The Programme’s required learning outcomes are grouped into four areas: Knowledge and Understanding; Transferable skills; Subject Specific skills; Personal and Professional skills (See the Programme Specification, Appendix 11). 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 mental health and well-being. The curriculum is structured to support learning and skills development in relation to the following three domains: direct clinical work; indirect and organisational work; 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. Such that, 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.
Year One Curriculum
Aims
The overall aims of this theme are threefold, for trainees to have the skills, knowledge and values to 1) integrate psychological theory with practice; 2) recognise common forms of psychological distress in adults; and 3) develop evidence-based practice.
This theme is developed around the following areas of work:
● Adult Mental Health
● Psychosis & Recovery
● Older Adults
● Neuropsychology
● Health Psychology
● Forensic Psychology
Intended Learning Outcomes
● Knowledge and understanding of contemporary theory in clinical psychology and related fields
● Knowledge and understanding of evidence base related to health care and the promotion of physical and psychological well being
● Knowledge and understanding of specialist adult client group knowledge across the profession of clinical psychology
● Skills to generalise and synthesise prior knowledge and experience in order to apply them in different settings and novel situations
● Skills to evaluate the applicability of scientific literature for clinical practice
● Clinical and research skills to work effectively as a reflective practitioner and scientist practitioner
Aims
The overall aims of this theme are fourfold: to develop skills in a) establishing good working relationships with clients; b) a range of assessment methods c) developing psychological formulations; and d) a range of specific psychological interventions.
This theme includes the following areas of practice:
● Psychological Therapies
● Formulation
● Interviewing Skills
Intended Learning Outcomes
Trainees will develop:
● Knowledge and understanding of a range of models of assessment, formulation and intervention designed for individual clients
● Skills to apply scientific theory, models and evidence to clinical problems and data
● Skills to reflect on one’s own clinical practice and scientific understanding
● Psychological assessment skills including: developing and maintaining effective working relationships and appropriate use of a range of assessment methods, including the use of standardised tests, interview and other structured procedures
● Psychological formulation skills including: integration of assessment information, psychological models and evidence and understandings and clients’ perspectives; use of formulation to plan interventions; and revising formulations where appropriate
● An understanding of the theory and main concepts of level 1 psychological intervention
Aims
The overall aims of this theme are to develop trainees’ awareness and critical understandings of the clinical, professional and social context of the professional practice of clinical psychology; to develop trainees’ self reflective skills and to enable trainees to better manage the demands of learning within both academic and NHS settings.
This theme is, therefore, organised around three aspects:
Personal: Personal Development
Professional: Professional Issues
Social: Working with Difference
Intended Learning Outcomes
Trainees are expected to gain the knowledge, understanding and skills in the following:
a) Personal:
● Supervisory methods and processes
● Skills to reflect on one’s own clinical practice and scientific understanding
● Using supervision to reflect on practice and making appropriate use of feedback received
● Effectively managing own personal learning needs
● Developing skills to manage the impact of clinical practice and seek appropriate support when necessary, with good awareness of boundary issues
b) Professional
● Organisation and management structures within the NHS and other relevant health care and voluntary service settings, including current policies on health care planning, delivery and resourcing
● Communicating effectively clinical and non-clinical information from a psychological perspective in a style appropriate to a variety of audiences
● Development of an ethical and professional value base
● Skills to work effectively as part of a multi disciplinary team
● Skills to work collaboratively and constructively with colleagues and service users
c) Social
● The impact of difference and diversity on people’s lives and its implications for working practices
● Skills to manage effectively issues of difference and diversity within clinical practice
● Understanding the inherent power imbalance between practitioners and clients and how to work in ways that are empowering
Aims
To equip trainees with the knowledge and skills that will enable them successfully to initiate, conduct, collaborate with and advise others on research, service evaluation and audit as relevant to clinical practice within the NHS.
Intended Learning Outcomes
For trainees to:
● Be knowledgeable of applied research designs (both quantitative and qualitative methods)
● Be able to conduct and monitor research projects
● Be able to evaluate the quality of published research
● Be able to communicate effectively, and to the relevant audiences, research findings and the results of service evaluations
Year Two Curriculum
Aims
The theme continues from the skills and knowledge gained in year 1. The curriculum in year 2 seeks to provide knowledge for effective clinical practice with people with learning disabilities and their carers and provides trainees with an understanding of the factors that impede psychological development and the ways in which young people manifest psychological distress.
