University of Glasgow

Organisation of Training

The Doctorate in Clinical Psychology is provided by the University of Glasgow in partnership with NHS Education for Scotland (NES) and NHS Scotland. The programme covers a wide geographical area, including Ayrshire and Arran, Highland, Lanarkshire, and Greater Glasgow and Clyde and the Western Isles. The geographical area is varied in terms of rural, urban and inner city populations.

Trainees will be employed by one of the four NHS Health Boards associated with the Programme, including NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Highland).   All of the trainee’s placements will be within their employing Health Board, on rare occasions placement availability means that one placement may take place in another Health Board.

Psychologists in departments throughout these areas are closely involved in the programme, including placement provision, teaching, research supervision and co-ordination of teaching modules. We regard clinical training as a shared responsibility and academic staff work closely with health service colleagues to ensure the best quality training is provided

The Doctorate in Clinical Psychology Programme is located within the thriving Mental Health and Wellbeing Research Group (MHWB). MHWB was originally established in 1947 and has a distinguished record of research, and undergraduate and postgraduate education. This is a multi-disciplinary group comprising the professions of clinical and health psychology, clinical neuropsychology, and psychiatry. An enduring strength of MHWB has been the very effective collaboration between the psychiatrists, clinical and health psychologists who compose most of its staff. We have many postgraduate students registered for PhD and MD degrees, and there is an excellent completion rate. MHWB is located within the Institute of Health and Wellbeing.

The DClinPsy is a full-time (46 weeks per year) programme taken over thirty-six months (or thirty-one months in the case of Accreditation of Prior Learning). About half of the time is spent on clinical placement with the rest divided between academic course work, research work and personal study. Trainees complete up to six clinical placements covering the required range of core competencies. The placements cover a wide range of training opportunities.

Over the years, the Programme has been run from a variety of locations most recently moving to our new location in the Clarice Pears Building on Byers road.  The programme is now co-located with colleagues from the School of Health and Wellbeing in the busy West End of Glasgow.

Overview of Programme

The University of Glasgow - NHS Scotland Doctorate in Clinical Psychology Programme is one of the oldest in the country, having started in 1957 at the Crichton Royal Hospital in Dumfries before moving to the University of Glasgow in 1960. In 2020 we celebrated our 60th anniversary of training in the University of Glasgow. For most of its history, a two-year Master of Applied Science (MAppSci) Degree in Clinical Psychology was offered. Trainees graduating from 1995 onwards have been awarded a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy). The DClinPsy is a full-time (46 weeks per year) programme taken over three years. About half of the time is spent on clinical placement with the rest divided between academic course work, research work and personal study. Trainees complete up to six clinical placements covering the required range of core competencies. The placements cover a wide range of training opportunities.

Aims of Training

The core aims of the degree of the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology are to provide trainees the skills, knowledge and values:

• to be committed to reducing client distress through the systematic application of knowledge derived from psychological theory and evidence
• to be committed to enhancing client psychological wellbeing, and maximising client independence, self understanding and self worth through applying knowledge derived from psychological theory and evidence
• to develop working alliances with clients, including individuals, carers and services, in order to carry out psychological assessment, develop a formulation based on theory and knowledge, carry out psychological interventions, evaluate the work and communicate effectively with clients, referrers and others
• to work as skilled scientist practitioners and skilled applied researchers for employment as Chartered Clinical Psychologists
• to work effectively with a range of clients in a range of differing settings
• to work effectively in a range of indirect ways to improve psychological aspects of health and healthcare
• to work effectively with systems relevant to clients, and enable other service providers to develop psychologically informed ways of thinking
• to understand and embrace the core purpose and philosophy of the profession
• to conduct research which enables the profession to develop its knowledge base, and monitor and improve the effectiveness of its work
• to manage a personal learning agenda involving critical reflection to enable transfer of knowledge and skills to new settings and problems.

In common with many programmes, we have a strong cognitive behavioural orientation, although there is substantial commitment within the academic programme and clinical practice to other psychotherapeutic approaches including systemic therapeutic approaches and third wave CBT approaches.

Scientist Practitioner

The Doctorate in Clinical Psychology aims to confer high quality research skills that support both clinical and research practice. The University of Glasgow is fortunate in having a very high proportion of senior NHS staff with PhDs and active research interests. Mental Health and Wellbeing provides a dynamic research environment and has a robust programme of research into mental health with which the trainees are encouraged to affiliate, during the course of their training. This research programme aims to improve understanding of psychological disorder through the systematic study of relevant predisposing, precipitating and perpetuating factors and processes. Central to our work is the recognition of the multi-factorial nature of such developmental and maintaining factors, and so we adopt a bio-psycho-social-developmental framework.

Reflective Practitioner

Professional and personal development is recognised and actively encouraged throughout the Programme. The Programme has paperwork and procedures in place, in line with BPS standards (BPS 2019), and relevant guiding documents, to embrace an agenda of reflective practice in the context of professional development. These measures include self-assessment and reflective writing in Reflective Notes (completed for each clinical placement), Reflective Accounts (as part of the Clinical Research Portfolio) and Individual Learning Plan Review (completed annually to reflect on long term competency development). These procedures aim to ensure that trainees "monitor and review their own progress and develop skills in self-reflection and critical reflection on practice" (BPS Standards, 2019) and are "cognisant of the importance of self-awareness and the need to appraise and reflect on their own practice" (Benchmark Statement, QAA, 2006). Through developing skills in reflective practice, we encourage trainees to identify and define their own abilities, provide evidence of competence development for review with supervisors and tutors, and take these transferable skills on into the workplace (Continuing Professional Development). This approach engenders self-awareness, increasing autonomy and an insightful approach to life-long self-directed learning. The process also has organisational and accountability implications, allowing the University of Glasgow - NHS Scotland Doctorate in Clinical Psychology to produce qualified clinicians who are capable and competent.

Support

Trainee wellbeing is an important consideration in the delivery of the programme. Each trainee is allocated a University Advisor whose remit is to oversee their progress through training. In addition, there is a system of Academic, Research, and Clinical Tutors who co-ordinate the integration of training within each year. The Programme has a number of mechanisms to provide personal and professional support and development (e.g. mentoring) and these are used flexibly to suit trainee needs. We value trainee involvement in developing a responsive programme. Regular meetings are held with trainees to discuss any problems or other issues. Trainee representatives are invited to attend Programme Organisers' meetings and the Programme Strategy Committee meetings. 

At an informal level, trainees are usually highly supportive of one another.

Aligned Training Pathways

As a response to workforce planning needs, all trainees are affiliated to an Aligned Training Pathway including Generic, Older Adults, Child and Adolescent Mental Health, and Forensic. Trainees complete all core elements of the DClinPsy Programme in accordance with British Psychological Society (BPS) and Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) guidance on the training requirements to qualify as clinical psychologists. The principle underlying aligned training pathways is one of increasing experience with defined clinical populations and service contexts without altering either competences required or Trainee workload. Further information is available on our website about aligned training pathways.

Involving people with Lived Experience

The Programme works closely with a group of colleagues that identify as having lived experience of mental health difficulties and incorporate their views into all elements of the Programme. Known as CUSP (Carers and Users of Psychology Services), the group convene on a regular basis to offer insight and guidance.  Members of the group also sit as members on the various groups and committees within the Programme, providing input at operational and strategic level.

People with lived experience are represented as stakeholders on our Selection Subcommittee and have contributed directly to the development and refinement of our selection criteria. From 2017, people with lived experience have also participated in observing candidates during role-plays and they will contribute directly to the selection decision-making in this context.