Clinical Psychology

Salomons Doctoral Training Programme in Clinical Psychology

Joint Programme Directors:  Professor Jan Burns & Mr Michael Maltby.

Admissions Tutor:  Ms Linda Hammond.

Lead Programme Administrator:  Ms Karen Elmes.

This page is available to download as a WORD document.

PROGRAMME PHILOSOPHY  

The team at Salomons aims to train clinical psychologists to work in the NHS in a way which ensures that they make a real difference to services.  The three year, full-time Doctoral Programme seeks to integrate clinical, academic and research aspects of training to promote the highest quality of professional practice.  The model adopted within Salomons conceptualises the clinical psychologist as a critical, reflective, scientist practitioner.  This means training clinical psychologists who are both able to use the best available knowledge and skills, and able to reflect on and evaluate their own, the profession’s and wider society’s influence on services and practice.  Such values are reflected by the staff team at Salomons, who are continuously developing the programme to take account of recent advances in the NHS, Clinical Psychology and Education. 

 The Programme reflects a variety of therapeutic models and will ensure that you receive the opportunity to understand the theoretical and research underpinnings, and the practical application, of at least five mainstream psychological models (cognitive, behavioural, psychodynamic, systemic and community). In addition, the Programme gives high priority to providing trainees with frameworks to help them work in multi-cultural communities and to use culturally sensitive ways of delivering psychological services.  We seek to recruit trainees who reflect the wide range of diversity represented by clients using services.  We want to especially encourage trainees from culturally, and economically disadvantaged and diverse groups, from all social classes, and those with disabilities. We believe that the Programme, the profession and services are strengthened by ensuring cultural, social and other kinds of diversity within the workforce. Priority is also given to enabling trainees to work in multi-professional/agency contexts so that they are able to work collaboratively and effectively in the NHS. Teamwork is essential to the organisation of services within today’s NHS.  However, in line with new opportunities and challenges raised by the current consulation taking place on New Ways of Working in Applied Psychology, we  aim to train clinical psychologists who are not only skilled in working within teams, but who will develop the capabilities to consult to, and lead teams, as well as to take up supervisory, management asnd organisational roles within the NHS.

GENERAL BACKGROUND

The doctoral programme sits within the Centre for Applied Social and Psychological Development (CASPD) at Salomons. Salomons is a faculty of Canterbury Christ Church University. In addition to providing training programmes, the Centre is involved in Practice Consultancy, Research, and Continued Professional Development programmes.  It also runs a Programme in the Statement of Equivalence in Clinical Psychology.  Salomons is based in attractive buildings and surroundings, and is situated in Southborough, near Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

The doctoral training programme in Clinical Psychology has two Joint Directors and a Clinical Research Director who share responsibility for the management of the Programme.  They are assisted by three Year Directors, three Senior Tutors, three Tutors and two Senior Research Lecturers.  The majority of staff members also hold a Clinical position with a local Trust.  In addition, the programme is supported by several Trust Training Coordinators based in NHS Trusts within our catchment who further the development of placements and supervisors.  There are excellent administrative support and library facilities.  Trainees are represented and involved at all levels in the organisation of the Programme, including the selection of trainees.

The Programme forms part of the Regional community of clinical psychologists and all contributors to the Programme (i.e. trainees, supervisors and tutors) are involved in its organisation and management.  The Programme covers a large geographical area comprising South London, the whole of Kent and East Sussex.  Clinical placements are arranged throughout this entire area.  On rare occasions placements may be arranged outside of this area. It is important that those who accept places on the course are prepared to travel to placements, and to travel whilst on placement, as manyinvolve community work.  Trainees on the Programme choose from a wide variety of urban and rural locations in which to live, including London, the towns and countryside of Kent, Brighton, Hastings, and the countryside of East Sussex.  Many trainees travel regularly from Brighton and London, (about 1 – 1 ½ hours).  Car shares are common, and there is a regular bus service from Tonbridge Station.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Academic Requirements

