Shropshire and Staffordshire Clinical Psychology Training Programme
Faculty of Sciences
Mellor Building
Staffordshire University
College Road
STOKE-ON-TRENT
ST4 2DE
Telephone: 01782 294007
Fax: 01782 295785
Email: DClinPsy@staffs.ac.uk
Admissions Tutor: Dr Helena Priest
General enquiries should be directed in the first instance to the Programme Administrator at the email address above, who can re-direct the query to the Admissions Tutor if needed.
The programme hosts an Open Day each year for candidates interested in applying. Please check our website for details of the next scheduled Open Day.
Link to Shropshire and Staffordshire website
The Shropshire and Staffordshire Clinical Psychology Training Programme is an integrated three-year full-time programme leading to a professional qualification in Clinical Psychology, the award of DClinPsy by Staffordshire University and Keele University. It is a collaborative venture between these Universities and clinical psychologists in Shropshire and Staffordshire. The programme is currently based at Staffordshire University, Stoke-on-Trent. The Psychology Groups of the two Universities are comparatively large and members of staff are actively engaged in a comprehensive range of research areas in both applied and academic psychology.
The training scheme is part of the local clinical psychology community and encourages full mutual participation between the programme and local NHS services. Placements for the programme are located in services within NHS Trusts in Shropshire and Staffordshire where clinical psychology is a strong and well-developed profession. Trainees will have to travel considerable distances at times during their training and should note that travel times from home should not impact upon ability to adhere to any programme requirements.
The core purpose of this programme is to train skilled clinical psychologists who can function effectively in a range of social, cultural, and organisational environments; show self-awareness of their personal and professional development and the implications for clinical practice; and demonstrate an active engagement with service users' and carers' views and priorities.
An important strand running through the curriculum is the impact of society and context upon psychological well-being and the programme has a particular emphasis on early intervention, evidence-based practice and reflective practice.
We encourage our trainees to be alert to the changing health needs of the population, the NHS, and the research basis that informs their clinical practice. We encourage applicants to be mindful of power differences within professional relationships. We value service user and carer perspectives, and the active role service users/carers can play in the planning and developments of services. The West Midlands is an area of rich ethnic diversity, and we attempt to ensure these issues of difference are fully addressed.
At the end of training we aim to have developed clinicians to the stage where they can draw on a broad range of psychological models and theories to inform their clinical work and have the confidence to use a variety of research methods appropriate to clinical questions. Alongside academic achievement, we value equally a demonstrated ability to:
In line with the Health Professions Council Standards of Education and Training and Standards of Proficiency, the programme is based on the core competencies, knowledge and skills that underpin clinical work. The academic programme has been designed to mirror the planned acquisition of competencies on placements. This encourages greater integration of theory and practice and the development of transferable skills by drawing attention to the links between different areas of clinical psychology. It also further emphasises the integration of experience and reflective learning.
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A Job Description and Person Specification are available on our website.
The Universities operate equal opportunities policies. No applicant is discriminated against on grounds of ethnicity, creed, gender, sexual orientation, physical disability or age. Candidates with specific health requirements are welcome to contact the Admissions Tutor for discussion before application. Every effort is taken to make reasonable adjustments in partnership with Staffordshire University Disability Support Service.
Candidates should have a good honours degree (2.1 or 1st) in psychology or equivalent qualification. Applicants with a 2.2 may be considered if they have demonstrated the ability to work at postgraduate level through successful completion of a relevant Masters degree. Applicants must also demonstrate eligibility for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) with the British Psychological Society. Qualifications that are incomplete at the time of application can only be counted where results are confirmed to the programme by the end of January 2012.
Candidates are required to have a minimum of one year full-time (or part-time equivalent) practical experience of working with people in a human service setting. Applicants with experience outside traditional health/caring settings are encouraged to apply if they can demonstrate that their experience is relevant.
Examples of relevant experiences might be: being able to form supportive relationships with people in distress or who find it hard to communicate; understanding different issues for people across the life-span; understanding the impact of different social circumstances on psychological distress and well-being; making good written reports; working with a range of other professionals; getting good observation of the range of work of clinical psychologists; getting some experience of psychometric assessment or other forms of assessment; assisting service users to have a voice; gaining some understanding or experience of the NHS and Social Care services; etc. Clinically related research is also seen as appropriate experience.
Doctoral training is clinically, emotionally and academically demanding, therefore applicants need to demonstrate their aptitude for this level of work and show how they will manage the demands of training.
