Clinical Psychology Unit
Department of Psychology
University of Sheffield
Western Bank
SHEFFIELD
S10 2TN
Telephone: 0114 222 6570
Fax: 0114 222 6610
Email: dclinpsy@sheffield.ac.uk
Unit Director and Programme Director: Professor Gillian Hardy
Admissions Tutors: Ms Sara Dennis and Dr Georgina Rowse
Unit Administrator: Carole Gillespie
Link to University of Sheffield website
This three year doctoral programme is organised by the University of Sheffield, in collaboration with local Psychology Services, and is commissioned by NHS Yorkshire and the Humber. The programme is approved by the Health Professions Council (HPC) and is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and successful completion of the programme means that trainees are eligible to apply for registration with HPC and chartered status with the BPS.
The orientation of the Programme is specifically to promote the unique contribution which psychology can make to the delivery of health care. The Programme actively encourages trainees to employ psychological theories and formulations to inform the content of their clinical work. Similarly, the design of the curriculum and academic programme reflects the clinical and service context in which clinical psychologists work. The Programme strives to integrate theory with practice and places importance on conducting and utilising applied research.
The core purpose of the Programme is to train high quality future practitioner clinical psychologists who are able to meet and influence the future client and organisational needs of the National Health Service underpinned by innovative approaches to applied clinical and psychological services research. We encourage the study of a broad range of evidence-based approaches. Particular emphasis will be placed upon developments concerned with organisational skills and service evaluation, and the needs of priority groups within health and social services and the development of team working and clinical leadership.
The Programme is based within the Department of Psychology, which has an excellent research record (RAE: Grade 5A) and outstanding facilities for research and teaching. Placements are made available principally within the following locations: Barnsley, Doncaster, Scunthorpe, North Derbyshire, Rotherham and Sheffield. Trainees are expected to travel as required to placements, some of which may involve significant commuting time.
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To be eligible to enter our short-listing process applicants will need to have the following:
Overseas applicants should have already made enquiries concerning GBC, have explored the likelihood of obtaining an appropriate work permit, and be prepared to attend a selection interview. Only applicants from the European Union or the European Economic Area will be eligible for NHS funding as regards salary and fees. The Course does not recruit self-funded trainees.
The Course operates an equal opportunities policy and no applicant will be discriminated against on grounds of ethnicity, religion, age, disability, sexuality or gender. We have an active diversity programme, which is integrated with all aspects of teaching and learning.
Candidates with knowledge and experience of other cultures or minority groups are particularly welcome to apply. A current driving licence is highly desirable.
Further enquiries concerning entrance requirements should be made to the Admissions Tutors. Please refer to our website, and in particular our Frequently Asked Questions section before contacting the course with queries.
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All applications fulfilling the requirements above will be entered in to our short-listing process.
All application forms are anonymised prior to short-listing according to the normal processes of our employing NHS Trust Human Resources department.
Applications are rated by members of the selection committee according to a set of criteria covering academic, clinical and personal requirements, based on the Trainee Job Description and Person Specification. We review the academic and experience references as part of our short-listing process. Applicants should demonstrate that they have experience working with client groups relevant to the practice of Clinical Psychology. Candidates should demonstrate a good understanding of the role of clinical psychologists in the current NHS. Stronger applications will provide evidence of direct experience of working with and supervision by a Clinical Psychologist. Direct experience of conducting a research project either at an undergraduate level or in subsequent work is required.
The Selection Committee draws up a short-list of those applicants who score above the threshold on our criteria. We interview approximately 64 candidates. In line with implementation of the Equality Act 2010 and our achievement of Double Tick status we welcome and encourage candidates to declare whether they have a disability in the Eligibility section of their application. Applicants who have a disability and who score above the threshold on our short-listing criteria will be offered an interview.
After successful short-listing, candidates are invited to attend the University for a selection day. We are interested in your potential as a trainee. Your ability to relate with us on the interview day, and to think on your feet form part of this assessment. The process will include meeting with an interview panel where you will be asked to answer questions which explore your academic knowledge and competence, your clinical knowledge and your personal qualities relevant to clinical practice. There will be a group task assessing aspects of interpersonal skills. The interview panel and the Group Task panel are comprised of course team staff, service users, NHS supervisors and current final year trainees. There is also a formal written task, assessing your ability to understand and synthesise material and present this understanding in a written format. The written task will also include an assessment of the basic numeracy and statistical knowledge necessary to engage in the work on the course. Normal University adjustments for disability will be available to candidates who request this, and provide appropriate supporting evidence of need.