Salomons seeks applicants with proven high academic and clinical abilities. Applicants must meet the requirements for the Graduate Basis for Registration of the BPS.  Those who are unsure whether their degree confers eligibility must check this with the BPS prior to applying.   Normally, at least a 2:1 degree will be required.  Applicants with a 2:2 will not usually be accepted unless there is clear evidence that their degree is unrepresentative of their academic potential.  Such evidence might include, for example, further academic qualifications, such as a Masters or Doctoral degree, demonstrating their ability to engage in advanced academic study.  In addition, any applicant with a 2:2 is strongly advised to ensure that their academic reference is written by someone who is in a good position to comment explicitly on their academic capabilities. 

As stated, the programme is strongly committed to training clinical psychologists drawn from culturally and economically diverse social backgrounds.  As a consequence, we are keen not to exclude anyone whose education may have been hindered by social disadvantage.  If applicants feel this may be the case, they should explain this clearly in their application. 

Clinical Experience

Although many applicants will gain relevant clinical experience through familiar routes such as Assistant or Research Psychologist posts, many other pathways to gaining such experience are equally relevant, and are highly valued by the Programme.  These may include experience gained within social services, nursing, and voluntary sector employment related to psychology, whether in a paid or unpaid capacity.

It is not necessary for applicants to have gained extensive clinical experience in many different settings or with a wide range of clients prior to applying. Rather, we are looking for individuals who can make the most out of what they have experienced by:

• Gaining a realistic sense of the profession, its current context within the NHS, and its range of  work practices,
• Developing an awareness of the range of settings and client groups encountered by clinical psychologists,  
• Demonstrating an understanding of how psychological theory can be applied within a clinical setting.
• Considering the impact of social, political and cultural inequalities in the provision of mental health services.

Research experience is also highly regarded, especially within a clinical, medical or social care setting.  However, applicants whose experience is restricted solely to academic research should ensure that they have also gained some exposure to clinical practice within an applied setting before applying.

Personal and professional experience relevant to working with vulnerable, marginalised and undervalued people is strongly valued, as is the ability to be able to reflect on this experience and develop accordingly.  Our short-listing criteria covering academic, clinical and other personal qualities are available on the CASPD website.  

The programme is only able to offer places to individuals who are residents of the UK, eligible for residence, for example, as an EU citizen, or who have been given indefinite leave to remain in the UK.  Applicants who do not intend to work in the NHS will not be considered.   Trainees are also expected to seek work in the geographical area on qualification.  

SELECTION PROCEDURE

Trainees are recruited annually and we are expecting to recruit at least 32 applicants in in 2008.  The Programme has a commitment to Equal Opportunities and actively welcomes applicants from all groups and ages.  All application forms are rated by independent raters drawn from the staff team and from NHS Trusts using short-listing criteria.  81 candidates are usually invited for interview. 

There are two elements to the selection process for short-listed candidates: an interview panel and a presentation panel.  The interview panel focuses predominantly on clinical, professional and personal issues.  For the presentation panel, candidates are asked to make a short presentation of a clinically relevant research proposal which they have had the opportunity to prepare in advance.  Programme staff make a presentation to all candidates about the Programme prior to the interviews and presentations.  In addition, before and after the interviews, trainees from the Programme and the administrators are available to welcome candidates and answer questions.  These trainees and administrators do not participate in selection decisions.

Following the interviews, all interviewees are telephoned by a member of the Programme Team who was involved in their interview and given the outcome of the interview.  They are also provided, if they wish, with some feedback on their performance in the two interviews.  The Programme is not able to offer feedback to applicants who are not short-listed for interview.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Successful applicants are employed as Trainee Clinical Psychologists by the Surrey and Borders NHS Trust who formally manage all aspects of their contract of employment.  Trainees are paid on Band 6 of the Agenda for Change payscales.  The Programme has no self-funded places.  Travel expenses are available for journeys concerned with clinical placements, with Salomons acting as the physical base.  Expenses can also be reclaimed for attendance at approved Programmes and conferences.  Registration and examination fees are paid by the Programme.  We recognize that many trainees are often under severe financial pressure during training and to help with this we provide fortnightly re-imbursement of placement travel expenses.

