doctorate in clinical psychology academic handbook · in addition, this programme handbook sets out...
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UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH / NHS SCOTLAND
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY TRAINING PROGRAMME
Doctorate in Clinical Psychology
Academic Handbook
2016 / 2017
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If you require this document or any of the internal University of
Edinburgh online resources mentioned in this document in an
alternative format please contact Kirsty Gardner on
[email protected] or 0131 650 3889.
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Contents
A.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 4
A.2 Academic Regulations, Codes of Practice and Guidance ................................... 4
A2.1 Academic Appeals .............................................................................................. 5 A2.2 Student Complaints Procedures ......................................................................... 5 A2.3 Disciplinary Procedures ....................................................................................... 5 A2.4 Guidance on Academic Misconduct (including Plagiarism) ................................. 5 A2.5 Fitness to Practise ................................................................................................ 6
A.3 Overview of Academic Teaching ............................................................................... 6
A3.1 Academic Teaching Structure .................................................................................. 7 A3.2 Professional Issues Teaching .................................................................................. 9 A3.3 Study Time during Teaching Weeks ...................................................................... 10 A3.4 Distance Participation ............................................................................................ 10 A3.5 Advanced Practice Seminars ................................................................................. 11 A3.6 Feedback ............................................................................................................... 13 A3.7 Helping and Welcoming Contributors .................................................................... 13
A.4 Academic Assessment ............................................................................................. 13
A4.1 Assistance with Academic Work ............................................................................ 14 A4.2 Approximate Submission Dates for Assessed Work ............................................. 15 A4.3 Essay Question Papers (EQPs) for those starting pre 2010 .................................. 16 A4.4 Extensions to Submitted Work .............................................................................. 16 A4.5 Special Circumstances .......................................................................................... 18 A4.6 Avoidance / Detection of Plagiarism and Declaration of Own Work ...................... 18 A4.7 Word Limits............................................................................................................ 19 A4.8 Reasonable Adjustments for Trainees with Disabilities ..................................... 19 A4.9 Portfolio of Assessed Work ................................................................................... 19 A4.10 Feedback to Supervisors ..................................................................................... 20 A4.11 Feedback and Provisional Marks ......................................................................... 20 A4.12 Submission Process for Written Work ................................................................. 20
A.5 Passing or Failing the Academic Component ........................................................ 21
A5.1 Failed Academic Work (Except Thesis) ................................................................. 21 A5.2 Criteria for Programme Discontinuation ............................................................ 22 A5.3 Special Circumstances Committee ........................................................................ 22 A5.4 Alternate Exit Awards............................................................................................. 23
A.6 Case Conceptualisation Framework ....................................................................... 23
A6.1 Confidentiality in Case Conceptualisations ............................................................ 26 A6.2 Guidelines for Marking Case Conceptualisations .................................................. 28
A.7 Information for Trainees on Awards ........................................................................ 30
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A.1 Introduction
The academic handbook gives you the information you need to know about the academic
aspects of the Programme. It provides and overview of the structure of teaching, teaching
methods, assessment, timing of assessments, guidance on submitted pieces of academic
work, sources of support, types of support available, adjustments for trainees with
disabilities and more. It also contains links to more formal regulatory documents,
frameworks, policies and codes of practice, such as the University regulations, appeals
procedures, and guidance on plagiarism and cheating.
This is an informal document; its main purpose is information giving rather than as a legal
document. Occasionally though it will refer to aspects of the Programme or University
documentation that has more formal status. These sections will be indicted by the
symbol:.
A.2 Academic Regulations, Codes of Practice and Guidance
The Programme is a taught degree and is governed by the Taught Assessment
Regulations. There is a substantial research element however that underpins the degree.
These research elements are governed by the codes of practice and policies relating to
the Postgraduate Assessment Regulations for Research Degrees. These codes of
practice relate to best practice for teaching delivery, assessment, student support,
Programme and Course information, marking and feedback, and quality assurance and
enhancement procedures. Trainees are strongly advised to familiarise themselves with all
of the documents listed below.
The Taught Assessment Regulations Academic Year 2016/2017:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/files/atoms/files/taughtassessmentregulations.pdf
The Postgraduate Assessment Regulations for Research Degrees Academic Year
2016/2017:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/files/atoms/files/pgr_assessmentregulations.pdf
In addition, there are various documents that give further guidance regarding academic
policy and practice that should be read in conjunction with the academic regulations.
These are listed here:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/academic-
services/staff/assessment/assessment-regulations
The Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study, General Postgraduate Degree
Regulations and Specific Sections for the DClinPsychol Programme set out general
regulations for postgraduate degrees as well as specific regulations for the DClinPsychol
and the official structure of the Programme.
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Please visit the Student Contract website for other key University regulations such as the
student complaint procedure, academic appeals, academic misconduct (including
plagiarism), dignity and respect and special circumstances.
