edinburgh and clinical psychologists working within nine NHS Health Board areas (from October 2004) The course has a formal academic syllabus, based on the BPS National Curriculum for Clinical Psychology, which provides a coherent training in Clinical Psychology over three years During This period of training, 839 hours are set aside for formal teaching, which accounts for approximately 25 per cent of total training time Within this total, 45 hours are set aside for Professional Issues teaching and 108 hours are set aside for the Research Skills teaching Both these modules are organised developmentally over the full years of the teaching programme At least 55 per cent of time is spent in clinical practice on placement; and 20 per cent of time is set aside for independent private study In the Flexible Training Scheme, the programme structure is exactly the same as for the standard three year Course, however, an ITDP is agreed between host NHS Area and the appropriate Speciality Head, The NHS Course Manager, Dr Ann Green, the Senior Clinical Tutor, Ms Sheena Bailey, and the trainee themselves Each ITDP sets out a structured developmental training programme within a four or five year training plan Regardless of the length of the training plan each trainee must complete three years of academic and clinical teaching and core competence based placement experience 12.1 Academic Component The teaching programme is organised into six modules over the three years of training as specified in an Individual Training & Development Plan In the Flexible Training Scheme the three years of training will be distributed across the planned four or five plan as set out in the ITDP Regardless of the length of the training as set out in the ITDP, all trainees must successfully complete all six training modules The timing for the completion of all teaching modules is determined by the ITDP Over the six modules of the training programme, there are four major life span developmental themes: Adult Mental Health, Learning Disabilities, Child, Adolescents and Families, and Older Adults The lifespan developmental themes are supplemented by two additional specialist teaching modules Research and professional issues teaching is provided developmentally across all teaching modules and is completed within three years Flexible Training Scheme trainees return to their original training cohort to complete their research and professional issues teaching within three years from the start of their training The syllabus covers the required learning objectives that demonstrate academic competence in clinical psychology In year one; modules one and two, a substantial proportion of teaching is workshop based and trainees are encouraged to develop clinical decision-making skills Skills based workshops are also applied in modules three and four covering multidisciplinary working and systemic approaches in children and in older adults In modules five and six of the teaching programme, workshops-based teaching sessions cover major models of psychotherapy across and within client groups The teaching syllabus supports and encourages the application of knowledge and practice that facilitates the transfer of skills across specialities and within a developmental learning framework All teaching modules provide teaching on formulation, assessment, intervention, evaluation, research, and service delivery The syllabus also encourages trainees to become selfreflective practitioners and promotes this activity through peer presentations, specific sessions within professional issues teaching, and by encouraging lecturers to model these skills in their presentations and workshops The syllabus promotes the communication and teaching skills of trainees by encouraging their participation in teaching through trainee presentations and critical evaluations of research and clinical papers Trainees are provided with feedback on their communication and teaching skills following their participation in peer teaching The teaching content is organised into modules that are synchronised with placement experience Before each of the first four core clinical placements, trainees spend four to five weeks in teaching in Edinburgh; thereafter, there are two additional teaching days per month throughout the placement During the final two placements, teaching is spread across six months, with teaching blocks lasting for one week in every month over the two sixmonth periods Currently, most of the teaching takes place within the Kennedy Tower at the University of Edinburgh In addition, a small number of teaching days take place in individual clinical psychology departments outside the University Section of Clinical and Health Psychology The Course has also recently started to develop online supportive training environments in Older Adults and Learning Disabilities 12.2 Clinical Component Clinical Experience commences in November of year one following the completion of the first teaching module In the first year of the programme, trainees complete an adult mental health and a learning disabilities core competence placement Depending upon the ITDP trainees complete child and adolescents core competence placements, older adult core competence placement and two specialist/elective core competence placements over the duration of their training plan which can last for either four or five years Overall, the clinical experience gained during the core competence placements covers a wide range of problems, clients, settings and modes of working Clinical psychologists with at least two years experience supervise trainees Where necessary a clinical psychologist with at least one year of experience will supervise, whilst remaining under the overall guidance of a more experienced colleague The latter tends to occur if there is a shortage of supervisors in a particular specialist area, but may also take place to