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE AND CONTENT

Educational Approach

As a result of the adoption of the core competencies approach within Clinical Psychology training, the team has revised the programme to make best use of the available quality supervisor capacity and equip the trainee with the wide range of competencies they need in today’s NHS.  We want to produce capable practitioners; that is clinical psychologists who can adapt their skills and use them effectively in unique and complex situations. To allow this we believe that a core foundation of basic competencies needs to be established; these are then re-visited and expanded throughout the programme. The programme is divided into three year-long stages.

In the first year, trainees work with adults from a variety of backgrounds and access a range of adult primary, secondary and tertiary services. During this year the focus is  on developing the foundation competencies required to work with individuals.  In the second year, trainees work with children and families, and also with people with learning disabilities.  During this year the focus is the development of advanced competencies in working with families and systems.  In the final year, competencies will be consolidated and expanded through working with older people and within a specialist area. During this year the focus will be on developing more advanced clinical competencies and further development of competencies in working with teams and organisations.  Exposure to other specialist services will occur throughout the three years.

The educational programme comprises four components: the academic programme; clinical experience through year-long multifaceted placements; the research programme; and the  assessment process. The programme is organised in such as way as to enable the trainee to draw together their learning from these four activities so that each informs the other.  This is achieved by close integration and co-ordination of each component such that each is aimed at developing the competencies pertinent to each year of training.  

Academic Programme

Teaching is undertaken by academic and clinical staff from inside and outside the region, as well as by Programme staff, other professionals and service users. 
The academic programme is co-ordinated and planned by the Year 1 Director in conjunction with specialist Academic Tutors, drawn from the Programme Team and regional psychologists.  It is arranged so that its content relates closely to the clinical placements to facilitate the integration of the academic, clinical and research aspects of training.  Teaching sessions are based on an experiential learning model, drawing on trainees’ own experiences and are usually interactive. A variety of teaching methods is used including small group work, problem-based learning, team working and large group work, as well as didactic teaching. Web-based learning methods are also being increasingly integrated within the programme.

At the start, and during each year of training, blocks of teaching are introduced which temporarily replace the routine weekly pattern of clinical, teaching and study days. University accommodation at Salomons is often available to trainees during the teaching blocks.

The teaching is organised around five central strands as shown in Table 1.

The teaching in each strand is arranged in a series of units across the three years, each organised by a small team of academic tutors.  There is an excellent library at Salomons and trainees have access to a number of other libraries in London and the Region.  Good on-line electronic search facilities, e-mail and access to the Internet are available. Funding is available to trainees throughout the three years for additional specialist external short programmes and conferences.

Clinical Placements

Services in the region are spread across a wide geographical area and are very diverse. They include well developed community-based services with effective multi-disciplinary team work.  Placements are available in both urban and rural settings.  There is an extensive and diverse range of placements potentially available in terms of therapeutic models, client groups, socially and culturally diverse populations and service settings.

Trainees' placement programmes are arranged by the Year Directors and Clinical & Academic Tutors in conjunction with the Trust Training Co-ordinators.  A minimum of three days each week is spent in placements, outside of teaching blocks, and all trainees are normally required to receive a minimum of two hours supervision per week.  Each trainee has a Manager assigned to them who has responsibility, throughout the three years of training, for monitoring and supporting the trainee’s clinical, academic and professional development.  On each year-long placement, the manager makes two visits to the placement to undertake a comprehensive review of the trainee’s clinical progress and the development of their competencies. 