A2.1 Academic Appeals
An academic appeal is a request for a decision made by a Board of Examiners to be
reconsidered in relation to: marks, progression, degree classification or degree award. If
you are considering lodging an appeal, it is important that you act promptly. Detailed
guidance is given here:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/academic-services/students/appeals
A2.2 Student Complaints Procedures
The University recognises that there will be occasions when students will wish to raise
more serious concerns about issues relating to their experience at the University. The
student complaint procedure is operated by the University Secretary’s Group. Detailed
guidance is given here:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/student-academic-services/student-complaint-
procedure/student-complaint-procedure
A2.3 Disciplinary Procedures
Every student of the University is required to adhere at all times to those University
regulations, policies and codes of practice which relate to student behaviour, and are
expected to ensure that they are aware of these. When a student fails to observe
University rules and regulations, disciplinary action may be taken against them through
the procedures set out in the University’s Code of Conduct:
http://www.docs.sasg.ed.ac.uk/AcademicServices/Discipline/StudentCodeofConduct.pdf
Code of Practice for Research Supervision
http://www.docs.sasg.ed.ac.uk/AcademicServices/Codes/CoPSupervisorsResearchStude
nts.pdf
A2.4 Guidance on Academic Misconduct (including Plagiarism)
Academic misconduct is any type of cheating that occurs in relation to a formal academic
exercise.
This includes plagiarism, collusion, falsification, deceit, cheating and personation. The
University takes all reported incidences of academic misconduct seriously and seeks to
ensure that they are dealt with efficiently and appropriately. Further guidance is available
here:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/academic-services/students/conduct/academic-misconduct
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The University takes plagiarism very seriously and is committed to ensuring that so far as
possible it is detected and dealt with appropriately. Plagiarism is the act of including in
one’s work the work of another person without providing adequate acknowledgement of
having done so, either deliberately or unintentionally. At whatever stage of a student’s
course, whether discovered before or after graduation, plagiarism will be investigated and
dealt with. Further guidance on ways to ensure you avoid unwitting plagiarism is available
here:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/academic-services/staff/discipline/plagiarism
In addition, this Programme Handbook sets out many programme specific details, (e.g.
marking criteria, submission dates, confidentiality, teaching, etc.). These documents
(Regulations, Codes of Practice, Handbook and ITDP) form an agreement between you
(the postgraduate student) and the Programme. The handbook is updated each year and
posted on the Programme’s website near the beginning of October. Minor amendments
are made to the Regulations and to the handbook each year and these documents
become the new regulatory framework within which your degree operates. Trainees
should always use the online version of the handbook and regulations as they are the
most up to date.
A2.5 Fitness to Practise
The DClinPsychol is a professional practice degree and therefore is subject to the
University’s Fitness to Practise Procedure. More information about the procedure can be
found here:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/arts-humanities-soc-sci/taught-students/student-conduct/fitness-to-
practise
The HCPC also requires programmes to monitor that students are fit to practise and that
we have a fitness to practise procedure in place. As part of this we will be implementing a
new self-declaration of fitness to practise. This will be done during induction week and
then at each annual review. For more detail about the HCPC’s guidance for students, click
here:
http://www.hpc-
uk.org/assets/documents/10002D1BGuidanceonconductandethicsforstudents.pdf
Further guidance on Clinical Psychology’s implementation of the Fitness to Practice
Procedures can be found on Learn.
A.3 Overview of Academic Teaching
The DClinPsychol programme is fortunate in having its base in a large University with links
to several teaching hospitals and high-quality community services. A wide range of people
contribute to teaching, including colleagues from various NHS departments, from other
university departments and from a variety of voluntary and statutory organisations.
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The Programme Organisers believe that teaching is likely to be most clinically relevant if a
substantial proportion of it is taught by practising Clinical Psychologists. Accordingly,
many clinical supervisors participate in formal teaching as well as in the practical training
on placements.
In addition to the teaching designed specifically for the DClinPsychol, trainees have the
opportunity to participate in other academic activities within the University, such as
lunchtime and evening seminars organised by departments or courses arranged by
computing services and the Institute for Academic Development. More information about
courses can be found here: http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/institute-academic-
development/postgraduate/doctoral/courses
The academic teaching day can be officially scheduled from 09:00 to 17:30, with breaks
mid-morning, lunch and mid-afternoon. Trainees should arrive promptly for the beginning
of sessions and not leave prior to the end of sessions, without a good reason and without
permission from the lecturer. It is discourteous to presenters and to other trainees if you
are not punctual around beginnings and returning after breaks. In practice, we tend to
schedule teaching from 09:30 – 17:15, though you should look carefully at the timetables
to make sure you are in teaching when required.
A3.1 Academic Teaching Structure
The programme has undergone a complete review for the cohort starting in 2016. In line
with the new accreditation standards from the BPS, the programme is structured to
enhance the learning of concepts and competencies that transfer between specialist
populations (e.g. child, intellectual disabilities, adults, older adults, neuropsychology,
forensic). The result is a curriculum that emphasises the common psychological
processes and skills that will be useful to you in your work as a clinical psychologist.