provide professional development opportunities for new supervisors Although guidelines permit supervision after one year, the senior clinical psychologist proposing such a tandem supervisory arrangement always consults the Senior Clinical Tutor about the adequacy of such arrangements However, this arrangement is exceptional because of the wealth of clinical placements available in the NHS Areas linked with the University of Edinburgh course Each trainee has a named ‘main’ supervisor on every placement A written placement contract is drawn up within two weeks of the start of each placement In practice most trainees and supervisors use their first supervision session to this in the first week of placement Placement contracts reflect learning objectives identified at the end of the previous placement following completion of the Assessment of Clinical Competence evaluation forms It is a requirement that trainees must receive at least one formal hour of supervision on placement, and three hours of other contact time, per week; however, in most cases supervision occurs on a more regular basis and as the situation and need demands For the mid-placement visit by the clinical tutors, a formal written evaluation of the trainee is carried out using the Evaluation of Clinical Competence form There is also a full written report produced by the Clinical Tutor following the midplacement review meeting Subsequently, at the end of the placement, the final Evaluation of Clinical Competence form is completed by the supervisor, signed by the trainee, and discussed at the appropriate Director of Studies meeting 12.3 Research Component The main aim of the Research Module is to develop research skills and a scientific approach to the formulation and study of problems in applied psychology The main outcome of the research module is to produce trainees who are sophisticated consumers of research In effect trainees are helped to become more analytical and critical in their thinking and in the evaluation of outcomes, whether this is in clinical practice, in the setting up and evaluation of systems of working, or in the outlining and formulation of a competent research methodology in order to address specific research questions Through an incremental approach to research design and implementation, via small-scale research projects through to the eventual execution and completion of a doctoral thesis, trainees develop critical reasoning skills and demonstrate independent thinking and knowledge application The learning objectives specified for the research module include, for example, experience of a wide range of different research designs, the use of qualitative and quantitative data, and competence in the use of computer statistical packages These objectives have been developed in conjunction with the Training Committee, and with the clinical supervisors, the latter having an integral role in practice based research The research curriculum has a programme of teaching including didactic lectures in the first year through to interactive problem-solving statistical workshops in years two and three, encompassing a wide range of methods of data analyses both exploratory and hypothesis testing including qualitative and quantitative methods The Flexible Training Scheme trainees complete their research teaching within their original larger cohort group by the end of year three of their training plan.The distributed research module facilitates trainee learning from basic statistical concepts and simple exploratory data analytic techniques, through to more sophisticated multivariate approaches Hands-on experience of the use of computer statistical packages occurs throughout the training period as specified in the Individual Training and Development Plans As most trainees will be likely to use the statistical data analysis programme, SPSS, a lot of emphasis is placed upon familiarising trainees with this statistical package from year one onwards All packages used for the SPSS workshops are also available on designated trainee computers, along with additional specialised modules, for those who wish to familiarise themselves further with this programme, or gain particular experience of analyses they plan to use in their own studies Particular emphasis is placed on the very real ethical constraints on applied research, and this is supported by additional focus on ethical issues within the Professional Issues module Small Scale Research Projects (SSRPs) provide trainees with the optimal environment to plan and execute clinically relevant applied research, from initial ideas through to design and data analysis, the completion of research reports, and where appropriate the completion of applications for ethical approval One small-scale research project is required to be carried out in each of the four core competence placement experiences (Adult Mental Health, Learning Disabilities, Children, Adolescents and Family, and Older People) Placements allow up to half a day per week for small-scale research Two of the small-scale projects are written up for formal assessment, which gives the trainee a choice of which projects to submit All four small-scale research projects are presented to their peers, providing valuable opportunities for the development of both presentation and critical skills All trainees are required to submit a clinically relevant research thesis, of between 25,000 and 30,000 words, towards the end of their final year of training The thesis is expected to include a substantial literature review and an account of a piece of empirical research of a doctoral standard As part of the thesis requirements, all research proposals are submitted to local Ethics Committees, and any additional equivalents that may exist if the research participants are outwith the NHS At the beginning of the third year, trainees are required to submit their research