During the interview day you will be looked after, by current trainees on the course, who are there to help and support you and to answer any questions you may have about the course. These trainees are not involved in assessing you and provide a safe space for you to find out about us! You will also meet with some of the course team in an introduction to the day and have a chance to ask questions both then and during your interview. We are keen to foster an environment on the day, which encourages you to choose to come to us if we offer you a place.
In line with clinical psychology as a reflective profession we engage in ongoing review of our procedures and potential candidates should therefore check for updates relating to the 2012 process for both short-listing and interviewing on our website before the deadline for applications.
Offers are subject to candidates satisfying police checks, health screening procedures (which include a report from their General Practitioner), and providing agreement to the sharing of information between the University and the NHS as part of the training process. In addition, entering the profession of clinical psychology involves adhering to appropriate standards of professional behaviour. Offers are also subject to the requirement of signature of an Entry Agreement, which clearly articulates these responsibilities. The University of Sheffield is committed to ensuring that all candidates for professional training courses are fully appraised of such requirements prior to application for any course. A copy of this is sent to candidates for information with any offer of interview and will also be available on our website in due course.
Due to the large numbers of applicants to the course, the anonymisation of application forms, and the administrative load of the selection process, we are unable to offer feedback on the short-listing process. However, if you attend for interview we provide a number of telephone feedback sessions for unsuccessful candidates following the end of the interviews.
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All trainees will be salaried and employed by Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust on Band 6 of NHS Agenda for Change pay scales. Travel costs incurred as part of the trainee's role are reimbursed at a standard rate. Placement accommodation costs are not available.
The Course does not recruit self-funded trainees.
Trainees are based, wherever possible, for a majority of their clinical placements within an area in commuting distance of the University. It is recommended that trainees take up residence in the South Yorkshire area. Candidates must be prepared to move between any of the Trusts in the Region and occasionally to adjoining Regions for some placements.
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We do not accredit any prior learning and all our trainees have to complete all aspects of the course in order to graduate.
The fundamental structure of the course is a hybrid of day-release teaching, teaching mini-blocks (usually one or two weeks duration) and clinical placements. During the first year, trainees attend a three week introductory block consisting of academic teaching and clinical skills training. This is followed by two five-month placements focusing on core skills and individual work, separated by a two week mini-block. In the first year trainees attend the University for between one and three days per week during term time. In subsequent years, trainees attend the University for one day each week, with the remaining four days being for clinical work (three days) and private study (one day). The second year consists of two five-month placements, whilst the final year consists of two five-month placements with some choice of specialisms (in conjunction with learning needs and competency development) and which may be combined as one or two year-long placements. Each placement except the final one is preceded by a mini-block (of one to three weeks) designed to prepare trainees for the following placement.
The general structure of the curriculum has been designed around four themes: Psychological Models, Theories and Evidence Base; Research Skills; Clinical Skills; Professional and Ethical Skills. These four themes run through the three years of training. As each theme develops throughout the three years it reflects a move from direct client work, to working with groups of clients, staff and consultancy, through to organisational interventions. It is intended that most of the "core" teaching will take place in Years 1 and 2. This will leave Year 3 for more specialist teaching, consolidation and preparation for professional practice and learning. Year 1 intended learning outcomes focus on working with adults across the life-span, primarily in one to one work. Year 2 intended learning outcomes extend this to include working at the systems and organisational level, developing this work with children, families and people with a learning disability. Year 3 intended learning outcomes include working with more complex issues, and extension and consolidation of learning and skills achieved in Years 1 and 2.
Clinical Skills teaching is workshop-based and seeks to cover major models of therapeutic interventions. Professional and Ethical Issues teaching is directed at the professional basis of clinical psychology and the wider context of psychological contributions to the organisation and management of health care services. Throughout the three years trainees are introduced to a wide range of research methods and approaches including both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Issues of diversity are considered throughout the three years and aim to encourage the integration of such issues as race, gender, disability, sexuality, power and class across all the course subject areas.
