University of Leeds

The selection process consists of two separate interviews.

One interview is with a panel of psychologists from academic and clinical settings. Candidates will be given one question 1 week prior to the psychologist panel in order to have time to prepare a more detailed response for this panel.

The second interviewing panel consists of up to three people who have had experience of clinical psychology/mental health services either as service users or carers. Candidates are asked to prepare and make a brief informal spoken presentation on a topic (supplied 1 week in advance) to this panel, who subsequently engage them in a conversation on the points raised. The aim is to allow the panel to form a judgment on the communication and interpersonal skills of each candidate.

In line with Trust policy we do not use references prior to the candidate being offered a place on the Programme. Our standard arrangement is to interview three people per place, plus all those who declare a disability and who meet our minimum criteria (see the Disability Confident section for more information).

Selection is by application and interview only; we have no plans to introduce any extra tests at screening, short-listing, or interview stages.

All offers of a place on a course are dependent on satisfactory criminal record and health checks. Please also see the statement regarding Fitness to Practise in relation to selection.

Feedback

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide detailed feedback to those candidates whose application does not progress beyond short-listing. Feedback is routinely offered to all interviewees who do not get offered a place on the Programme. However, full and up-to-date details of all stages of our selection procedures are available on our website.

Equal opportunities

The Leeds programme has been working for many years to make sure that it is inclusive and has undertaken a range of initiatives to increase diversity in each training group. This has included working with the other programmes in our region (at the University of Sheffield and University of Hull) to hold a series of targeted open days and a mentoring scheme for applicants from racially minoritized individuals' communities.

We have also focused on increasing the diversity of people conducting short-listing and in interview panels. We retain our commitment to the Disability Confident scheme (see notes on the Disability Confident scheme).

We reserve the right to take Positive Action within the scope of s159 of the Equality Act 2010, where appropriate, to ensure that we continue to respond to the requirements of our commissioners to ensure inclusivity and diversity through our selection processes.

The programme continues to monitor the equal opportunities data that is provided via the clearing house.  Similarly we continue to monitor the contextual admission data that is provided via the clearing house.  Processes will be considered and implemented wherever possible when there is evidence that people with particular characteristics are disadvantaged by selection procedures.

Contextual admissions

Our programme continues to monitor the available data in order to establish an appropriate evidence base for contextual recruitment processes. This is based on evidence that contextualising individuals’ achievements using additional information about their educational, social and economic background can lead to fairer and more inclusive selection processes. This information could help us to recognise individuals with strong potential for success at doctoral level and within the profession, who otherwise might not have been identified.

The Clearing House circulates a survey to collect Contextual Admissions data separately from the application form. The Group of Trainers in Clinical Psychology have agreed the questions in this survey, which have evidence for improving the inclusivity and equity of recruitment processes. Completion of this survey is optional, however if you are able to answer any of the questions which provide some additional background about you, and you are happy to provide this to us via the Clearing House, then we would encourage you to do so.

We will also use the data for audit/research purposes to consider developments to selection processes in future years; and to create reports for external agencies such as Health Education England (which commissions many of the training programmes); etc.

Disability Confident / Applicants with disabilities

The University and all the NHS Trusts associated with the Programme are dedicated to the implementation of the Equality Act (2010) with regards to age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, gender and sexual orientation, religion or belief. Applications from people who have had direct experience of mental health difficulties are also welcome.

The DClinPsychol programme, in conjunction with the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, operates its selection procedures in line with the Disability Confident process, a positive action scheme which is in compliance with the Equality Act (2010). We therefore intend to interview all applicants with a disability who choose to self-declare a disability to the programme and who meet our minimum standards for interview.

A detailed information sheet is available from our website regarding this. It explains our selection procedure and should allow everyone to make a considered choice about what personal information they might elect to disclose in their application and what the consequences of that disclosure will be. Applicants who wish to discuss this policy are welcome to contact Fiona Thorne (Clinical Tutor).