Clinical Psychology

This three-year full-time course validated by the University confers eligibility for Chartered status as a professionally qualified clinical psychologist. All trainees are currently employed by the Oxfordshire Mental Healthcare NHS Trust and are members of Harris Manchester College. The course is unique in being fully funded and run from within the NHS.

The course aims to provide a thorough and integrated academic, clinical and research training in clinical psychology. The philosophy of the course stems from both the scientist-practitioner and the reflective practitioner models, and the course is committed to drawing on a wide variety of theoretical orientations which have been demonstrated as contributing to human well-being or to the relief of suffering.

Academic programme

The academic programme is carried out over three 10-week terms in each year of the Course.

Following a four-week induction block, academic teaching closely parallels the clinical experience of trainees on placement, taking a developmental and lifespan perspective. Teaching modules include: adult mental health; children, young people and families; learning disability; older people; health psychology; neuropsychology; substance abuse; psychology and the law, and professional issues.

Clinical skills and a variety of theoretical and therapeutic models including cognitive-behavioural, systems, psychodynamic psychotherapy and group work are taught and opportunities are available to encourage trainees to integrate these into their clinical work. In the third year there is a less intensive programme of teaching with an emphasis on current developments, ethical issues and professional concerns.

The Course aims to encourage creative self-directed learning and where possible the academic programme provides workshops, seminars and interactive sessions, rather than formal lectures. Teaching is delivered by Course staff, clinical supervisors working in the three counties, and external lecturers. Trainees have access to world class libraries in Oxford, including the Bodleian. Recent innovations to the academic programme include enquiry-based learning, strengthening leadership and resilience modules, and greater involvement of service users and carers within the academic programme.

Research Programme

Research training at the Institute aims to provide trainees with a positive learning experience that will develop their research skills to a high level and increase their confidence in their ability to conduct research in clinical settings.  Research is emphasised as an integral part of clinical practice.

During the three year course, trainees develop their knowledge and understanding of research designs and methods, statistics, computing and qualitative data analysis. They grow in their competence to plan, conduct, write up and present their own original clinical research as well as critique research across all domains.

Initially these skills are explored through the development of a Service Related Project (SRP) jointly with their supervisor on clinical placement. This gives the trainee first-hand experience of how research skills can contribute to service development in a typically multi-disciplinary context.

These skills are then further refined as the trainees identify a topic for their Research Dissertation. This is a substantial piece of work that must reach doctoral level in conceptualisation, design and execution and investigate a topic which is of clinical relevance. The Research Dissertation has two components: Paper A forming a literature review and Paper B a report of an empirical investigation.

Many novel and influential projects have been developed at the Institute, and many trainees have pursued careers in clinical research on graduation.

The Course is full-time for 3 years and attendance at all course components is mandatory over that time, including the induction period. The length of the course cannot be reduced through the accreditation of prior learning or experience: all trainees are required to complete the full programme of training in order to qualify.

Academic

The academic programme is carried out over three 10-week terms in each year of the Course. Following a 4-week induction block, academic teaching closely parallels the clinical experience of trainees on placement, taking a developmental and life-span perspective. Teaching modules include: adult mental health; children, young people and families; learning disability; older people; health psychology; neuropsychology; substance abuse; leadership, psychology and the law; professional issues; professional reflection; and research in clinical settings. Clinical skills and a variety of theoretical and therapeutic models including cognitive-behavioural, systems, psychodynamic psychotherapy and group work are taught and opportunities are available to encourage trainees to integrate these into their clinical work. Year 1 teaching focuses on adult, child and life-span issues. In Year 2 the teaching focus is on ageing, chronic conditions and disabilities, whilst in Year 3 attention is given to professional themes and advanced interventions.

The Course aims to encourage creative self-directed learning and where possible the academic programme provides workshops, seminars and interactive sessions, rather than formal lectures. Teaching is delivered by Course staff, clinical supervisors working in the 3 counties, external lecturers and service users. The academic curriculum is regularly revised to incorporate new ideas and equip trainees with the necessary skills to work effectively in the changing NHS culture. Recent innovations to the academic programme include a trainee organised advanced therapeutic skills option and greater emphasis on enabling trainees to develop leadership skills.

