Placements will provide a range of learning opportunities designed to develop and demonstrate the BPS 9 core competencies. Formal supervision will be provided by a main named supervisor, though there may be opportunity for other supervisors and clinicians to input to the placement experiences. Placements will take place on the clinical service site and may involve some online delivery of services, dependent upon practice delivery models.

1. Evidence Based Practice presentation (25% weighted) [LO2]

Trainees are expected to present of a piece of evidence-based practice relevant to the clinical practice placement they are on. This is to be presented to the service team and/or clinical supervisor during the course of the placement. The format of the presentation will be negotiated with the supervisor and trainee whilst on placement and may include journal article reviews, clinical case presentations, formulation reviews with supervisor, or written reflection on application to practice. There is no stipulated word count; this is dependent on agreement with the clinical placement supervisor. The presentation must include opportunity for attendees of the presentation to ask questions of the trainee. Trainees will be assessed by the supervisor on their ability to:

- Make relevant appropriate theory-practice links

- Clearly communicate this (orally and/or in written form)

- Respond appropriately to questions

Supervisors rate the presentation as pass/fail

2. The Evaluation of Clinical Competence (ECC) (75% weighted) [LO1,2] is a formal assessment and evaluation of the trainee’s clinical performance on placement, completed by the supervisor and organised according to nine core competencies as required by the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the British Psychological Society (BPS: 2014):

- Generalisable meta-competencies

- Psychological assessment

- Psychological formulation

- Psychological intervention

- Evaluation

- Research

- Personal and professional skills and values

- Communication and teaching

- Organisational and systemic influence and leadership

Supervisors rate each core competency as acquired or not in line with the BPS competency criteria (Pass/Refer/No Opportunity) and provide information about how this has been assessed. In addition, the supervisor will provide written feedback for the trainee in relation to each competency area. Each area of competence must be acquired for the whole placement to be passed.¿The Main Supervisor may seek feedback from other supervisors involved in the work with the trainee when completing the ECC. Formative feedback on clinical competence is through the course of the placement via direct, formal supervision, structured observation of practice and direct service user feedback. Trainees must include evidence of 1x Structured Observation and 1x Direct service user feedback as part of their final ECC submission.

Both elements of assessment must be passed in order to pass the module.

On placement activities will comprise direct and indirect clinical work and related service delivery tasks under the supervision of a main, named clinical supervisor. Trainees must spend a minimum of 80% of timetabled placement days (excluding annual leave entitlement) on placement.

1. Demonstrate the basic acquisition of competencies required for approved and chartered status as a Clinical Psychologist.

Enquiry, Knowledge and Understanding, Reflection, Application

2. Work appropriately with a range of clients across the life span, taking context into account and to communicate this clinical experience to others.

Application, Learning, Communication, Reflection, Analysis.

Computer with internet access

Service users for case work on placement

Placement supervisor

Bennett-Levy, J. (2003). Reflection: a blind spot in psychology? Clinical Psychology, 27, 16-19

Bolton, G (2005) Reflective practice, writing and professional development.Sage

Cushway, D. & Gatherer, A. (2003). Reflecting on reflection. Clinical Psychology, 27, 6-10

Johns, C (2009) Becoming a reflective practitioner. (3rd ed) Wiley-Blackwell

Kolb, D.A. (1984), Experiential Learning; experience as a source of learning and development.
Prentice Hall

Schon, D. (1983). The Reflective Practitioner. Basic Books.

Trainees will complete placement experiences within the Staffordshire and Shropshire region.

Placements will provide a range of learning opportunities designed to develop and demonstrate the BPS 9 core competencies. Formal supervision will be provided by a main named supervisor, though there may be opportunity for other supervisors and clinicians to input to the placement experiences.