In addition to the four themes described above there are also research presentations, clinical case workshops, departmental seminars etc. In total, approximately 800 hours are devoted to academic-clinical activities, including lectures, seminars, workshops and presentations etc, over the three years of training.
Clinical placements are organised to link with the academic programme wherever possible. The first two placements in Year 1 are directed at obtaining experience in working with individuals; typically these placements involve adult services (adult mental health, older adults, neuropsychology, continuing care or health psychology). Placements 3 and 4 in Year 2 are directed towards services for families, groups and wider systems (such as that involved in many learning disabilities and child settings). A range of placements is available in the third year, depending on competency development needs. These may include: Rehabilitation, Primary Care, Psychotherapy, Neuropsychology, Substance Misuse and Forensic Work. Trainees are expected to work within a range of hospital and community settings and with a full range of client groups over the course of training.
A strength of the Sheffield Programme is its close relationship to a productive and research-orientated Department of Psychology, to the Centre for Psychological Services Research (CPSR) and to the Institute of Work Psychology. Many opportunities exist for high quality research supervision and teaching. A particular emphasis of the research skills teaching is to encourage trainees to adopt approaches and methods which are suited to the needs of the NHS. Trainees are required to conduct projects both in applied clinical research and also in service evaluation. The choice of large scale research project may depend on the availability of appropriate supervisory expertise. In order to enhance the quality of the research supervision provided and the quality of the research completed we aim to link trainee research with existing expertise within the Clinical Psychology Unit and to specific NHS priorities. The Course Team have diverse clinical research interests.
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The Course is assessed via Continuous Assessment which includes the following procedures:
Clinical competence is assessed at the end of each placement by the trainee's clinical supervisor(s). Each trainee is rated by their supervisor(s) who make an overall recommendation of pass or fail to the course examiners, with whom the final decision rests. A clinical skills assessment will also be piloted in 2012.
A personal review/appraisal system is also implemented, in addition to the formal assessment system.
Successful completion of training on the Doctorate of Clinical psychology Course in Sheffield will provide eligibility to apply to the Health Professions Council for registration as a Practitioner Clinical Psychologist.
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The Course acknowledges the need for personal and professional development incorporating opportunities to reflect on one's practice as a fundamental part of training. A range of systems exists to facilitate this development. These include the personal and professional development module which is made up of didactic and experiential teaching in Year 1, Balint-type groups in Year 2, and a confidential "reflective-practitioner" (RP) group in Year 3; a system of personal mentors; personal tutors; and a "buddy system". The philosophy is to acknowledge the personal and professional demands of clinical training and to provide a range of options for support which allows trainees choice in effectively meeting their needs.
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See our website for details of staff research interests.
Prof Gillian Hardy - Unit Director and Course Director
Prof Pauline Slade - Deputy Unit Director
Dr Liza Monaghan - Joint Director of Clinical Practice
Dr Sue Walsh - Joint Director of Clinical Practice
Prof Michael Barkham - Director of Centre for Psychological Services Research (CPSR)
Prof Nigel Beail - Honorary Professor in Clinical Psychology
Dr Lisa Berry - Lecturer
Dr Georgina Rowse - Lecturer
Dr Andrew Thompson - Reader
Ms Sara Dennis - Senior Clinical Tutor
Dr Kath Boon - Senior Clinical Tutor
Dr Katherine Hildyard - Senior Clinical Tutor
Dr Jo Burrell - Clinical Tutor
Dr Dominic Goodridge - Clinical Tutor
Carole Gillespie - Unit Administrator
Christie Harrison - Research Support Officer
Mrs Maxine Boon - Clinical Secretary
Mrs Sue Maskrey - Course Secretary
Mrs Jacquie Howard - Course Secretary
Ms Sharon Keighley - Course Secretary
Dr Gerry Kent - Honorary Reader in Clinical Psychology
Dr Jason Davies - Honorary Lecturer
Dr Claire Isaac - Honorary Lecturer
Dr Rebecca Knowles - Honorary Lecturer
In addition many clinical psychologists act as supervisors and teachers on the Course, and academic staff of the Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, who hold honorary appointments.
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