Postgraduate Course: Specialist Clinical Placement 2 (CLPS12014)
Course Outline
| School | School of Health in Social Science |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 12 (Postgraduate) |
| Course type | Placement |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 40 |
ECTS Credits | 20 |
| Summary | Specialist clinical placements can be in any area of clinical psychology, including areas that are considered core (Adult Mental Health, Children and Families, Learning Disability and Older Adult). In a specialist placement, the core competencies established in previous placements are deepened and strengthened. Trainees will be likely to work with more complex cases, or using alternate specialist models of treatment, such as consultancy working and training other professionals. In addition to more specialised working in core areas, specialist placements can offer opportunities to apply established psychological skills to novel areas such as chronic health problems, neuropsychology, substance misuse services, post-natal mental health services and cosmetic surgery services to name a few. |
| Course description |
a) Academic Description
The placement will take place in an NHS setting under the supervision of a Clinical Psychologist. There may be situations where trainees are supervised by more than one supervisor, by other Applied Psychologist(s) (eg Forensic, Counselling) or by member(s) of other professions according to the Programme Eligibility criteria for Supervisor which are found in the NHS and Clinical Practice Placements Handbook. Trainees on the Core (ie non-aligned) Programme are able to choose the Specialist placements that they wish to undertake, subject to availability and any local restrictions. Trainees with aligned places will have Specialist placements in the clinical area of their alignment (usually CAMHS, Forensic or Older Adults).
The placement will be scheduled to last for a minimum of 5-6 months and trainees will be on placement for 3 days each week, apart from weeks when they have teaching (see Handbook for details). During Specialist Placement 2, trainees will have 2 study days per week, apart from weeks when they are in teaching or weeks between submission and viva (see Handbook for details). This time is for reading and study relating to placement as well as relating to thesis and any academic coursework.
b) Outline Content
This will vary considerably depending on the type of Specialist placement that a trainee undertakes.
c) Student Learning Experience
Trainees will be on placement in NHS settings working clinically with clients/patients. The setting may be in a Psychology Department or in a multi-disciplinary or multiagency team. Depending on the settings, trainees may be expected to work with families or carers or staff from NHS and other agencies (eg social services, education). Trainees will receive regular supervision from their supervisor(s) (1 hour/week minimum) in addition to other informal contact and input, sometimes from other Psychologists or team members. Trainees will be expected to show increasing autonomy for their work and their learning over the course of Specialist Placement 2 as they progress towards qualification. Trainees can expect to observe their supervisor(s) on at least 5 occasions during the placement. Trainees will be expected to be observed by their supervisor(s) on at least 5 occasions during the placement, in order to receive feedback on the performance and for the supervisor to be able to evaluate their progress towards their Standard and Personalised Learning Objectives and implementation of agreed changes. It is expected that the supervisor(s) will use a Structured Assessment of Competence to provide formative feedback on at least 3 of these observations of the trainee.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2022/23, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Full Year |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
400
(
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 23,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 8,
Placement Study Abroad Hours 595,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
0 )
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| Additional Information (Learning and Teaching) |
Dependant on teaching and Thesis
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Performance on placement is evaluated by the placement supervisor, using a structured checklist of clinical competencies. The supervisor's recommendation is used by the Director of Studies to determine if clinical competence has been met. Explicit guidance is given to supervisors about placement evaluation (see above URL)
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| Feedback |
Formative feedback is given on an ongoing basis as part of regular supervision and case discussion. It is also given after the trainee is observed by the supervisor, whether by sitting in with a trainee's session or by using a video or audio recording of a session. As described above, for some observations, the supervisor is expected to use a Structured Assessment of Competence to provide the trainee with specific formative feedback, for example on their CBT or systemic competences. Detailed formative feedback is given prior to the mid-placement visit, when the supervisor completes the Evaluation of Clinical competence (ECC) Form. The supervisor discusses this with the trainee in advance of the mid-placement visit. During the mid-placement visit, the ECC is discussed with the trainee and the supervisor by the mid-placement visitor.
Summative feedback is provided at the end of placement by the supervisor completing the ECC form, to make a recommendation regarding the placement grade, and discussing this with the trainee. The trainee then brings this and other placement paperwork to the End of Placement meeting or Joint Annual Review where the decision is made on the placement grade that will go to Exam Board.
Please refer to Section 3 of the NHS and Clinical Practice Placement Handbook for full guidance on mid-placement visits, End of Placement meetings and Joint Annual Reviews. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Assess, formulate, intervene with and evaluate a range of complex clinical problems as would typically present in the specialist service setting, using a range of psychological theories and knowledge, and drawing on a variety of models of psychological therapies and intervention. Whilst still under clinical supervision, trainees on specialist placements are likely to be more autonomous and take greater initiative and responsibility in managing their own work.
- Evaluate the efficacy of treatments and work within a framework of evidence based practice, drawing from and developing the professional knowledge base. Understand the need for regular evaluation of their work, be skilled in self-reflection and self-awareness, and understand the need for continuing professional development after qualification
- Build effective alliances with individuals (including staff, clients and carers) from a diverse range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds and often under more challenging circumstances than in core placements. Communicate effectively with staff from other disciplines and work within multi-disciplinary teams. Adopt both direct and indirect modes of intervention to improve and support psychological aspects of health and social care.
- Demonstrate high standards of conduct and ethical behaviour consistent with recognised guidelines for professional practice.
- Have a deep understanding of the social context within which psychological problems may develop, and how environments may be modified to ameliorate problems. Have a critical overview of the policy, legislative and planning contexts of the services in which clinical practice is undertaken.
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Reading List
| This will vary considerably depending on the type of Specialist placement that a trainee undertakes. |
Additional Information
| Course URL |
Programme URL: https://www.ed.ac.uk/health/subject-areas/clinical-psychology/postgraduate-taught/doctorate |
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Trainees completing Specialist Placement 2 will have been required to demonstrate a range of attributes and personal and professional skills in line with the HCPC Standards of Proficiency for Practitioner Psychologists, the HCPC Standards of Conduct and Ethics for Students and the Required Learning Outcomes of the BPS Accreditation Criteria for Clinical Psychology Training Programmes. These are assessed through the Supervisor completing the Evaluation of Clinical Competence Form at mid-placement visit (formative) and at the end of placement (summative).
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| Keywords | Clinical Psychology,Clinical Practice,Psychological Disorders,Specialist Placement,Assessment |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Neil Millar
Tel:
Email: |
Course secretary | Mr Timothy Abbot
Tel: (0131 6)50 8498
Email: |
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