All trainees begin with a week-long induction in their NHS base. They then begin week two
in teaching, face to face in Edinburgh. The first six weeks of teaching (Block 1) has a
number of important functions: it orients you to the kinds of work you will be doing on
placement in first year, but more than this; orients you to the academic subject matter of
the profession. Teaching is organised around a number of cross cutting themes which will
appear again and again throughout teaching. These themes are: Fundamentals of Clinical
Psychology, Assessment, Formulation, Intervention, Professionalism and Practice, and
Research. Within the themes of Fundamentals, you will be introduced to aspects of the
history of the profession, assumptions, concepts such as balancing between theory and
humanity, science and reflection and the notion of ‘Lifespan Development’.
You will learn about theoretical lenses that underpin different approaches to treatment,
such as systemic thinking, relational and attachment based perspectives, the behavioural
paradigm, and cognitive approaches. In ‘Assessment’ you will learn about the theories
and concepts underpinning assessment practice, test standardisation, you will have the
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chance to practice the skills of interviewing, test administration etc. There are practical
sessions on formulating, on understanding different presentations and skills sessions on
practicing different ways of intervening, with both adult client and intellectual disability
clients as examples.
Professionalism and Practice covers aspects such as understanding the NHS and the
context of our work, as well as your developing identity, professional behaviour and
looking after your own needs to be able to sustain the work. These sessions also contain
details on reflection, how the training will change you, and the nuts and bolts of managing
your own education and employment.
Trainees begin their first placement in either Adult Mental Health or Learning Disabilities in
mid-November. They then return to the University on approximately three consecutive
teaching days per month through December to March. There is a further three weeks of
teaching in April / May (Block 2). This teaching block is followed by the second placement.
There is a teaching week in June, then no further teaching until year two. Block 2 teaching
covers working with adults with physical health problems, substance misuse problems and
those with forensic or criminal justice issues.
Year two teaching begins around the 3rd week in October with three weeks of Older Adult
and Child teaching. The content of year two teaching will be under review during the early
part of 2016 / 17 academic year, with a view to providing a more integrated curriculum for
the cohort that will undertake that teaching in 2017 / 18. For the year 2016/17 it will
continue be structured according to Older Adult, Neuro and Child. For pragmatic reasons,
some sessions this year may be jointly delivered to both year one and two classes
together.
Trainees in year two begin placements in Older Adult and Child around the second week
in November. They return to teaching for three consecutive days per month from Dec to
March. There is a further three weeks of Neuro and Child teaching in April / May, then a
final three days in June.
Third year teaching is self-selected, comprising of Advanced Practice seminars. Further
details about the APS are provided below in section A3.5. There are some compulsory
sessions for all third years, comprising of Professional Issue teaching, and Thesis
preparation.
The academic component of the programme combines workshops in therapy skills with
seminars, trainee-led discussions and lectures. A member of the course team attends all
trainee-led presentations/discussions. A session at the end of each module is devoted to
feedback from the trainees to the course staff on the teaching. As far as possible, the
academic blocks are synchronised with clinical placements during the first two years, i.e.
the placement with a specific clinical group follows the block. The proportion of time
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devoted to academic teaching over the three years is approximately 20%, placements
approximately 60% and private study approximately 20%.
The teaching timetable is made available online as early as possible, trainees should
always consult the timetable for up to date information, session materials and pre session
homework tasks. The timetable can be accessed through the DClinPsychol Learn page.
Up to 50% of the teaching will be delivered by distance participation. Further information
on distance participation is in section A3.4. Distance participation may mean attending a
video conferenced lecture, Q&A session, or it may mean self-directed learning,
participation in online discussion boards, or a wide variety of other activities and formats. It
is expected that trainees will have access to up to date computing facilities and internet
access. These sessions usually have a deal of flexibility about the trainees own learning,
where they undertake them etc, subject to approval by line manager.
A3.2 Professional Issues Teaching
A fundamental tenet to our programme is to support our trainees to practise in accordance
with the Health and Care Professions Council’s (HCPC) Guidance on Conduct and Ethics
for Students and British Psychological Society’s (BPS) Code of Ethics and Conduct during
training and to reach the Standards of Proficiency required for Clinical Psychologists by
the end of training. We also aim to help trainees develop competencies consistent with
the Division of Clinical Psychology’s Leadership Framework.
All teaching input implicitly helps support trainees to develop their professional practice.
NHS Placements are also crucial in supporting trainees and monitoring their progress in
this regard.
In addition the Professionalism and Practice vertical stream which is being introduced for
our new intake in 2016 has two main strands which explicitly support this process. (NB
The Professional Issues’ Module will continue to run for current second and third year
trainees)
Reflective Practice
The development of trainees’ reflective practice is supported by the provision of reflective
practice groups – these are run in groups of up to 10 trainees and facilitated by both
programme team staff and external contributors. They run approximately 10 times during
the course of training.
Influence
We encourage trainees from day 1 of training to recognise the experience and skills they
already have in terms of influence and to notice the opportunities they have throughout
training to use their influence to bring psychological mindedness to their work. We adopt
a developmental approach to this – focusing first on influences within one to one
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relationships – eg with clients and supervisors and quickly broadening this out to team
and group work and then to influence at a systemic / service / political level.