This theme is developed around the following key topics:
● Developmental Perspectives
● Social context
● Legal & Ethical Issues
● Service Provision & approaches
Intended learning Outcomes
For trainees to:
● Be able to describe children, young people and people with learning disabilities from a developmental or psychological perspective
● Gain an understanding of systemic approaches to intervention (including family therapy) having due cognisance of various theories and therapies relating to family functioning and the impact of culture on these
● Be aware of social, legal and ethical issues relating to young people and those with a learning disability
● Be able to describe the client group from a psychological perspective
● Have an understanding of service provision and to consider its development from a historical perspective
● Have an appreciation of the current philosophical and ideological debates
● Be able to describe manifestations of psychological difficulty and distress
● Be able to describe the psychological frameworks applied to learning disability; to discuss evidence for their benefits and limits to their applicability
● Be able to use the concept of levels of intervention to understand how psychologists work at the interface between client and family; between client and staff; and between the client's organic impairments and their emotional response to them
Aims
Building on the skills developed during year 1 and year 2 aims to provide skills necessary for effective clinical practice with children and people with learning disabilities and their carers
Intended Learning Outcomes
For trainees to:
● Be acquainted with the various psychological interventions and therapeutic approaches appropriate to the age range stage of development, and to be able to formulate problems with this in mind
● Develop skills in engaging young people and people with learning disabilities in therapy.
● Be able to analyse the reasons for problem behaviours bearing in mind contextual issues that may be impinging, including race and culture, and to carry out appropriate behavioural interventions.
Aims
This theme continues from the skills and knowledge gained in Year 1. The curriculum in Year 2 extends trainees knowledge surrounding the organisation and delivery of clinical psychology services, and seeks to further trainee’s ability to reflect on diversity and practice and how it is affected by the complex inter-relationship between their personal and professional development.
Intended Learning Outcomes
For trainees to:
● Have an appreciation of different models of service delivery
● Be able to describe services and organisations for children and families
● Be able to describe legal issues concerning services for children and people with learning disabilities
● Have an appreciation of equal opportunities issues and their implications for services
● Know the implications for working with "difference"
● Have an appreciation of organisational aspects of clinical practice
● Be able to describe ways of working indirectly with clients
● Better manage the demands of learning within both academic and NHS settings through
● Make use of a 'tool-kit' of self-care skills
● Use effectively a ‘Balint’ group for facilitate reflective practice
● Work with an identified mentor throughout the three years of training
Aims
To equip trainees with the knowledge and skills that will enable them successfully to initiate, conduct, collaborate with and advise others on research, service evaluation and audit as relevant to clinical practice within the NHS.
Intended Learning Outcomes
For trainees to:
● Be knowledgeable of applied research design (both quantitative and qualitative methods)
● Be able to conduct and monitor research projects.
● Be able to evaluate the quality of published research
● Be able to communicate effectively, and to the relevant audiences, research findings and the results of service evaluations
Year Three Curriculum
Aims
The theme continues and develops the skills and knowledge gained over years 1 and 2. The curriculum in year 3 seeks to expand trainees’ knowledge about working with clients with complex presentations. It includes teaching workshops relating to specialist client groups, different ways of working and evidence base related to health care.
This theme is developed around the following key topics:
● Working with complex presentations
● Working with specialist client groups
● Working with different models of service provision
Intended learning outcomes
For trainees to:
● expand and deepen knowledge around working with specialist client groups
● expand and deepen knowledge around different clinical approaches
● expand knowledge relating to service provision
Aims
Building on skills gained in years 1 and 2. The aims in year 3 are to deepen knowledge relating to interventions previously covered and to broaden the range of interventions.
Intended Learning Outcomes
For trainees to:
● Broaden and deepen knowledge of models taught in years 1 and 2.
● introduce a range of other models
● consolidate clinical skills
Aims
This theme builds on the skills and knowledge gained in years 1 and 2. The curriculum in year 3 further extends trainees knowledge surrounding the organisation and delivery of clinical psychology services and prepares them for working as qualified clinical psychologists in the current NHS. It seeks to further trainees’ ability to reflect on diversity, practice and self in relation to personal and professional development.
Intended Learning Outcomes
For trainees to:
● be able to critically appraise the ethical aspects of working in a complex organisation.
● develop effective and appropriate interpersonal skills for the workplace.
● be able to reflect on the ways in which aspects of diversity impact on our work as clinical psychologists.
● have an understanding of the methods of clinical audit.
● use the experience of work within a reflective practitioner group facilitated by an outside practitioner
● be prepared for the transition to qualified clinical psychologist
Aims
To equip trainees with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to enable them successfully to initiate, conduct, collaborate with others and advise others on research, service evaluation and audit.
Intended Learning Outcomes
For trainees to:
● be knowledgeable of research design and statistical and qualitative methods
● be able to plan and monitor research projects
● be able to communicate effectively, and to the relevant audiences, research findings and the results of service evaluations.