proposals, which are reviewed by the Research Committee, comprising the Course academic staff Trainees are eligible to submit their thesis ideas at an earlier stage if appropriate Recommendations and suggestions are then made to each trainee and a research contract is developed with academic and clinical supervisors Particular care is taken over thesis proposals and the choice of appropriate field supervisors for the research, in addition each trainee also has a University Supervisor The trainee is expected to reach agreements with both the field and university supervisors regarding respective responsibilities, targets, schedules and supervision meetings 12.4 Personal & Professional Development Component The main aim of this module is to assist the trainee in developing their identity as a clinical psychologist, pursuant to the skills, knowledge and values expected of the profession To assist trainees with their development in this regard, teaching covers the ethical and practical concerns of working with many client groups who may be vulnerable in one respect or another As the profession is rooted in the scientist-practitioner tradition, trainees are encouraged to become cognisant of their identity as practitioners of psychological science to address human distress and problems Thus academic, clinical and research competency is highlighted as a professional issue Another core issue in the personal and professional development of trainees over the term of the training programme is the importance of self-awareness in appraising and reflecting upon aspects of their own practice An important core competency to be developed by trainees is awareness of their own limits and boundaries in clinical practice, and awareness of the need to seek appropriate supervision, as and when the situation demands As the profession of clinical psychology is based upon the fundamental premise that acknowledges the equal value of all people, trainees are required to develop awareness of the importance of diversity within the social and cultural context of their relationships and working practices with clients, systems and settings The Flexible Training Scheme trainees complete their Professional Issues teaching within their original larger cohort group by the end of year three of their training plan 13 Criteria for Admission and Progress: Applicants require a good honours degree in psychology from a British University, or equivalent, which is approved as providing the Graduate Basis of Registration with the British Psychological Society Although candidates are expected to have obtained a first or upper second-class degree, the course will in some circumstances consider candidates with a lower second-class degree if they have successfully completed a relevant postgraduate degree In addition, it is expected normally that candidates will have gained at least some relevant clinical or research experience, although the quality of relevant experience rather than the quantity is considered most important The selection criteria and procedures are subject to regular review in the context of Course stakeholders The selection policy does not discriminate between candidates according to gender, age, race, religion, creed, or disability The University of Edinburgh is accessible to all candidates irrespective of disability The Course seeks to be fair and to implement its own and the employing authorities Equal Opportunities Policy Progression through each year of the programme is contingent upon satisfactory performance in academic and clinical assessments and examinations Failure in the academic component is assessed by the academic staff in conjunction with the external examiner and clinical tutors via The Board of Examiners All components of the degree must be passed, although a failed case report or case study may be ‘carried’ and resubmitted by the following December It is possible to re-sit exams in December of the following academic year also Written guidelines on placement failure are provided to all trainees and supervisors, and are contained in the Course Handbook The clinical tutor will recommend appropriate remedial action in the first instance depending on the type of placement failure that has occurred (e.g inadequate range of experience or supervision, prolonged illness, etc) There is an appeals procedure, which is consistent with the University and employer’s procedures, and is made available to all trainees as part of the Course Handbook 14 Support for Trainee Learning: The Directors of Studies and the Examinations Tutor maintain a record of any learning needs or special requirements of trainees Appropriate assistance and support is then provided regarding academic and clinical work, where required, in conjunction with the learning support office at the University The following range of support is available to trainees throughout the training:            All trainees are allocated two Directors of Studies (academic staff member and clinical tutor team member) at the start of their training The Directors of Studies are responsible for assessing the overall developmental learning and training needs of the individual trainee for the achievement of competence All trainees are allocated a personal trainee ‘buddy’ from a higher year who will meet with them, as required, to help the trainee become acquainted with course procedures First year trainees are linked with a Personal Tutor from a list of experienced clinical psychologists provided by the course From the second year onwards, trainees are at liberty to choose a different Personal Tutor if preferred The Personal Tutor is someone who will not be involved in the assessment of the trainee, and from whom the trainee may receive mentoring and personal support Each training cohorts are allocated a Year Tutor who is a member of academic staff, and who meets regularly with each class year to