A3.3 Study Time during Teaching Weeks
When trainees attend block teaching, the allocation of study days is either indicated on the
timetable or there is no study day. When trainees return to University for the three days of
teaching (approximately monthly) they do not have a study day during those weeks.
Similarly, when trainees attend Advanced Practice Seminars, they do not receive a private
study day on that week, but keep their allocated thesis time except when an APS runs for
the whole week, in which case the study time is lost.
A3.4 Distance Participation
Since 2012 we have been providing up to 50% of teaching using Videoconferencing
technology. NHS Education for Scotland has invested in videoconferencing (VC)
equipment in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Elgin, Dundee, and Dumfries. This is to reduce
recurrent costs associated with trainee travel and to increase convenience for trainees,
particularly during the winter months. We have worked hard to help trainees and
contributors adapt to this format of teaching, and have also had to persist with
troubleshooting technical issues. The first two years of this project were hampered by
technical difficulties. Thankfully these seem to be largely resolved. The VC experience
requires adaptation from both contributors and trainees. We are encouraging course
organisers and contributors to be more creative in how they use these distance
participation sessions. The Older Adult teaching is pioneering this approach, with a
greater emphasis on self-directed learning, trainees organising themselves into small
study groups, provision of materials and tasks via eLearning and a more focussed and
time-limited use of VC for group discussion. These developments are gradually being
extended to other areas of the programme.
Trainees in remote sites need to get in to the habit of being active participants, interrupting
the speaker if they need to ask questions, asking questions and clarifications and so on. It
is not rude to take a very active approach to your own learning and engagement in this
way. Remember that you can be seen in the other teaching rooms (so don’t check your
phone!) Trainees in the room in Edinburgh: remember that being in a remote site poses
new challenges. Use the room microphone to ask questions, make comments, etc. Help
your remote site colleagues to engage and help the contributor to use the technology to
best advantage. Consider chatting with the remote sites during breaks etc.
Sessions in which VC / distance participation is to be used are clearly marked on the
timetable. Instructions are available centrally and in each of the health board areas about
how to operate the VC equipment. In addition the Programme Team have made a short
instructional video and reading materials about both VC and further guidance on creating
DP sessions that can be viewed via links on the website.
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A3.5 Advanced Practice Seminars
When trainees are not scheduled to undertake Clinical Psychology 1 and 2 they elect to
undertake a series of advanced practice seminars (APS). This happens in year 3 for full
time trainees. It can happen in any of years 2 – 5 for specialist trainees. Specialist trainees
will undertake APS across one or two years according to their ITDP. For RPL trainees this
can happen across years 2-3.
The APS cover advanced competencies in working in different specialist areas of clinical
psychology, such as with people with psychosis, eating disorders, adult ADHD and
trauma. APS also extend trainees skills and knowledge in a range of different approaches
to psychological therapy, including Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, Psychodynamic
Psychotherapy, Interpersonal Therapy, Cognitive Analytic Therapy, and Schema Therapy,
Systemic Practice, to name a few. The full range of choices can be seen on Learn.
The APS are continually under development and new elements may be added each year.
At the same time, sessions that are not popular may be removed, or practitioners offering
sessions may not be able to offer them in a particular year. The Programme will
endeavour to find alternatives under such circumstances, though trainees should be
aware that the APS might be different from year to year.
Trainees choose which APS they attend, they are not all compulsory. Trainees must
choose 35 sessions of advanced practice seminars (plus or minus 3 sessions), across the
whole time that they are scheduled to do APS. Trainees splitting their attendance of these
across two years will need to remember how many they have taken. For RPL trainees the
session allowance is for 17 sessions (plus or minus 2).
Choosing APS
Trainees should expect to involve their manager in a discussion of their choices of APS.
Managers, Trainees and Personal Tutors will meet once per year for annual appraisal and
choice of teaching should be part of that conversation. This conversation should try to
arrive at choices that balance the academic and professional development needs of the
trainee, any outstanding learning objectives, the trainee’s personal interests and the
training needs of the service.
Planning Placement Activity and Study Time
Supervisors have in the past raised some concerns about knowing in advance when
trainees would be on teaching or on placement. Trainees will know well in advance when
they will be in teaching and when on placement. Trainees must communicate this to
supervisors. In addition, supervisors who have requested access to Learn can go online to
see the timetable for themselves. We spread popular sessions throughout the academic
year to try and avoid trainees taking a lot of time from placement in November and
December. Trainees should be sensitive to balancing their time on placement, teaching
and study when choosing APS and avoid choices that would have a detrimental impact on
placement timing.
