Personal & Professional Development Programme

Introduction

This information provides an overview of the Programme's policy regarding personal and professional development as discussed and agreed by the Programme Executive Committee. Implementation of the components of the policy is monitored and evaluated by the Clinical/Professional sub- committee. We wish to emphasise that there are opportunities for trainees to influence the discussion and implementation of policy changes and this can be achieved through representation on the Clinical/Professional sub-committee.

The Programme is committed to enabling the personal and professional development of trainees throughout the three years, and regards this area of training as an essential foundation for future professional development and practice. 

The role of the clinical psychologist involves actively working alongside people and systems in distress. This can undoubtedly affect the wellbeing and growing identity of the trainee as they reflect on and develop strategies and skills to manage emotions and the nature of the work. Personal development in the role of the clinical psychologist is therefore considered an essential focus of training. A further aim is to provide trainees with an opportunity to learn about people and relationships in systems, how we can impact others and how others might impact on us. The final aim is to ensure that trainees understand and can manage the professional requirements of being a clinical psychologist.

The Sheffield DClinPsy aims to meet some of these needs via the Personal and Professional Development (PPD) programme, which is overseen by the Clinical/Professional sub-committee and Academic sub-committee. Membership of the sub-committees comprises both academic and clinical tutor representatives, representatives from local NHS services, and trainee year representatives. Experts by experience and people offering PPD teaching and other programme team members are welcome to attend.

To be effective, aspects of the PPD training require confidentiality for trainees so that individual concerns can be freely expressed without fear of adversely affecting the trainee's standing with the Programme. However, it may also be necessary for the Programme team to be made aware of specific issues arising for trainees out of the training process and to have the opportunity to influence the contents and conduct of the teaching. This balance between confidentiality and communication is an integral part of the PPD process and the  sub-committees are a useful forum to discuss the way safe and appropriate information is exchanged between the PPD parts of the Programme and the Programme team.

The overall objectives of the PPD programme are to:

• Help trainees to develop personal and professional skills to enable them to function effectively as professionals and to help them manage the impact of work on themselves and appreciate the impact of themselves on others.

• Facilitate trainees' development of the capacity to integrate personal learning and self-understanding with skill acquisition and with academic knowledge; this integration is seen as central to effective performance of the clinical psychologist's role.

• Provide working insight into the interplay between individual, group and organisational factors in the healthcare delivery system.

• Enhance the trainee group as a source of mutual support, both within the teaching sessions and via informal contacts throughout training.

The PPD Programme consists of the following components:

a) PPD Teaching

Several teaching sessions within the Professional Issues theme will be directly relevant to personal and professional development. These include sessions about the role and organisation of clinical psychologists within the NHS, ethics, management issues, well being and resilience etc. The PPD teaching runs across the three years of training and is based on a developmental model comprising predominantly didactic and experiential teaching in year one, Balint-type groups in year two, and a confidential 'reflective-practice' (RP) group in year three. 

At the centre of PPD teaching lie three interconnected aims: 

1. The importance of learning about self in relation to clinical work

2. Learning about self in systems and groups; and 

3. Learning the professional requirements of working as a clinical psychologist. 

b) Reflective Practice Sessions & Balint-Style Groups

Reflective practice involves thinking about personal experiences including feelings, thoughts and actions, both whilst they are taking place and in later review, with the objective of using the reflections to improve upon and develop clinical practice and awareness of self at work.

Professionals external to the Programme Team, who have expertise in working with groups, facilitate parallel, small group, Balint-style and Reflective Practice groups with our trainees throughout their training. The development aim is to move trainees from an awareness of self (year one), through how this interacts with our clinical work (year two), and finally to how we feel, react, and respond when working in teams and with other people more generally (year three). Hence, taken together the Balint-style and RP groups provide trainees with a facility that, year on year, promotes mutual support, allows them time to share their experiences, and encourages the integration of personal and professional learning. 

Background Knowledge in Reflective Practice (Year 1)

During the first year, trainees are introduced to the idea of reflective practice during sessions taught by Programme Team staff. In these sessions there is discussion of, and experiential exercises based on, theories of individual learning processes. Trainees are encouraged to develop the capacity to reflect on clinical practice and to create an atmosphere with their peers in which there can be open discussion of the effect of work on emotions; the values, beliefs, life histories and ideas that each group member is bringing to their work; and the personal qualities that can help and hinder them in their work. It is important for trainees to integrate this reflection and approach into many of their teaching sessions not just the ones that are within the PPD curriculum. 