review issues of concern, including any that relate to teaching Each training cohort is provided with the opportunity to take part in a training support group, facilitated by an experienced group process psychologist external to the course Trainees can self-refer to confidential counselling services provided in some NHS areas Trainees are provided with a Handbook at the start of their training which lays out the Course procedural guidelines, including relevant clinical and academic information such as leave entitlement, travel claims, placement organisation, what to in the event of personal, professional, academic and clinical difficulties etc The Course has purchased a number of laptop computers with relevant and up to date software that can be booked by trainees for their use Priority is given to third year trainees for thesis use, but first and second year trainees may borrow laptops for limited periods of time also The software provide for use by the trainees is optimal for word processing and data analysis In addition, there are a number of computing laboratories in the Colleges of Social Sciences and Medicine, and in the wider University, to which Trainees have access also Trainees have a small private room for their own use on the 4th floor of the Kennedy Tower, where their personal mail is delivered, and three desktop computers are located for trainee use Trainees have access to the University of Edinburgh library, which has sites throughout Edinburgh and in particular within the Kennedy Tower located on the sixth floor Trainees have access to libraries in a range of placement locations within the NHS Areas linked to the Course also All Trainees have e-mail addresses provided by Edinburgh University 15 Quality Assurance and Standards for the Programme: The quality of the programme is checked via the following internal and external validating mechanisms: 15.1 External Mechanisms     External examiners review the programme, and the standard of portfolios developed by trainees throughout the training, and provide a formal written report to the Course Accreditation by the Committee for Training in Clinical Psychology of the British Psychological Society occurs every years The programme is subject to University Wide Curriculum Project quality assurance procedures The programme provides appropriate reports to its funding and commissioning agency (NHS Education Scotland) as required 15.2 Internal Mechanisms  The Training Committee meets to discuss strategic issues and provide professional leadership for the development of the training programme The membership of the committee includes representation from all major stakeholders, including the Course Director, the NHS Course Manager, academic staff, clinical tutors, representatives of the linked NHS Area services, supervisor representatives, trainee representatives, and the NES National Director of Training This makes a committee of approximately 25 people The Training Committee has a Constitution that was agreed in 1996 and reviewed in 2003 The Committee meets as required, but at least twice per year The frequency of meeting is determined      by the combined geographic size of the Courses linked NHS Areas (currently nine Scottish Regions), which prohibits more frequent meetings The Course has an Executive Committee for dealing with matters of immediate concern that cannot await the next meeting of the Training Committee This Executive Committee meets approximately quarterly and comprises the Course Director, Deputy Course Director, NHS Course Manager and the Senior Clinical Tutor(s) The Course Organisation Group meetings are held fortnightly to discuss the day to day running of the programme and individual trainee progress is reviewed and discussed as appropriate An examinations board meets annually to review and monitor the progress of trainees The examination board consists of all members of the academic staff, the clinical tutor team, the external examiners, and senior academic members of University staff within the School of Health in Social Science On a bi-annual basis, a module coordinators meeting oversees issues of quality assurance of the curriculum, and considers syllabus development Membership of the module coordinators meeting is open to academic and clinical module coordinators, clinical tutors, supervisor representatives, and trainee representatives Two curriculum working groups covering modules one and two of year one and modules three to six of the teaching programme are currently meeting to discuss the transition of the course from a placement experience model to a core competences model The membership of this is drawn from representatives of the academic and Clinical Module Coordinators, Supervisor Representatives, Clinical Tutors, NHS Area Representatives and Trainees 15.3 Trainee Feedback In addition to the internal and external quality assurance checks for the training programme, trainees have regular opportunities to comment on, and influence, the quality of the training programme      At the end of each teaching module, individual trainee feedback is collated by the module coordinators, in both written form and in informal face-to-face discussion, at the end of module meeting Individual contributors receive feedback from the clinical and academic module coordinator At mid-placement and end of placement meetings with clinical supervisors, trainees complete an evaluation of the quality of the placement and supervision received Regular meetings between training year cohorts and their year tutor are held to facilitate communication between the course and trainees Trainee representatives from each of the three years have regular meetings with the Course Director and NHS Course Manager to consider the needs of their individual training cohort year Trainee representation is encouraged on all programme committees, including the Training Committee, Module