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Specialist Trainees and APS that are part-week
There are some APS that are full week and some that are day or half day. Where trainees
choose APS that are part-week, the expectation is that they will resume the pattern of their
working week when they return to placement or work contribution. For instance, if a
trainee is on placement Monday and Tuesday and Specialist Work Component on
Wednesday and Thursday, with a study day on a Friday, and they attend two days of APS
on the Monday and Tuesday, they return for two days to work component on the
Wednesday, Thursday and on thesis years spend half of Friday on thesis study and half a
day on placement. On non-thesis years this would be a full day on placement. Similarly, if
that trainee were to do APS on the Thursday and Friday instead of the Monday and
Tuesday, they should try (if possible) to swap their days to do two days of work component
during the rest of the week. This arrangement is subject to local negotiation and
arrangement, but broadly trainees and managers are expected to work together to pattern
their work and placement arrangements in the way that suits the specific situation best.
Half-day Seminars
Some APS are half-day seminars. The other half of that day should be considered as
private study time. It is the trainee’s responsibility to ensure they inform the manager and
supervisor of this.
Expenses and APS
Under the older system of every trainee doing every session in Block 5 and 6, trainees
were required to be in Edinburgh on 31 days across the year. These were arranged such
that trainees from further afield would claim expenses for around 8 – 10 return trips from
base to Edinburgh and approximately 31 overnight stays. Under the APS system, trainees
will need to claim expenses for around 15 - 20 overnight stays. They may have an
increased number of return travel claims, but the APS are organised in such a way that
unnecessary travel can be minimised. The new system is therefore likely to be less costly
to services in terms of expenses than the previous system. Trainees should also consider
how best to maximise their APS to make most efficient use of travel and overnight stays,
just as a member of qualified staff would for CPD. Trainees should expect that this
element of expenses is another consideration (but not the consideration) in the
conversation between themselves, their manager and their PT in choosing APS.
APS on a Friday and Monday
The current scheduling of APS means that no APS are scheduled across a Monday and
Friday, such that both days need to be attended. There are however, separate APS, a
small number of which are on a Friday and a Monday, which trainees may choose. Under
such circumstances, it may be more prudent for the trainee to stay in Edinburgh over the
weekend, as they do for blocks earlier in the Programme. Managers will need to explicitly
approve whether to reimburse for weekend accommodation or for return travel to base
and back to Edinburgh. Again, trainees and managers are expected to work together to
balance the needs of the trainee and the service.
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Development of the APS for Non-Doctoral Students
For some APS (e.g. Interpersonal Therapy) we are combining DClinPsychol students with
other students (e.g. Masters students in Psychological Therapies) to increase efficiency of
delivery and enhance inter-professional learning. This development may extend over time
to other APS sessions (e.g. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy).
Feedback
Evaluation of the APS indicates that the sessions are well delivered and well received.
Trainees are expected to provide feedback on the APS using the online feedback form on
Learn.
If you still have questions about APS, you may contact Nuno Ferreira, Lecturer in Clinical
Psychology: [email protected]
A3.6 Feedback
We value your feedback on the teaching you receive. Course organisers will often arrange
a face-to-face meeting with the class in which you can give feedback. Trainees are
expected to give constructive feedback in such a session and not use it purely as a forum
for expressing dissatisfactions, particularly where these don’t relate to teaching. Trainees
must also provide individualised, anonymised feedback on each module/stream using the
links provided on Learn. Individualised feedback can be useful in minimising bias in the
views of the group and be more representative of the diversity of opinion than a general
statement. We really value the feedback we get on teaching and we use it constructively
to develop the curriculum, provide more or less of certain topics, give feedback to external
contributors to help them develop their teaching effectiveness and ensure the quality of
the content. If we do not receive sufficient volumes of feedback it is hard for us to know
whether to make changes. We therefore ask that all trainees make time to provide
feedback on all teaching, consistently throughout the programme and including the APS.
A3.7 Helping and Welcoming Contributors
The programme uses a lot of external contributors for teaching, giving you the best
available hands on expertise and special interest in particular topics. Many of our
contributors have taught with us before, but some may be new. One of the roles of Class
Reps is therefore to welcome contributors, offer assistance with technology and trouble
shoot problems. The class rep can nominate another trainee to perform this role as
needed.
A.4 Academic Assessment
Trainees must submit and pass four course assignments in order to progress through the
programme. You will get marks and feedback, these marks will go towards the overall
mark, used to award the class prizes (more information below, section A7). All assessed
work is submitted electronically via Turnitin.
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Academic Assessment:
During training, candidates are required to satisfactorily complete:
Two case conceptualisations. The first of these will be submitted during the first
year of training. The second will be submitted in second year for full time trainees
and in third year for specialist trainees. Unless there are special circumstances
that prevent you from doing so, Case Conceptualisation 1 should be based on
clinical work undertaken during placements 1 or 2, whilst Case Conceptualisation 2
should be based on clinical work undertaken during placements 3 or 4.
A detailed research proposal, submitted during first year for full time trainees or
second year for specialist trainees.
A small-scale research project based on work conducted on any of placements 1 to
4. This is submitted after the end of second year for full time trainees and after the
end of third year for specialist trainees.
A thesis, submitted in May of third year for full time trainees, March for RPL
trainees or according to the individual training plan for specialist trainees.
