You will be guided through the process of consultancy, beginning from the assessment of requests for consultancy, through establishing needs of client group and negotiating with clients; planning, managing, and monitoring consultancy work; data protection; managing confidential data; drawing up contracts, formulating recommendations and finally closing pieces of consultancy and evaluating outcomes.

This module will be assessed by:

i) A Case Study (3000 words maximum excluding appendices) weighted at 50% (learning outcomes 1-5). This will consist of a reflective report: you will write a reflective report describing the request and identification of the need for the health psychology consultancy; how you established a working relationship with clients, and how you
negotiated, planned and managed the consultancy. Within the case study you need to include reviews of relevant consultancy approaches, theories and techniques, and the consultancy methodology, design and implementation plan. This case study must include a clear description of the consultancy aims, objectives, deliverables, data collection or project work and outcomes, and the evaluation process.

ii) A Contract and Working Agreement Conditions Document (3000 words maximum excluding appendices), weighted at 50% (learning outcomes 2, 3, and 4)
This document will specify project negotiations, agreed timescales and outcome deliverables, budget and resource planning.
Feasibility/scoping evaluations/studies, subsequent contract revisions, summary of meetings and correspondence, demonstrating reflection on the communications and management of the client-consultant working relationship will be placed in an Appendix. The Appendix will also include consent procedures (where appropriate), client assessments of the consultancy process and evidence of formal evaluation, feedback and reports from clients (where appropriate).

All elements of assessment MUST be passed.

There will be opportunities for formative feedback on (1) a detailed plan of the assessment given by the module leader and (2) a full draft of the assessment by your supervisor.

This module is supported with 18 hours of consultancy skills workshops where you will be led through the whole process of consultancy. In the first year, you will learn about the different approaches to consultancy, and learn about the different stages of the consultancy process from initial negotiation with clients, through to writing up and presenting the final report. During the first year, you will be taught by a range of experienced psychologists, including experienced health psychology consultants who have set up their own consultancies, and peers who will share their own experiences of conducting consultancy.

The sessions in the following year will build upon the knowledge in the first year, by practising the skills learnt within a small group learning environment.

The 18 hours of workshops will be supplemented by 4 hours of tailored individual supervision sessions with your supervisor, and 2 hours of supervision from the module leader (6 hours total).

The remaining 426 independent study hours will include reading the consultancy literature, negotiating with clients, preparing and writing contracts, conducting the actual consultancy work, preparing the final report for the client, and reflecting upon and writing up the consultancy case study, contract, and working agreement conditions document.

Web based databases to review current relevant literature in electronic database format. Internet access. Thompson library, Resource rooms (Psychology and general in Science Centre), Computer terminals.

You must satisfy these admission requirements:
1. hold an honours degree recognised by the British Psychological Society as offering Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership AND
2. have completed British Psychological Society Stage One training in Health Psychology (a BPS accredited MSc in Health Psychology) at a Merit or equivalent

Block, P. (2011) Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting your Expertise Used. Third Edition. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer.

Cope, M. (2003) The Seven Cs of Consulting, 2nd Edition. London: FT Prentice Hall.

Lippitt,G. and Lippitt, R. (1986) The Consulting Process in Action: Second Edition. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer.

Schein, E.H. (1999) Process Consultation revisited: Building the Helping Relationship. Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley.

Michie, S. & Abraham, C. (eds) (2004) Health Psychology in Practice. Oxford: BPS Blackwell.

1. Have a detailed understanding of the application of theories/models of communication, organisational consultancy, organisational development and the management of change within the consultancy process and project delivery.
(Knowledge & Understanding, Enquiry, Learning)

2. Engage in the preparatory processes involved in pitching, negotiating and agreeing the scope of work, contract arrangements and project delivery specifications with the client.
(Knowledge & Understanding, Enquiry, Application, Communication)

3. Plan, document, monitor, review and adjust in the light of unforeseen problems (where necessary) consultancy work/deliverables using appropriate theoretical frameworks/models and procedures. Have an in depth understanding of the barriers and facilitators of effective project delivery (incorporating time, resource, relationship and conflict management).
(Analysis, Problem Solving, Application)

4. Manage the consultancy project deliverables, process and outcomes
Analysis
effectively by engaging with and actively planning the client-consultancy relationship. Communicate conclusions clearly and effectively to the client.
(Analysis, Problem Solving, Communication)

5. Reflect upon the piece of consultancy, including exercising ethical and professional behaviour and personal responsibility with autonomous initiative within the consultancy project delivery and setting.
(Learning, Application, Reflection)

You will be guided through the process of consultancy, beginning from the assessment of requests for consultancy, through establishing needs of client group and negotiating with clients; planning, managing, and monitoring consultancy work; data protection; managing confidential data; drawing up contracts, formulating recommendations and finally closing pieces of consultancy and evaluating outcomes.