University of Staffordshire

Please see our website for further information and videos from former trainees and our service user and carer group.

Our Purpose

The University of Staffordshire course was established in 2004 and was one of the first in the country to subscribe to develop a core competency model of training.

The primary purpose of this course is to train skilled clinical psychologists who can function effectively in a range of social, cultural, and organisational environments.  Therefore, your experiences across training with us are designed to help you develop knowledge and skills across the BPS competency areas.

Emphasis of training

We place a strong emphasis on the impact of community and context upon wellbeing and psychological distress and take a critical position on psychiatric diagnosis.

We attempt to ensure that issues of difference and diversity are fully addressed and encourage our trainees to be alert to the changing health needs of the local population and the NHS, as well as the research base that informs their clinical practice.

We encourage trainees to be mindful of power differences within professional relationships.

We highly value service user and carer perspectives, and the active role service users/carers can play in the planning,  development and improvement of services and the course.

The course values diversity and welcomes applicants from groups under-represented in the profession of clinical psychology.

University of Staffordshire

The course sits within the Psychology Department in the School of Health, Education, Policing and Sciences. Trainees are registered on a Postgraduate Research programme of study during their doctoral training which supports helpful connection and collaboration with broader postgraduate psychology research and facilities.

The School comprises of several interdisciplinary Research Centres and the wider Department includes a portfolio of other psychological professional training courses such as health psychology (at MSc and Doctoral level), CBT and counselling trainings.

Trainee Feedback

Trainees have numerous formal and informal opportunities to feedback to the course about content, process and experience.  This is through:

• Trainee year group reps at course committee meetings
• Regular teaching feedback
• Cohort year group meetings
• Accessible course team and module leads
• National student surveys e.g. PRES, Alternative Handbook

What trainees say are the most enjoyable aspects of the course:

• Range of external speakers in teaching
• Integration of those with lived experience in all elements of programme delivery
• Contextual emphasis on mental health and well-being
• Emphasis on reflective practice
• Supportive cohort
• Nurturing course team
• Knowledgeable and approachable staff
• Variety of placements

Trainee Support

Each trainee has 

• an academic mentor (a member of the course team, who meets with the trainee throughout the course)
• a buddy from the previous trainee cohort
• access to an individual mentor if requested
• mandatory facilitated Reflective Group throughout the course
• access to NHS Occupational Health Services
• access to University Counselling Services