Further information about each of the above assessments can be found in the relevant
course handbooks.
For those who began training before 2010, remaining academic submissions will depend
on what has already been submitted and passed and varies between individuals. Please
discuss this further with your personal tutor.
A4.1 Assistance with Academic Work
Doctoral level students should be self-directing in terms of setting their own goals,
monitoring their own progress as well as identifying when they need help and asking for
this. Crucially, education at the Doctoral level is about critical thinking and scholarship,
rather than simply ‘knowing facts’. In Clinical Psychology training, it is not enough to know
the evidence base and to be able to skilfully apply evidence based treatments for
psychological disorders. You must also be able to critically analyse the theoretical
understanding(s) of psychological problems, the interventions and therapies, the theories
themselves and to critically evaluate the quality and assumptions behind the evidence
base. In these handbooks we provide the marking scheme for each assignment (e.g.
Section 6.2 Academic Handbook: Marking Scheme for Case Conceptualisations). You
should study these in detail before beginning assignments. The highest marks can be
gained by critically analysing material in depth. This may mean that drilling into a slightly
narrower range of literature in depth may get better marks than simply describing a
broader range of literature at a surface level.
At every stage of training, guidance and assistance is offered to trainees. There are a
number of sources of help and trainees are encouraged to seek support when needed. It
is considered a sign of competency to be aware of the need for help and to seek
appropriate guidance.
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Clinical supervisors are responsible for the clinical work undertaken by the trainees. They
usually offer assistance with Case Conceptualisations and Small Scale Research as part
of the normal supervision process. The final piece of work submitted by the trainee
should be primarily his/her own work and its final quality and content are his/her
responsibility. Clinical supervisors are often interested to hear how trainees get on with
their submitted work and thus trainees are encouraged to send copies of feedback they
receive from the course to the corresponding clinical supervisor.
Personal Tutors and academic staff will offer assistance as required and at a level that
would normally be expected for a postgraduate student. In all cases trainees should keep
in mind that most staff will require some time to read material given to them and
immediate or last minute help may not be possible. Trainees are responsible for ensuring
that they are aware of and meet Course and Programme requirements in terms of
submission dates, format and style of written work.
A4.2 Approximate Submission Dates for Assessed Work
The following are approximate submission dates for all assessed work. Note that several
deadlines are at the start of the following academic year. Approximate dates are given to
facilitate clarity and planning, though these are subject to change. The assessed work
calendar gives actual dates for the year ahead and this can be found on Learn.
Trainees are required to submit all work electronically by 3pm on due dates. An electronic
copy of all the assessed work (including case conceptualisations) should be submitted
through Turnitin on Learn. The due date will usually be a Thursday.
Flexible Submission Dates
It is appreciated that the recommended dates below may not be suitable for a small
number of specialist trainees due to their specific ITDPs. In these cases it will usually be
possible to submit individual pieces of work exactly a year earlier (early submission) or
later (deferred submission) than the recommended dates outlined, subject to the
agreement of the trainee’s Personal Tutor. However it is strongly recommended that
trainees complete these pieces of work as early as possible in training. If trainees wish to
submit an early or deferred assignment, they must discuss this with their Personal Tutor. If
the Personal Tutor agrees that the early or deferred assignment would be compatible with
the ITDP and in the interests of training, the Personal Tutor needs to enrol or withdraw the
student for that course on EUCLID and inform the Course Organiser to expect or not
expect a submission. These steps enable the programme to keep track of work that is
being submitted at times other than the recommended dates. Early submissions of theses
(i.e. before the final year of training) will need to be arranged at least 3 months in advance
of the proposed new submission date in order for relevant paperwork to be completed and
examiners arranged.
Submission Dates for Full Time Trainees
16
Year Approx. Submission Dates (for
actual dates see assessed work
calendar)
1st Case Study Conceptualisation 1 (CP1) 1st Year, late May
Research Project Proposal (R1) 1st year, July
2nd Case Study Conceptualisation 2 (CP2) 2nd Year, late May
Small Scale Research Project (R2) 3rd Year, late October
3rd Thesis 3rd Year, early May
3rd Year, early March (RPL Trainees)
Submission Dates for Specialist (‘1 + 4’ 5 year) Trainees
Year Approx. Submission Dates (for
actual dates see assessed work
calendar)
1st Case Study Conceptualisation 1
(CP1)
1st Year, late May
Research Project Proposal (R1) 2nd year, July (in line with ITDP)
2nd/3rd Case Study Conceptualisation 2
(CP2)
3rd year, January OR late May
Small Scale Research Project (R2) 4th Year, late October
4th/5th Thesis † 5th Year, early May
† Thesis may be submitted for earlier assessment (e.g. the preceding year or on 1st
February) by prior arrangement and subject to agreement of personal tutor, Academic &
Clinical Supervisors, Assessment Tutor and Programme Director.
