Salomons - CCCU

Who can apply

We are unfortunately unable to consider:

• Applicants who will still be enrolled at another University and/or still undertaking an undergraduate or postgraduate degree when commencing the programme.
• Undergraduate or conversion applicants who will not have received their overall degree classification which provides eligibility for GBC by Monday 3 June 2024.
• Applicants who do not have Home Fee status.
• Applicants who have an undergraduate degree classification which is below the UK equivalent of a 2:2 (lower second).
• Those who have received NHS funding for psychological professions’ training that started since March 2022 and are not two years post qualification, may not be eligible to apply. (please see HEE website for most up to date guidance). 

Academic

GBC

Applicants must be eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) from the British Psychological Society (BPS) and be able to demonstrate this at the time of application. An exception is made for those in the final year of their undergraduate degree or awaiting the results of a psychology conversion course recognised by the BPS.  In these cases, candidates may apply, subject to meeting other minimum criteria, and any subsequent offer of a place is made conditional upon achievement of the required class of degree from a programme that confers GBC by Monday 3rd June 2024.

Applicants with a Psychology undergraduate degree

A 1st or 2:1 psychology degree is essential for applicants who have an undergraduate degree only.

Applicants with a 2:2 psychology undergraduate degree will be considered if they hold a completed relevant Masters Degree with an average achievement at 65% or above, or a completed clinically relevant PhD. In this case, applicants will be required to provide a transcript of their Masters degree results as part of their application.

Applicants with a Non-Psychology undergraduate degree

If applicants have an undergraduate degree that isn’t in psychology, with a degree classification of 2.1 or 1st, they must have also completed an accredited Masters Level conversion qualification in psychology. The conversion course must achieve an average of 60% or above. 

Applicants who were awarded a 2.2 for their undergraduate degree in a non-psychology subject, must complete an accredited Postgraduate Conversion course in psychology and must achieve an average score of 65% or above.

All applicants are required to provide a transcript of their undergraduate degree and/or conversion course as part of their application.

The absence of transcripts will unfortunately result in an applicant not being considered as there will be no means to verify the minimum requirements stipulated.

Applicants with a pending accredited psychology undergraduate degree or accredited Masters conversion.

Applicants may apply, subject to meeting other minimum criteria (see below), and any subsequent offer of a place is made conditional upon achievement of the required class of degree from a programme that confers GBC. Applicants must receive their final degree classification and provide this to Sophie Pattemore by Monday 3 June 2024.

Clinical

One full year (or its equivalent on a part-time basis) of relevant work experience must have been completed by the time of application.

Although many applicants gain relevant clinical experience through Assistant or Research Psychologist posts, many other pathways are relevant to gaining such experience, and are valued equally highly by the Programme.  These may include, for example, work experience gained within social services, IAPT services, healthcare assistant/support worker roles in the NHS, private or voluntary sector services, and in service user and carer organisations.  All such employment needs to be directly related to the practical application of psychological principles, acquired in either 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 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 must ensure that they have also gained relevant exposure to supervised clinical practice within an applied setting before applying. Please clearly draw out the clinical experience gained whilst undertaking academic research on the section of the application form which itemises relevant occupational and research experience.   

Personal and professional experience relevant to working with vulnerable, marginalised, and undervalued people is strongly valued. 

References / Statements of suitability

Your application must include two satisfactory references/statements of suitability.

Documents required

• A document confirming your GBC status.
• An academic transcript for your undergraduate degree.
• A conversion course transcript (if applicable).
• A MSc transcript (if applicable: you obtained a 2.2 classification in your psychology undergraduate degree).
• IELTS certificate (if English is not your first language and none of your university degrees were taught or examined in the English language).

Driving Licence

Due to the large regional area covered by our placement trusts (parts of which are quite rural and inaccessible by public transport) and the requirement of many of placement providers that trainees have access to a car, in order to visit service users and local services; applicants must hold a valid driving licence which permits the holder to drive in the UK.

Applicants must provide a scanned photograph of a full driving licence which allows them to drive with no restrictions within the UK at the time of submitting their application, which must be uploaded via the Clearing House website by the application deadline.

As stated above, we very much welcome applications from those with a disability. Applicants who have a disability that means they cannot drive must contact the programme ([email protected]) in advance of submitting their application and provide sufficient supporting documentation from a registered medical practitioner stating that their disability prevents them from driving. A decision will then be taken over whether the driving licence requirement can be waived.

Failure to provide the above will unfortunately result in a candidate’s application not being considered.

Advice for your application

• We do not consider that an application form is the most inclusive way to select the best candidates for training. Therefore, we only use the form to screen for our minimum entry requirements. 
• We welcome trainees who reflect the wide range of diversity represented by service users and their families. We especially want to encourage trainees with disabilities, those from backgrounds that are economically disadvantaged, from culturally diverse groups, those with caring/parental responsibilities and from all social classes.  We believe that the Programme, the profession, and services are strengthened by ensuring cultural, social and other kinds of diversity within the workforce.

International applicants

We welcome applications from international applicants who have home fee status and who have the right to work in the UK.

Transcripts regarding degree qualifications must be translated into English where necessary. Both versions should be supplied when applying.

For applicants for whom English is not their first language and their university qualifications were not taught or examined in the English language, Salomons require an overall IELTS score of at least 7.5 with no element below 7.5. The test must have been taken within the last two years.