Coordinators Meetings, Steering Group for the Online Older Adults Module and the Curriculum Working Groups End of Programme Specification APPENDIX 1A Table 1: Competence Based Curriculum Map Programme Title University of Edinburgh/NHS (Scotland) Clinical Psychology Training Programme Awarding Institution University of Edinburgh Teaching Institution University of Edinburgh, School of Health in Social Science, Section of Clinical and Health Psychology Faculty/College College of Humanities and Social Science Accrediting Professional Body British Psychological Society Committee on Training in Clinical Psychology Final Award D.Clin.Psychol Date of Specification Version 1, September 2004 Key External Reference Points QAA Guidelines for Preparing Programme Specifications and BPS Committee on Training in Clinical Psychology Accreditation Criteria Course Values, Philosophy and Main Aims for Education of Trainees: Trainees will have the skills, knowledge & values required to integrate psychological theory with clinical practice and enable them to:            Assess, formulate, evaluate and solve clinical problems, using a range of psychological theories and knowledge, and drawing on a variety of models of psychological therapies and intervention Evaluate the efficacy of treatments and work within a framework of evidence based practice, drawing from and developing the professional knowledge base Apply knowledge of different areas of psychology to form a basis for working in a wide range of specialty areas within clinical psychology Work in a variety of settings (e.g academic, health, community) Adopt both direct and indirect modes of intervention to improve and support psychological aspects of health and social care Communicate effectively with staff from other disciplines and work within multi-disciplinary teams as a clinician, supervisor or consultant Build effective alliances with individuals (including staff, clients and carers) from a diverse range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds Demonstrate high standards of conduct and ethical behaviour consistent with recognised guidelines for professional practice Understand the social context within which psychological problems may develop, and how environments may be modified to ameliorate problems Understand the policy, legislative and planning contexts of the services in which clinical practice is undertaken Understand the need for regular evaluation of their work, be skilled in self-reflection and selfawareness, and understand the need for continuing professional development after qualification Table 1: Competence Based Curriculum Map (Continued) Academic Competence    Knowledge Development Knowledge Application Knowledge Transfer Teaching and Learning Strategies Core knowledge and understanding is acquired via attendance at lectures, workshops, seminars, discussions and independent study Assessment of competence is indexed via unseen examinations Clinical/Professional/Practitioner Competence        Theory-Practice Links Assessment Formulation Intervention Evaluation & Research Communication Personal & Professional Development Skills Development Strategies Practitioner skills are developed through application of theory in practice on core competence placements A clinical supervisor oversees the development of specific clinical competence Competence is demonstrated by the ability to apply psychological knowledge to enhance the trainee’s professional practice for the benefit of their clients and the services within which they operate Clinical Tutors ensure that a full range of placements is offered to assist in the process of transferable skills Clinical Tutors and Director of Studies assist the trainee in monitoring the achievement of competence within a three-year developmental training framework (Individual Training & Development Plan) Assessment of competence is assessed using evaluation of clinical competence forms completed at the end of every placement Theory-practice links are assessed by completion of case studies The assessment of practical research competence is via completion of small-scale research projects Professional and personal development is assessed through a written seen essay completed in year Research Competence      Analytical Thinking Ethical Practice Organisational Ability Data Preparation & Management Research Reporting Research Skill Development Strategies Research skills are taught throughout the three years and the aim is assist trainees in the development of competence in the design use and choice of appropriate methods of investigation in research Practical sessions and lectures provide trainees with skills in the interpretation and use of quantitative and qualitative methods in research The requirement of the submission of a doctoral thesis of 30,000 words ensures that trainees are competent in the execution and completion of research in practice and that communication skills are enhanced as writing is required for different audiences (e.g ethical applications, participant information sheets, report writing, etc) Assessment of competence is evaluated via the completion of small-scale research projects in year and 2, and a viva voce examination of the doctoral thesis in year Degree Programme Table NY Course T Clinical Psychology Research Adult Mental Health - Clinical Placement Learning Disabilities - Clinical Placement Exit Award of Certificate in Health Related Psychology S L CT D D D D 12 12 12 12 40 40 40 40 Clinical Psychology Research Child, Adolescents and Families - Clinical Placement Neuropsychology & Older Adults - Clinical Placement Exit Award of MSc in Applied Psychology or MSc / Diploma in Health Related Psychology D D D D 12 12 12 12 40 40 40 40 Specialist Clinical Placement Specialist Clinical Placement Thesis D D D 12 12 12 40 40 140 Credit Total Final Exit Award DClinPsychol DPT updated June 2011 540