The Balint-style Groups (Year 2)

A Balint group is an applied reflective practice tool that draws on concepts from psychoanalytic and open systems theory to provide a structured personal professional development experience. They have been traditionally used in health care settings to support people in their work role, thereby increasing the potential for creative or innovative intervention and thoughtful response when working under pressure. A Balint group values, makes use of, and places each participants' unique subjective work experience at the heart of the learning in order to develop an increased capacity for personal professional awareness and thus thoughtful response. The aims of these groups are:

• To provide a structured and consistent reflective practice framework for the exploration of personal-professional development whilst in a training role.

• To introduce participants to a deeper understanding of factors occurring "under the surface" when working with clients in distress and to use the responses of the group members to explore these factors with the aim of enhancing the clinical work of trainees.

• To help facilitate an effective understanding of the basic elements required in containing the psychological health and safety needs of self and others.

• To help trainees understand the impact of working with 'fragmented' states of mind and body on individuals and staff teams- i.e. think about and learn about managing the emotional impact of the work.

In the Balint-style groups each member will have the opportunity to present and 'muse' about a challenging work situation of their choice, usually focussed on a person (anonymised) they are working with. Led by an experienced facilitator(s) the group reflects upon what they have heard with the aim of deepening their understanding of the client and factors impacting on the work task. Each group member will have the experience of, and opportunity to reflect upon, being in the roles of 'presenter' and observer.

The Reflective Practitioner (RP) Groups (Year 3)

The group provides an opportunity for trainees to meet regularly with their peers to reflect on their experiences in professional practice. The facilitator's role is to help the group members to create a safe space in which people can be open about their emotional, intellectual and behavioural responses to their work as clinical psychology trainees. This can include work with clients, responses to the training process, to experiences of supervision and NHS contexts and to each other as peers. Groups also offer an opportunity for trainees to learn together about the emotional experience of training, and of working alongside others with different perspectives. It is the intention that the group should provide an opportunity for trainees to safely express their uncertainties and reveal their vulnerabilities where this may be useful. It is to this end that the facilitator plays no other major role in training and confidentiality is maintained within the practice group except where personal safety might otherwise be compromised. Despite these intentions, participants may experience the full range of emotions and sometimes feel uncomfortable. This in turn might be seen as an opportunity to reflect on the role we may commonly play within groups and on our responses to discomfort should it arise.

The aims of the RP groups are:

• To provide a regular opportunity for trainees to meet to discuss the impact of training and clinical work on their own development as professionals.

• To provide an opportunity to reflect on and learn about groups, self within a group and team working, including learning about the ways in which each trainee participates in professional groups, roles they adopt, and how these affect and are affected by the group process.

• To provide an opportunity to discuss training issues in a context in which the facilitator is not directly involved in the Programme. This might involve problem solving around difficult issues and/or discussion about how to raise issues within the programme team where needed.

• The RP group is not intended as a therapy group for trainees.

Roles

Everyone

The tasks of the facilitator and trainee include:

• Helping to create a safe, kind and thoughtful environment

Facilitator

The tasks of the facilitator include:

• Creating a climate of trust and safety

• Ensuring that ground rules and frameworks for working together are discussed and agreed in a timely fashion and revisited when necessary

• Keeping the group to its agreed session focus and tasks

• Encouraging critical reflection

• Suggesting alternative views/new ways forward

Trainee

The tasks of the trainee include:

• Discussing and agreeing ground rules and frameworks for working in the group

• Being prepared to talk about and reflect on challenging aspects of the work/training

• Considering cultural, social, ethical and personal issues that may impact on the above

• Listening to and considering others' ideas in relation to one's own material

• Reflecting/engaging and participating in discussion regarding what roles they might adopt, and how these affect and are affected by the group process

• Suggesting alternative views/new ways forward

c) Personal Mentors

As well as being a source of support, the Programme recognises the benefits for both trainee and qualified psychologists to have opportunities to discuss issues which arise in their clinical practice and personal experiences in a confidential and non-evaluative setting,.  Accordingly, the Personal Mentor scheme has been designed to provide trainees with the opportunity to meet regularly to discuss such issues with an individual who is outside of the formal framework of the Programme but who as a qualified clinical psychologist is aware of, and sympathetic to, the needs of trainees. It should be emphasised that Personal Mentors are an additional source of support for trainees, and should not replace the usual relationships or functions offered by supervisors, Academic Tutors, Clinical Tutors and other members of the Programme Team.