A4.3 Essay Question Papers (EQPs) for those starting pre 2010
Those who started training before 2010 may still be required to complete Older
Adult/Neuropsychology essays or a Child, Adolescent and Families essay depending on
the work already completed. The programme will distribute essay titles for these essays
each January (EQP3: Child, Adolescent & Families and EQP4: Section 1: Older Adults,
Section 2: Neuropsychology). For the Child, Adolescent and Families essay paper, it is
required that the trainee select one title from five and submit a 4000 to 5000 word essay.
The Older Adults and Neuropsychology paper will be divided into two sections comprising
five questions each, with trainees selecting one question from each section (2000 to 3000
words for each). Trainees should not expect supervisors or members of the programme
team to provide feedback on drafts of essay question papers. EQP3 and EQP4 will be
distributed in the January of the academic year and should be completed only when the
trainee is completing the relevant placement (i.e. Child or Older Adults and
Neuropsychology). EQP3 and EQP4 will be submitted in early July of that year.
A4.4 Extensions to Submitted Work
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It is the responsibility of individual students to submit work on time or be available to sit
examinations. Any requests for an extension to assessment submission dates should be
made using the online extension request form in advance of the published deadline for the
coursework. The School will consider accepting a request for a late submission of up to
seven calendar days (see below for the regulations around late submission).
If there are any circumstances that may result in work not being completed in time,
then students must discuss this with their Personal Tutor at the earliest opportunity
and before requesting the extension through the online form.
Good reasons for coursework extension are unexpected short-term circumstances which
are exceptional for the individual student, beyond that students’ control, and which could
reasonably be expected to have had an adverse impact on the student’s ability to
complete the assessment on time. Please note that the following are examples of
circumstances which would not be considered good reasons:
Holidays
Circumstances which were foreseeable or preventable
Poor time-management
Proximity to other assessments
Lack of awareness of dates or time of assessment submission
Failure, loss or theft of data, a computer or other equipment
Commitments to paid or voluntary employment
For further examples of circumstances that would, and would not, be considered
good reasons for coursework extensions please see Taught Assessment
Regulation 28
(http://www.ed.ac.uk/files/atoms/files/taughtassessmentregulations.pdf)
Applying for a Coursework Extension of Up to Seven Days
Further guidance on making a coursework extension request can be found at the following
website along with the form to be completed:
https://uoe.sharepoint.com/sites/hss/health/student-support/SitePages/Extension-request-
form.aspx
The form and guidance can also be accessed from the School’s Student Support
webpage:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/health/student-support
Access to the form is through EASE login and password.
Extension Requests of More Than Seven Days
Where a student has good reason for requiring a coursework extension of more than
seven calendar days, the student should discuss the issue with their Personal Tutor,
submit the coursework when able to do so (as agreed with the Personal Tutor), and
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apply via the Special Circumstances process for the Board of Examiners to consider
disregarding the penalty for late submission (see below for guidance on Special
Circumstances).
For further examples of circumstances that would, and would not, be considered good
reasons for coursework extensions via the Special Circumstances process please see
Taught Assessment Regulation 28
(http://www.ed.ac.uk/files/atoms/files/taughtassessmentregulations.pdf)
and the Special Circumstances Policy Document
(http://www.ed.ac.uk/files/atoms/files/special_circumstances.pdf).
A4.5 Special Circumstances Special circumstances are circumstances which are exceptional for the individual student,
are beyond that student’s control and for which there is sufficient evidence to show that
they had a significant adverse impact on the student’s performance in an assessment, or
resulted in non-attendance or a non-submission for a scheduled assessment.
Further information regarding the Special Circumstances process, including the policy
document which contains examples of circumstances which are and are not likely to be
accepted, is available on the Academic Services website:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/academic-services/students/assessment/special-circumstances
It is the responsibility of students to submit their request for consideration of special
circumstances to the Convenor of the relevant Special Circumstances Committee as soon
as possible and not more than a week after the student’s final assessment for the
semester. Students should submit the Special Circumstances form in consultation with
their Personal Tutor. In the form students should describe the circumstances, state when
the circumstances affected them, and all assessments and courses affected. Students
should also ensure that they provide sufficient documentary evidence as detailed in
Section 6 of the Special Circumstances Policy. The form is available at:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/files/atoms/files/courseworkextensionform.docx
The School will treat the information provided by students as confidential in line with the
University’s Data Protection Policy, and will only share it with staff and External Examiners
who have a legitimate need to access the information in order to consider the student’s
case or to provide students with support.
A4.6 Avoidance / Detection of Plagiarism and Declaration of Own Work
We collate electronic copies of all submitted work in order for them to be processed using
software that checks for potential plagiarism (Turnitin). Trainees are directed to the advice
on plagiarism in section A.2 of this document, and the associated web links. All academic
work should be submitted to Turnitin through Learn.
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Before submitting to Turnitin, students are asked to read and accept an online Declaration
of Own Work form. The intention of this form is to reduce the occurrence of plagiarism
(deliberate or unintentional). It only takes a few moments to complete and giving some
consideration to avoiding unintended plagiarism may save you a lot of difficulty later on.
