Academic Programme

** Further details about the Curriculum and Teaching can be found on the dedicated Curriculum Website (link to external site). 

Teaching

Teaching is organised and delivered... 

teaching is delivered through teaching blocks and weekly teaching sessions. 

content is organised in the following themes:

list of themes.

Curriculum Design

The Programme’s required learning outcomes are grouped into four areas (See the Programme Specification, Appendix 11): 

1. Knowledge and Understanding; 

2. Transferable skills; 

3. Subject Specific skills; 

4. Personal and Professional skills. 

The overall aim of the Sheffield DClinPsy curriculum reflects these learning outcomes, and supports trainees’ to understand the application of psychological theory and science to the promotion and improvement of health and well-being. The curriculum is structured to support learning and skills development in relation to the following three domains: 

1. Direct clinical work; 

2. Indirect and organisational work; 

3. Research and service evaluation.

Each of the three domains runs through the three years of training, to varying degrees of emphasis in accordance with the level of training and placement structure. In year 1 the intended learning outcomes primarily focus on working with adults, mostly via direct clinical work; in year 2, the intended learning outcomes extend to indirect working at the systems and organisational level, developing this work with children, families and people with a learning disability; and in year 3 intended learning outcomes include working with more complex issues, and extension and consolidation of learning and skills achieved in years 1 and 2. In this way, the curriculum is designed to be developmental; the second year builds on skills and knowledge gained in the first year, and the third year similarly builds on first and second year teaching.

Further details on the curriculum and teaching can be found on the Curriculum Website (link to external site).

Teaching Administration

The DClinPsy academic leads, together with the School’s administrative staff, oversee the curriculum schedule. Specialism leads are responsible for reviewing their teaching content, and for inviting and liaising with speakers. 

List of themes and leads?? Link to external document.

Teaching arrangements and the maintenance of online materials are managed via dclinpsy@sheffield.ac.uk.

The curriculum is responsive to HCPC and BPS accreditation standards, developments in the evidence base, local clinical expertise and needs, and teaching feedback. Coherence across timetables is achieved by linking external speakers with Programme team members. Specialist topic areas, reflecting local service structures, are embedded within broader themes. Each specialism has a designated programme link who liaises with NHS advisors (see Table 2), maintains connections with relevant Faculties and Specialist Interest Groups, ensures appropriate coverage, and advises the curriculum co-ordinator on external speakers.

NHS Advisors

To ensure the curriculum reflects current best practice and service developments, NHS advisors from services, specialties, Faculties and Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are invited to sit on the Curriculum (Academic?) Sub-Committee (CSC). They contribute to setting teaching objectives, planning content, identifying speakers and allocating teaching hours. Where relevant, they also provide links to local Faculties and SIGs. 

Organisation of the Timetable

Timetable content for clinical specialisms is reviewed by the Programme Team in consultation with NHS advisors, SIGs, Faculties and teachers. Proposed changes are considered annually at the start of the Spring Semester and reported at the June CSC meeting. Alterations also incorporate trainee feedback, where possible.

Provisional timetables and programme dates are circulated to staff, with specialism leads, academic leads, and school administrative staff co-ordinating any changes. A timetable is issued to trainees and supervisors before the semester begins, though is subject to change pending responses and requests for changes.

Programme Feedback from Trainees and Speakers

The feedback system has two main aims:

• To enable teachers and Programme staff to refine teaching content, structure and delivery.

• To provide trainees with a formal route to highlight strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement.

Feedback is a Mandatory Part of the Programme

• It is a professional responsibility and courtesy to provide feedback to the speakers/teachers who have committed time to the DClinPsy training programme, many require the feedback for their own CPD.

• Trainees are required to complete electronic feedback forms within 1 week of the teaching session. Trainees are issued a Feedback link/QR code (see below) to an online form at the end of each teaching session. 

• Feedback should be constructive and focused on supporting improvements. 

• The completed feedback data is collated and reviewed by the specialism leads and programme team. After review, the feedback is sent to the speaker. If for any reason feedback is not sent to the speaker, then the programme team link or curriculum co-ordinator will contact the speaker to discuss the feedback.

• The programme retains an electronic copy of all feedback.

Trainee feedback is shared anonymously. However, in rare cases where offensive or unprofessional comments are made, the Programme Team may follow-up on individual responses. All feedback remains anonymous to speakers, where possible. 

The specialism leads and programme team review feedback to ensure teaching meets University quality standards. Persistent concerns (e.g. consistent negative feedback over three years, or urgent issues within one year) are addressed directly with speakers, which may include observation of their teaching and the provision of additional support.

Feedback on the overall programme (e.g. gaps, overlaps) is gathered by Year Tutors in end-of-semester meetings and by CSC year group representatives, and fed back to the CSC for action. 

Feedback about the overall teaching programme, gaps and overlaps etc is obtained by year tutors within the year group meeting at the end of each semester and by the CSC representatives for the year group. This information is fed back to the CSC to allow any relevant action to be taken.

External teachers are also asked to provide feedback on the organisation of their teaching input, the adequacy of background information and facilities, and their experience of working with trainees. They are invited to indicate whether they wish to teach in future years. Feedback is collated to identify and address recurring themes.

Formal policies ensure that concerns about teaching quality are identified and acted upon. In addition, Programme staff responsible for specialist teaching areas hold review meetings at least every three years with all contributors, to update content and consider new methods.

Blackboard: Learning Materials and Assignment Submissions

All learning materials, including lecture slides, handouts, reading lists and supplementary resources, are hosted on Blackboard, the University’s virtual learning environment. Materials are normally uploaded in advance of teaching sessions to support preparation and are accessible throughout the academic year.

Assignment briefs, guidance documents and marking criteria are also provided on Blackboard. All coursework is submitted electronically via Blackboard, using the designated submission points for each module. Turnitin is integrated into the system to support originality checking.

Students are responsible for ensuring that their assignments are submitted by the published deadlines. Confirmation of submission is provided automatically through Blackboard, and students are advised to retain this receipt for their records. Late submissions are subject to University regulations on penalties.

Year Meetings

Purpose

Year meetings serve two key functions:

1. To provide trainees with a regular opportunity to give feedback on the programme and raise concerns in an informal setting.

2. To allow staff to share information about planned changes, raise their own concerns, and seek trainee input on specific issues.

The aim is to promote open, constructive communication. Issues raised by trainees are discussed by the Programme Team, with outcomes reported back either before or at the next meeting.

Frequency

Two meetings are held each year, one per semester. Members of the staff year team attend (with other Programme Team members joining as needed) for specific issues.

Organisation

A small-group structure is used. Groups discuss topics before feeding back to the wider meeting. A trainee usually volunteers to take brief action notes, which staff then follow up.

Items for discussion can be submitted to the chair in advance, though time is also allocated at the start of the meeting to agree the agenda. The chair is responsible for keeping to time and summarising discussion.

Minutes should be word-processed and emailed to the school administrator within seven days, after which they are circulated to the Programme Team.

Clinical Psychology Seminars

A specialist seminar is held twice a year, typically in October and April, at midday and in person. University staff and NHS psychologists from local services are invited to attend.

All trainees and Programme staff are encouraged to suggest speakers and topics (send suggestions to dclinpsy@sheffield.ac.uk). Seminars form part of the standard teaching programme, and attendance is mandatory for trainees when they fall on a teaching day. 

Details of forthcoming seminars are available on the CAPU website (link to external site).