Meeting with a Personal Mentor is an optional part of the training process.

The following notes are intended to answer questions about the scheme:

Aims of the Personal Mentor Scheme

The aim of the scheme is to provide trainees with the opportunity to meet regularly with a qualified clinical psychologist throughout training to discuss their personal and professional development, in a confidential and non-evaluative setting. The content of these discussions is to be negotiated but might include: professional development, placement experiences, personal issues, academic progress, and any difficulties or issues with the Programme, etc. It is meant to be a source of personal support, which is available throughout training rather than a crisis  support system for trainees experiencing difficulties. However, it is hoped that trainees who are encountering such difficulties will feel able to approach their personal mentor for additional support. It should be stressed, however, that personal mentors are not available as personal therapists, but might act as an advocate for the trainee to ensure appropriate support as needed. 

Who are Personal Mentors?

Personal Mentors are qualified clinical psychologists, working in the South Yorkshire region, who have expressed an interest and willingness to act in this capacity. Eligibility to occupy the role of mentor includes both a commitment towards supporting trainees through the training process and that the mentor has at least a year's qualified experience of working within the NHS. 

What is the process of getting a Personal Mentor?

In the first few months of training, all trainees will be asked if they would like to be involved in the mentor scheme. 

At any point during their training, a trainee can ask to be allocated a mentor if they feel that they need any additional support or that they would benefit from this. It might be useful to talk to your buddy or other trainees to gain more understanding about how they have worked with mentors.

Requests for mentors need to be made via admin support who will then look to match up the trainee with a suitable mentor.

Potential mentors will be contacted on a yearly basis to see if they would like to be involved and their details will be kept on a database to help with the matching process. If requested, and wherever possible, we will aim to match specific interests or aspects such as clinical approach, area of work, geographical location, demographics or identities.

For example, trainees from the global majority or those who identify with other protected characteristics, may wish to receive mentoring around specific issues from a clinical psychologist with a similar identity. If this is the case, trainees should approach one of their tutors or admin support who can explore whether there is an option and seek a suitable mentor.

Once Personal Mentors have been allocated, admin will inform both parties via e mail. 

What happens next?

The trainee should then take the initiative in contacting their mentor and arranging the initial meeting. It is recommended that particularly during the first year of training, trainee and mentor should meet at least twice a semester. It is the trainee's responsibility to arrange meetings and keep in touch with their mentor. We suggest you make first contact within 2 weeks of receiving their details.

Experience suggests that initially it is useful to meet regularly, perhaps every one or two months so that the trainee and Personal Mentor can have a chance to get to know each other. This can establish a relationship which might prevent the trainee feeling that there has to be a major problem before they can meet with their Personal Mentor, and make it easier to do so if anything does arise. After the first year of training, meetings should be arranged on the basis of trainee needs and the need to maintain the supportive relationship. It is important that the trainee's needs in relation to the frequency of meetings be discussed with their Personal Mentor. The trainee should take responsibility for negotiating this with their Mentor.

It is expected that the mentoring meetings will last throughout training. The boundaries of the relationship and frequency of meetings are negotiable between mentor and mentee, but discussion of, and agreement on these are essential. Sometimes trainees have found email contact helpful. Both trainees and mentors are invited to discuss any difficulties or issues in this process with an academic/clinical tutor and/or the chair of the clinical/professional sub-committee. 

The expectation is that trainees will visit their mentor during placement time or study time. It is recommended that this is negotiated between trainee and placement supervisor during the initial placement meeting and included in the supervision contract. Travel expenses can be claimed in the usual way. 

Can a trainee change their Personal Mentor?