Clinical

There is an excellent choice of placements in the area covered by the Oxford Course. These cover a wide range of specialty areas and theoretical models. Clinical placements enable trainees to develop a comprehensive portfolio of clinical skills, so that by the end of training they should be well prepared to start working in the area of their choice. Trainees will normally complete 5 placements over the 3 years of the Course. 4 of these placements are usually in the areas of adult mental health; children, young people and families; people with learning disabilities; and older people. These placements are approximately 5½ months in duration and trainees will normally spend between 60 and 70 days on each placement. Placements are fully integrated with the academic programme. Over the course of training, trainees may express preferences for the opportunity to develop particular clinical competencies. These preferences are considered by the trainee's clinical tutor alongside the availability of supervision and their individual training needs. At regular intervals, there are scheduled individual discussions with the trainee's clinical tutor about future learning needs. In the third year of the Course, trainees will normally complete one 12-month placement which will cover a wide range of clinical competencies.  A further aim of this placement is to equip trainees with additional skills such as leadership, consultancy, supervision and effective team-working to meet the needs of the modern NHS. There is a wide range of third year placements available, these are allocated on the basis of trainee interests and learning needs. Placements are carefully monitored and clinical tutors visit 3 times over the course of each placement. To help facilitate the effective development of clinical and professional competence, trainees normally keep the same clinical tutor throughout their training.

The development of clinical competence takes place on placement and through workshops and teaching blocks organised throughout the Course. Workshops are provided in a variety of therapeutic approaches (eg cognitive, behavioural, systemic, psychodynamic) and in various aspects of working with priority NHS groups. Trainees are encouraged to work wherever possible with staff from other professions. Trainees normally receive a minimum of one hour formal individual clinical supervision each week whilst on placement in addition to less formal supervision and support.

Research

Trainees are taught the skills to carry out clinical research in a professional context by Course team members who are actively involved in research themselves. Trainees are encouraged to carry out research and audit projects on placement and are supported by their clinical supervisors and Course staff to do this. Formal teaching is provided on research design and methods and on applied statistics and analysis of qualitative data. Some of this teaching takes place in the Oxford University Department of Experimental Psychology, where trainees are able to take advantage of state-of-the-art computing laboratories. Trainees also have good access to statistical and computing resources at the Course base. Trainees complete a dissertation during the second and third years of training. There is a wide pool of experienced research supervisors in the 3 counties; these include Course staff, local clinicians and researchers based in local universities. Potential topics for dissertations include those related to the research interests of Course team members which include health psychology, eating disorders, neuropsychology, resilience, clinical supervision, learning disabilities, psychosis, bipolar disorder and mental imagery. Submission of research conducted whilst on the Course for publication is encouraged, and many trainees have gone on to have papers accepted in peer-reviewed journals. Trainees also benefit from an individualised approach to research tutoring, which is designed both to increase confidence in carrying out research and to develop the necessary skills. As with clinical tutoring, trainees normally keep the same research tutor throughout the 3 years of training.

Assessment

Trainees are required to complete 3 (5,000 word) essays and these are normally linked to placements. One of the essays will relate to a clinical topic, one to professional issues and one will take the form of a critical review. Trainees also complete 2 research projects during their training: one Service Related Project (4,500 words) in the first 18 months of the Course; and a Dissertation (15,000-25,000 words) in the second and third years, drafted in a journal paper format. The dissertation is a substantial piece of empirical work, which must make a significant and substantial contribution to the field of knowledge in clinical psychology and can lead to publications in peer reviewed journals.

Clinical competence is assessed in a number of ways. At the end of each placement, supervisors carry out an evaluation of the trainee's clinical competence and trainees submit a log-book summarising their clinical experience. The latter includes a self-assessment of clinical competence. Trainees also submit for formal assessment 5 (6,000 word) clinical studies (Integrated Clinical Reports), 2 each in Years 1 and 2 and one in Year 3.

To complete the Course successfully trainees must pass all these assignments. Additionally, in order to proceed to the third year of the programme, trainees must have passed a mid-Course Review in which progress in completing placements and assignments in Years 1 and 2 is assessed. They must also have gained approval for their third year dissertation proposal.

Current trainees are employed as trainee clinical psychologists on a fixed term contract for 3 years. A job description and person specification is available on our website. On entry to the programme, all trainees are appointed at the first pay point on Band 6 of the NHS pay scale and progress on annual increments. This applies even if trainees have previously worked at a higher pay point. The employing authority is Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, which is an Equal Opportunities employer. University and college fees are paid in full by the Course. The Course does not accept self-funding candidates and is fully funded by Health Education England. It is expected that there will be 17 places in our 2017 intake. However, this is subject to final confirmation from our local commissioners.

The Isis Education Centre at the Warneford Hospital is the designated base and where the majority of teaching takes place. Although NHS travel expenses policy does not reimburse travel from home to base, travel to placements is currently reimbursed, however, please note that the NHS policy only permits reimbursement of travel in excess of the usual home to base journey.