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The anticipated intake for September 2012 is 15 trainees. Programme staff, clinical psychologists from within Shropshire and Staffordshire, and service users/carers all participate in the selection process. All applicants who meet the minimum criteria for entry will be invited to undertake a written exercise during February 2012 at Staffordshire University. The highest scoring candidates will be invited to, or placed on a reserve list for, the second stage of our selection process (May 2012). This stage will comprise interviews and other competency based assessments. Following this stage, offers will be made to the most suitable candidates, subject to satisfactory references, Occupational Health screening and Criminal Records Bureau checks.
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NHS West Midlands funds the salaries and University fees of all trainees throughout their training. Trainees are employed by one of the NHS Trusts in the region, with associated NHS terms and conditions. Salaries will be on Band 6 of the Agenda for Change pay scale. Travel expenses are reimbursed by the trainee's employing Trust in accordance with Trust policies.
NHS West Midlands will only fund EU/EEA citizens. Owing to pressure on placements, it is regrettably not currently possible to accept non-EU/EEA citizens and there are currently no self/non-NHS funded places. Potential applicants to whom this may apply are invited to check our website for any changes to this position since this entry was written.
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The trainees' time on the programme is divided between academic work, research, and clinical experience. Each year begins with a mandatory induction block to prepare trainees for safe and effective practice in their supervised clinical work. Planned leave may not be taken during Induction Blocks. Individual days and blocks of time for private study and research are scheduled throughout each year.
Academic teaching consists of workshops, lectures, seminars, and online learning provided up to two days per week throughout the six university semesters of the three-year period. It covers a broad range of topics in psychology, providing the knowledge base for practice and training in clinical, professional, therapeutic, and research skills. Teaching in Years 1 and 2 is closely linked with the competencies that are assessed on placements whilst teaching in Year 3 focuses more on specialist skills. Attendance at all teaching sessions is compulsory.
The Clinical Tutor team is responsible for planning placements with each trainee to offer a coherent and effective experience. Clinical placements start after induction blocks and range from two to five days per week depending on the time of year and the stage in training, and take place in a wide range of hospitals, clinics, community centres, and voluntary agencies. In Year 1, trainees are normally placed in the same geographical area as their employer. Trainees have a degree of choice over their third year clinical experience. During each year, trainees work with up to three Main Supervisors who assume responsibility for supervising the work over time periods ranging between three months and twelve months. Trainees may also undertake specific pieces of work with other supervisors. Each trainee develops an Individual Learning Plan which is drawn up by the trainee in discussion with the Main Supervisors, the Clinical Tutor and their Personal Tutor.
The research component of the programme encompasses research methods training (qualitative and quantitative methods) and the process of conducting clinically relevant research. Assessed research activities include critical appraisal of literature; a research proposal; a research methods examination; a service evaluation project; and a major research thesis. The thesis is initiated early in Year 1 and completed in the second semester of Year 3. There is considerable scope for choice of research topic and methodologies, provided that they are in line with national and/or local research priorities and with available supervision. Trainees are co-supervised by academics from Keele or Staffordshire Universities and local clinicians. The thesis is written up as two papers of publishable quality in a format suitable for submission to identified peer-reviewed journals, plus a reflective paper/commentary. Trainees have access to a wide range of University and NHS library and online resources to support research activity.
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The assessment strategy comprises a system of continuous assessment and examinations designed to sample fully and equally academic, clinical, and research work. The degree of DClinPsy is awarded jointly by Staffordshire University and Keele University after successful completion of the programme.
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Each trainee has a Personal Tutor (a member of the course team, who meets with the trainee throughout the programme); a buddy from the previous trainee cohort; and access to an individual mentor. In addition, trainees participate in a facilitated Reflective Group throughout the programme.
Trainees have access to NHS Occupational Health Services and University Counselling Services.
Trainees are also entitled to access the West Midlands Therapy Network. This provides free (usually brief) therapy delivered by volunteers from Clinical Psychology Services in the region.
Clinical Psychologists from Shropshire and Staffordshire provide the clinical supervision and contribute to the academic teaching in specialist areas. Other clinicians with specialist skills or knowledge may also provide supervision alongside the Clinical Psychologist. Supervisors take part in regular workshops and meetings for training and the discussion of issues relating to supervision.
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Professor Helen Dent - Programme Director
Dr Helen Combes - Academic Director
Dr Helen Scott - Academic and Research Tutor
Dr Ken McFadyen - Academic and Research Tutor
Dr Alison Tweed - Clinical Director
Ms Helen Jones - Clinical Tutor
Ms Jackie Lees - Clinical Tutor
Dr Helena Priest - Research Director
Dr Helen Scott - Academic and Research Tutor
Miss Natalie Lowndes - Programme Administrator
Mrs Pauline Whiston - Admin Assistant
Teaching is also provided by the Departments of Psychology at Staffordshire and Keele Universities and by Clinical Psychologists from the programme area and beyond.
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