Yes, if difficulties arise between the mentor and mentee, which cannot be satisfactorily resolved, another mentor can be allocated via admin. This can also happen if a trainee goes on placement with the person who has been their mentor, if they do not wish to continue to mentoring process as well.

What about confidentiality?

The Personal Mentor/Mentee relationship is considered a confidential, distinct relationship. Exceptions to this might be when the Personal Mentor, after a full discussion and negotiation with the trainee, contacts a member of the Programme Team to raise an issue which the trainee is unable to deal with themselves. Similarly, at the trainee's request, a member of the Programme Team may alert the Personal Mentor to issues affecting the trainee.

In addition, Personal Mentors and trainees have a professional responsibility to break confidentiality should any risk or professional malpractice issues arise. These should be discussed with the trainee's clinical tutor in the first instance.

d) Peer consultation/supervision

Peer pairs, for the first year of training, are initially allocated by a tutor in the relevant year team. These can remain constant throughout training or can be changed by the trainees or by the clinical tutor. Pairings may be made based on geography with the aim of minimising the travelling time required for the trainees to meet in person. It is also important to minimise any disruption to placement/study time. For convenience, peer discussions could also happen during break times on teaching days.

Trainees must discuss peer supervision arrangements with their placement supervisor. Frequency, length and timings of meetings can be negotiated by the trainees; as a guide, meeting for an hour a month would be usual.

In addition to providing a source of support for clinical work and an opportunity to explore issues in training with a peer who does not have a formal evaluation role, peer consultation also offers the opportunity to develop skills in the role of consultant/supervisor. One key aim of taking on the role of facilitating the learning of others is for trainees to explore/develop their clinical leadership and supervision skills.

Trainees may therefore wish to introduce some structure to the sessions, and perhaps use some time at the beginning for contracting, which might include the following points:

• How to divide up the time, e.g. half each or alternate sessions in the role of supervisor/consultant.

• How to agree on the focus of the session (e.g. on a 'theme' or on the supervisee/consultee's thinking about a person they are working with, what happened in the session, or the feelings induced).

• Exploration of what the consultee finds more helpful- for example, questions, listening or sharing of ideas.

• At the beginning of the session, trainees may want to agree on how to construct an agenda; a useful issue to address is "What does the consultee want to achieve from the consultation session?" The consultant/supervisor can keep checking that they are progressing in this direction.

• Trainees may want to use the session to check out with each other, e.g. "Do you think this work is appropriate for a trainee at my stage of development or should I be asking my supervisor to take a bigger role in it?"

• It is important not to use the consultation sessions instead of the usual placement supervision arrangements. The sessions should help trainees to use supervision better, for example by gaining confidence in peer consultation to raise an issue with the supervisor and/or practising how to do this.

• In addition, to inform development as a potential supervisor in the future, peer supervision could be used to potentially explore models and approaches trainees might use and to explore any shifts in power dynamics from being in a peer supervisor role.

• PPD is a core competency in the Assessment of Clinical Competencies (ACC). Peer supervision may be a useful space to further develop and consider some of the aspects of this such as  issues of privilege, power, diversity and cultural humility and how any aspects of our identity or life experience can influence clinical work or training relationships. 

• It is likely to be helpful to develop a relationship of open communication without fear of negative evaluation by the other. For instance, one person may hold back their own ideas for fear of the other's judgement. It is probably worth discussing this if it seems to be an issue. It may be particularly pertinent in 'live' supervision or joint work. It may also be worth discussing apparent similarities and differences (e.g. interests in different approaches, different backgrounds/cultures etc.) and how these might be used helpfully.

Summary

The PPD system is a mandatory part of the training and is considered an ongoing developmental element of the programme rather than something to attend to solely in times of crisis. The personal and professional development process is seen as providing trainees with space and opportunity to reflect on self in work. It is considered a lifelong process that will be continued throughout the career of the individual. The Programme acknowledges that the trainees and qualified psychologists have different needs and preferences for how they engage in their own Personal & Professional Development and that the provided mechanisms may not be optimal for every trainee. Our approach is continually reviewed and will be influenced each year by the needs, views and experiences of each training group. Accordingly, please keep us informed as to where these systems are meeting your needs, through your trainee representatives on the Clinical/Professional sub-committee.