Bangor University - North Wales Clinical Psychology Programme

PROGRAMME PHILOSOPHY

Clinical psychology is a compassionate profession with several distinctive features. Our central aim is to meet the needs of the NHS for HCPC registered clinical psychologists who have: 

• a wide range of clinical, organisational, leadership and research skills.
• developed high standards of professional integrity.
• an internalised model of reflective practice flexible enough to accommodate change and sensitivity to the needs of service users and carers. 

We train clinical psychologists who promote psychological thinking in health care settings, by integrating their clinical, academic and research skills, combined with critical, reflective, and independent thinking. From a strong value base, they act with integrity to make a positive difference to peoples’ lives.

• We select trainees for their commitment to clinical psychology and their potential to develop a high level of clinical, academic and research competence.
• We aim to foster this potential by encouraging the development of skills, knowledge and values that underpin these competencies.
• This development takes place within a supportive structure that facilitates personal and professional growth and uses the close links that exist in North Wales between the clinical and academic services.
• We have a positive attitude towards diversity and social inclusion, which is reflected in our selection, teaching, value-based practice ideas and the programme’s overall ethos.

Our programme vision is:

Through collaborative partnership and shared ownership with NHS colleagues, People Panel members, and trainees, we aspire to deliver high-quality training with fairness and consistency. 

We aim to develop professional, ethically responsible clinical psychologists who are independent learners, able to critically appraise and apply evidence-based knowledge to a high standard. 

With particular strengths in third wave therapies, our trainees will deliver meaningful, culturally responsive, and impactful services to the communities of Wales. We will support the training by effective and efficient systems and team working.

NWCPP’s Plus One

In line with BPS accreditation criteria, all Doctorate in Clinical Psychology programme need to offer training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and one other evidenced therapeutic approach.
We offer teaching in CBT plus two additional therapeutic approaches: Third Wave Therapies (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy [DBT], Acceptance and Commitment Therapy [ACT], Compassion Focussed Therapy [CFT] ) and Systemic Family Therapy.

CARIAD Committee (Cultural humility, Anti Racism, Inclusivity and Anti Discrimination)

Trainees from all three years, programme team members, local Health Board Clinical Psychology colleagues and People Panel members (our expert by experience advisory group) are involved in reviewing all aspects of the programme for issues of racism, discrimination, whiteness, inclusion etc.

Selection, placements, teaching, assignments, research are all areas that are being explored for options to address issues of equality and social inclusion.

All other programme committees report back to the CARIAD sub-committee about the work they are doing to change our practice. The working group on planetary health also reports to the CARIAD sub-committee. We continue to facilitate workshops with trainees, programme team and local clinical psychologist to drive this agenda forward.

We will be working closely with Diverse Cymru to further develop this work.

Accreditation

The programme was re-accredited by the BPS in April 2026.

We were complimented on several aspects of the programme:

1. Exceptional commitment to the meaningful integration of service users and carers, with the People Panel embedded across teaching, research, and governance as equal and valued partners
2. The strong programme leadership
3. Effective budgetary oversight held by the Programme Director
4. The approachability and availability of the programme team, along with the support provided to trainees
5. The provision of Supervisor Continuing Professional Development
6. There is effective communication, partnership working, and shared responsibility with placement providers and the commissioner
7. Clear commitment to, and positive action towards, increasing the number of Welsh-speaking psychologists
8. It is positive that Heads of Service sit on the Board of Examiners

We were delighted to receive such strong endorsement from the BPS and we believe this illustrates the robust and cohesive nature of the programme.

Our next accreditation visit is due in 2031/2032. 

The programme is also accredited by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and validated by Bangor University..

School of Psychology

Our Programme is part of the School of Psychology and the college of Medicine and Health at Bangor University and this brings Schools with an interest in wellbeing together, creating an environment for shared research strategies and health-related training activities in terms of professional learning.

The North Wales Clinical Psychology Programme is closely integrated into the academic psychology department, that is highly rated for both research and teaching.

The School of Psychology at Bangor University is a centre of excellence for training in clinical practice and has particular strengths in cognitive and clinical neuroscience; third wave psychotherapeutic approaches; and the development of interventions for child wellbeing. The UK’s leading Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice is also based in the School.

In the most recent Research Excellence Framework in 2022, Bangor University’s School of Psychology maintained its status as one of the top Psychology departments in the UK, with 86% of research output rated as internationally excellent or world leading. It has one of the most vibrant and friendly research communities and was ranked 8th (of 118) for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide, 2022).

Trainee support

• The small size of trainee cohorts enables the programme to have a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.  
• In order to address individual training needs, the programme has a system of allocating a training co-ordinator to each trainee.  The training co-ordinator is a member of the programme team, who oversees and monitors trainees’ development over the three years of the programme.  Each training co-ordinator works with between four and six trainees, and offers detailed feedback on assignments in the first year of training.
• We recognise that fellow trainees are often an important source of support, and you are linked with a buddy from the second year when you start the Programme.
• You are funded to receive 16 personal and professional development sessions from recognised counsellors, therapists, or clinical psychologists, who are independent of the programme.  These sessions are voluntary and confidential to you and counsellor; the programme has no knowledge of which trainees take up the sessions.  
• You can also select a professional mentor (a local NHS clinical psychologist) to discuss matters to do with training.
• An annual study budget is also available for external conferences and workshops.

Bangor and North Wales

There are few University towns or cities that can rival Bangor's location.

• It is set in a region of outstanding natural beauty with the mountains, lakes, and forests of Eryri National Park (Snowdonia), as well as having North Wales's dramatic coastline on its doorstep. The longest zip wire in Europe is also nearby! There are unparalleled opportunities for outdoor activities, attracting many students to North Wales.
• The City of Bangor is compact in size and in a rural setting, however it still has a vibrant student life.  Bangor is consistently ranked as one of the most economical places to study in the UK in various cost of living surveys.
• North Wales has a rich cultural diversity.  A significant proportion of the population in North Wales speak Welsh as their first language.  There are several diverse cultural communities in North Wales, reflecting recent and past mobility from other countries. 

Bangor is easily accessible

• It is just over one hour's travelling distance from the M56 motorway, which joins with the M6.  The M56 provides a direct link from Manchester to the A55 coast expressway, while the A5 is a scenic route through North Wales to Shropshire.  
• Regular fast trains run between Bangor and London, Birmingham, Cardiff and Manchester.
• There are regular (fast) ferries from Holyhead to Dublin.