University of East London

The programme is based in the University of East London's Stratford Campus. Training at UEL is seen as a collaborative venture between the University-based programme and clinical psychologists in the north Thames London region, who, in addition to supervising trainees' clinical placements are also actively involved in programme teaching, assessment, management and admissions. The north Thames London programmes (UEL, UCL and RHUL) share an extensive range of placements, particularly in specialist areas.

The programme is a postgraduate course of full-time study and lasts for three years. There is no option to take the programme part-time.

Intake is in mid to late September or early October in accordance with commissioning rounds for clinical psychology training. Approximately 50% of trainee time is spent on clinical placement; around 30% is spent on academic teaching/study; and around 20% on research. Placements, teaching and research days and tasks run in parallel over the three years. The organisation and general timetable for modules is shown below.

Academic

The academic syllabus entails a total 180 credits (approximately 1800 hours) of teaching, learning, and independent study across the three years of the programme: 90 credits in Year 1, 60 credits in Year 2, and 30 credits in Year 3. The academic syllabus is divided into three main modules, one per year of the programme.  The programme's Academic Tutors co-ordinate the module learning opportunities and assessments, and facilitate trainees learning, knowledge and thinking skills.

A range of psychological orientations are taught on the programme mainly systemic family therapy, behavioural and cognitive approaches, and neuropsychology. All are taught across the three years of the course.

Module Year 1

• Induction
• C01: Ethics and epistemology 1: Foundations
• C02: Introduction to therapeutic approaches
• C03: Generic clinical skills
• C04: Personal and professional development 1
• C05: Adult mental health
• C06: Psychosis and severe/enduring presentations
• C07: Neuropsychology
• C08: Clinical health psychology

Module Year 2

• C09: Evidence, research, evaluation, and practice
• C10: Working with groups, families, and systems
• C11: Ethics and epistemology 2: Contexts
• C12: Personal and professional development 2
• C13: Working with children, young people, and families
• C14: Working with people who have intellectual/learning disabilities
• C15: Working with older people, families and carers, and people with long term needs

Module Year 3

• C16: Supervision, consultation, and advanced clinical skills
• C17: Working in and with organisations and large systems
• C18: Personal and professional development 3

Academic components are examined via:

• Year 1: Oral examinations ; practical report; literature review
• Year 2: Research proposal; service-related research; oral examinations; practical report
• Year 3: Seminar presentation; practical report, practice portfolio

Research

A service-related research project is completed in Year 1 and must have a service-oriented focus. The substantive clinical research thesis (90 credits) is submitted in the summer of Year 3, from research devised and conducted over the three years. Topics for this research are selected from the projects offered by programme staff and/or regional clinical psychologists.

This stream of research activity is co-ordinated by the Research Director and tutors, with supervisory resources drawn from university staff and regional clinical psychologists. All the programme team actively engage in research supervision within their speciality fields. The programme team also have a record of publishing peer-reviewed papers and books. An external and an internal examiner read the research thesis and examine the candidate viva voce, following university postgraduate research regulations.

Placements

Within the competency-based model of training, trainees' clinical experience on placement enables them to develop a continuous accumulation of the required competences (a total of 270 credits of study). This is achieved by flexible use of a series of six-month and one-year placements, working with a wide range of service users and carers across the life-span. Placement training is divided into three 90 credit modules, one per year of the programme. The programme's Clinical Tutors co-ordinate placements for trainees which facilitate their learning of practice-related skills.

Placements 1 & 2 in Year 1:

Two 6-month or one 12-month clinical placement(s) in an NHS or related setting, working with:

• Psychological presentations in adults or older adults, and/or
• Psychosis and severe/enduring presentations

Placements 3 & 4 in Year 2:

Two 6-month clinical placements in an NHS or related setting, working with:

• Psychological presentations in children and their families
• Psychological presentations in older people
• People who have learning/intellectual disabilities
• Psychological presentations in health or neuropsychology
• Small systems, groups, teams, and communities

Placements 5 & 6 in Year 3:

Two 6-month or one 12-month clinical placement(s) in an NHS or related setting, working with:

• Specialist clinical services
• Advanced work with large systems, groups and teams
• Organisational and management frameworks and approaches

Placement performance across the three years is assessed per six-month component via Supervisor Rating of Competence, evidenced by a placement portfolio of clinical experience.
 

Placement performance across the three years is assessed per six-month component via Supervisor Rating of Competence, evidenced by a placement portfolio of clinical experience.