Course Catalogue

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This course provides the student with the underpinning knowledge and contextual information regarding the profession of clinical psychology to enable them to begin supervised practice.

Teaching sessions comprise of lectures and associated small group exercises.

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Exam (100%): Must achieve more than 50% correct to be awarded a pass grade.

■ To overview the aims of clinical psychology in its broadest sense emphasising lifespan and psychological models of clinical practice.

■ To overview the regulatory, professional and institutional context for professional practice.

■ To introduce issues in working with clients from a diverse range of social and cultural backgrounds.

■ To convey the importance of valuing individuals, and to respect the rights, dignity, values, and autonomy of all individuals across the lifespan.

All learning outcomes are benchmarked to the standards of proficiency and the competence frameworks stipulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the British Psychological Society (BPS).

By the end of the course trainees will be able to:

1. Describe and appraise the broad role of the Clinical Psychologist within health and social care services and discuss the adaptation of practice across the range service users and organisational contexts

2. Describe the skills knowledge and values required to work effectively with service users from a diverse range of backgrounds, understanding and respecting the impact of difference, diversity and social inequality on people's lives.

3. Discuss and justify the need to adapt Clinical Psychology practice to a range of service users and organisational contexts, on the basis of an understanding of pertinent developmental, organisational and cultural issues.

4. Understand basic aspects of assessment and formulation in clinical psychology practice.

5. Recognise the importance and role of supervision and reflective practice in clinical psychology and begin to take responsibility for continuing professional development

6.  Understand and critically analyse the legal and ethical responsibilities of clinical psychology practice, including patient consent, confidentiality and data protection.

7. Describe the family of applied psychology and the role of the professional bodies and the role of statutory registration and regulation, and understand the HCPC Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics; the BPS Code of Conduct, Ethical Principles and Guidelines and the Professional Practice Guidelines of the Division of Clinical Psychology.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.