For each year-long placement a contract is drawn up detailing how the experience needed to acquire the specified competencies will be accomplished.  This could involve a variety of pathways, dependent upon the host services and supervisory arrangements.  It will always require the trainee to be attached to more than one service, either sequentially or simultaneously, and to be exposed to more than one supervisor throughout the year.  Training needs and background experience are taken into account in the allocation of all placements.  Distance to the placement from the trainee’s home may be considered, if possible, but only if they live within our catchment area.  If a trainee lives outside the catchment area, the time taken to reach the boundary will NOT be considered.  Generally, trainees should expect to have to travel a minimum of an hour, to an hour and a half to placement. On occasion this could be longer.  Payment towards overnight accommodation in these circumstances can be authorised by the trainee’s manager. 

Research

Research is an essential component of the Salomons training programme.  The research programme enables trainees to develop the research skills and expertise that are essential to the role of the clinical psychologist.  The aim of the programme is to ensure that trainees are capable of carrying out high quality research in the context of the NHS.  The research skills teaching covers the central quantitative and qualitative methods utilised in the field.The aim is both to consolidate existing skills and knowledge and to develop additional competencies relevant to clinical research in the service setting.

Trainees conduct a small-scale service evaluation project on placement during the first year of training and an independent research project in the second and third years of training. Trainees are advised to develop their ideas for the independent research project from very early in the Programme (or even to think about a possible area for research before coming onto the Programme).  All trainees receive individual research supervision from one of a large pool of experienced research supervisors.  In order for us to provide trainees with the best possible research training, we strongly encourage trainees to select an area of research where our staff have particular strength and can therefore offer a high level of expertise. The staff team can support a wide range of quantitative and qualitative research methods.  Further details about staff research interests and expertise are available on our web site.

Trainees are required to disseminate their research work in appropriate ways (e.g. professional conferences, trust events, via peer-reviewed publication).  Trainees are also encouraged to publish their work in the in-house, trainee-led Journal, "Clinical Psychology: Training, Research and Development".  The Journal's Editorial Board consists of trainees and members of research staff.  Trainees take a very active role on this Board and are involved in producing a Journal that has a national distribution. 

The Programme provides good computing facilities including providing trainees with statistical software to use on their own computers. 

Assessment

All trainees register for the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (D.Clin.Psychol.) with Canterbury Christ Church University.  The Doctoral Programme uses a continuous assessment system, which includes the formal assessment of clinical, research and academic competence.  The principal pieces of assessed work are:

• 6 Evaluations of Clinical Competence (formally completed by Clinical Supervisors on the placement) ;
• 4 Professional Practice Reports demonstrating trainees’ clinical competencies across a range of client groups.
• 1 Quality Improvement Project.
• 1 Team Policy Report and group presentation.
• 3 Critical Reviews of research literature.
• An Independent Research Project (comprising a Literature Review, a Research Report submitted in Journal format and a Critical Appraisal).

The Programme does not use unseen examinations as a means of assessment.  Guidance is provided on all assessment components through either individual or small group work, or online on the university’s virtual learning platform.

TRAINEE DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT

The Programme sees the personal development of trainees as a vital element of their training as Clinical Psychologists.  To this end, the programme is committed to fostering a climate in which both professional and personal development is encouraged and enabled.  It is recognised that the demand placed on trainees through the experience of training can be considerable and that it is necessary and appropriate for trainees to seek support.  It is unlikely that any single system will meet all needs, but a variety of means has evolved as the Programme has developed, to provide opportunities for personal development and support.  In addition to the twice yearly placement visits, trainees also meet once a year with their managers to review their development and learning on the Programme.  This review enables all aspects of training to be appraised in an integrated way and helps trainees to identify clear development goals. The review also provides trainees with an opportunity to feed back individually about the Programme and, thereby, highlight issues which can then be addressed.

Reflective Practitioner Group meetings are held for each year group on a fortnightly basis facilitated by Year Tutors, who are also available to be consulted on an individual basis.  The groups are an integral part of the Programme and provide a forum for reflection, dialogue, and personal experiential learning, throughout the course of training. The Reflective Practitioner Groups very much reflect the ethos of the Programme at Salomons and, although trainees often report finding them challenging during training, careful monitoring and follow-up into practice suggests that these groups are also seen as one of the most valuable learning experiences.

A 'buddy system' is also in operation organised by the trainees, whereby each trainee will be paired with a trainee from the Year Group above to offer support.  Programme staff and supervisors are well aware of the demands and challenges of training, and seek to create a culture in which they can be approached, if needed, regarding these. 

Support for people with dyslexia, physical and other disabilities

Canterbury Christ Church University is an equal opportunities employer, as is Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Trust. In line with the Disability Discrimination Act (1995), the Programme makes every effort to meet the needs of trainees with a disability.  There is an identified member of the Programme staff with responsibility for issues relating to staff or trainees with a disability.

The Programme encourages applications from candidates who have experienced mental health difficulties.  All successful applicants to the Programme undergo an Occupational Health screen to ensure that they are judged fit to work as a trainee clinical psychologist. The Programme has experience with trainees who have a range of disabilities.  For example, there is an agreed procedure to screen, assess and support trainees with dyslexia.  For further details, see the CASPD web site.

The Programme Team

Professor Jan Burns: Joint Course Director Salomons
Mr Michael Maltby: Joint Course Director Salomons/Kent & Medway
Dr Paul Camic: Clinical Research Director Salomons/Sussex Partnership NHS Trust
Dr Margie Callanan: Practice Consultancy Director Salomons
Dr David Sperlinger: Post-Qualification Programme Director Salomons/South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Ms Louise Goodbody: Year Director (2nd) Salomons
Ms Anne Cooke: Year Director (3rd) Salomons
Ms Linda Hammond: Senior Clinical & Academic Tutor Salomons
Dr Sarah Allcock: Senior Clinical & Academic Tutor Salomons/Kent & Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust
Ms Anthea Sperlinger: Clinical & Academic Tutor Salomons
Dr Tina Lee: Clinical & Academic Tutor Salomons
Dr Daniel Salter: Clinical & Academic Tutor Salomons
Ms Celia Heneage: Clinical & Academic Tutor Salomons
Dr Susan Holttum: Senior Lecturer (Research) Salomons
Dr Laura Simonds: Senior Lecturer (Research) Salomons
Dr Adrian Whittington: CBT Programme Director Salomons/Sussex Partnership NHS Trust                                                    
Dr Robert Marsh: Statement of Equivalence Salomons Acting Director                           
Dr Jackie Allt: Clinical and Academic Tutor:Statement of Equivalence Programme Salomons
Ms Lynda La Roche: Business Manager Salomons
Mrs Karen Elmes: Lead Administrator Salomons

Honorary Staff

Ms Jackie Craissati: Honorary Tutor Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
Dr. Liz Francis: Honorary TutorKent & Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust
Dr. Garfield Harmon: Honorary Tutor Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
Dr. Rob Leiper: Visiting Reader  Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
Dr. Sara Meddings: Honorary Tutor Sussex Partnership NHS Trust
Dr. Paul Sigel : Honorary Tutor South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Dr. Jon Willows: Honorary TutorSussex Partnership NHS Trust
Dr Jo King: Year Tutor Kent & Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust
Dr Georgia Mitchell: Year Tutor South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Mr Phil Schulte: Year Tutor Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
Dr. Ange Drinnan: Year Tutor Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
Mr. Peter De Backer: Year Tutor Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
Dr. Stuart Gibson: Year Tutor South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Ms. Angela Gilchrist: Year Tutor Kent & Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust
Dr. Brenda Roberts: Year Tutor Sussex Partnership NHS Trust
Dr. James Easton: Year Tutor Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

At going to press commissioning figures had not been finalised and interested applicants are directed to the Programme website for an update.