A4.7 Word Limits
Writing concisely, paying attention to presentation and giving due consideration to the
reader are important skills and essential when communicating written material. To
encourage concise writing and ensure that no benefit is gained by adding excess
information, all submitted work must include a word count towards the start of the
assignment. Guidance and word limits for all submitted work are given in the
corresponding course handbooks. Please keep in mind that these word limits are
maximum word lengths and not figures to aim at, many good assignments will be well
below the word limit. Word limits refer to the main body of text and do not include title
pages, references or appendices. Abstracts for small scale research projects have their
own word limits and do not count towards the word limit for the main body of text.
Trainees are expected to write in a way that meets standards of presentation (layout,
grammar, punctuation, spelling etc.) appropriate for a professional clinical psychologist.
If there is a fixed word limit (e.g. 4,000 words) work will be subject to a penalty of 10
marks if the word count is more than 10% over the prescribed word length (e.g. 4,401 and
above). If a word range is given (e.g. 4,000 - 4,500 words) work will be subject to a
penalty of 10 marks if the word count goes over the higher limit of the band (e.g. the word
count is 4,501 and above).
No specific penalty will be applied for submissions with fewer than the recommended
number of words
A4.8 Reasonable Adjustments for Trainees with Disabilities
Reasonable adjustments for assessed work will be made where required for trainees with
disabilities. These adjustments come from the Student Disability Service and not simply
from a conversation with the trainee. As these adjustments need to be approved well in
advance of assessment dates, trainees with disabilities that may require adjustments
should contact the Student Disability Service at the earliest opportunity:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/student-disability-service.
Advice may also be sought from Personal Tutors or the Programme Director. Adjustments
may also need to be made in employment settings, please see Clinical Practice
Handbook, section P2.8.
A4.9 Portfolio of Assessed Work
Trainee portfolios are maintained by the programme secretary. Submitted academic work
is stored in an electronic portfolio. Placement paperwork (evaluation of clinical
competence and summaries of clinical experience) must be submitted to the trainee’s
20
Clinical Tutor to be stored as hard copies. The trainee must ensure that they submit all
end of placement paperwork to their Clinical Tutor as they complete each placement.
A4.10 Feedback to Supervisors
Trainees are expected to provide their supervisors with a copy of case conceptualisations,
SSRP and R1 proposals and to give some feedback about their appraisal. Preferably a
copy of the feedback from the marker should be sent to supervisors, though at minimum
an email or telephone call conveying the general feedback should be provided.
A4.11 Feedback and Provisional Marks
Feedback and provisional marks will be returned to trainees through Learn once all work
has been returned from second markers and the results collated. All case
conceptualisations, thesis proposals, essays and small scale research projects are
returned with detailed feedback comments. Samples of each of the assignments are
reviewed by external examiners. All marks returned by the programme team are
provisional marks that may be subject to change by the External Examiner’s moderation
or by the Exam Board. If you do not receive your mark at the same time as other trainees,
this does not mean there is a problem with your assignment. As all work is double marked
blind, it is sometimes necessary for markers to meet to discuss and agree a mark. Please
contact the Programme Secretary if you are worried that you have not received your mark.
A4.12 Submission Process for Written Work
As all coursework is marked anonymously you must ensure that your paper has been fully
anonymised and that you have not included your name or student number anywhere in
your paper.
The following steps should be taken to submit your course assessments:
1. Choose the relevant course in Learn and click on the “Assessment Submission”
folder.
2. To begin the submission process, click the “Own Work Declaration” and read the
attached document. Return to the previous page and click the “Mark Reviewed” button
to confirm that you agree with each of the statements in the Own Work Declaration.
You will now be able to see the “View/Complete” link to submit your paper.
3. Click ’View/Complete’ and on the next page, click the blue ‘Submit’ button.
4. Your name should be automatically filled in on the submission form. The submission
title should always be your exam number. You will find your exam number on your
student card. If your exam number is not included as the submission title we will not
be able to identify your work and you may be marked as a late submission. (Please
note that your exam number is different to your student number. Your student number
starts with “S”, most exam numbers start “B…”.)
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5. Next, click on the ‘Browse’ button to open your computer’s file browser and use it to
browse to the document you wish to submit. Click the ‘Upload’ button when you are
happy you are submitting the correct file.
6. At this point, a plain text version of your paper will be displayed to you (it won’t show
any formatting, images, etc.). Review this to ensure you are submitting the correct
document (the document itself will be sent to the system in its original format). If you
are happy, click on the ‘Confirm’ button to submit your assignment. If you have made
a mistake you can click on the ‘cancel, go back’ link, which will take you back to the
submission form.
All Turnitin submission boxes are set up to allow students to overwrite their work multiple
times up to the submission deadline. This allows you to carry out a “test” submission
which will show your Turnitin similarity score and allow you to make any necessary
adjustments prior to making your final submission.
A.5 Passing or Failing the Academic Component
All academic work is double marked blind by academic and honorary staff, and marks are
reviewed by an External Examiner. Passing academic work depends upon the joint
decision of the Exam Board. Trainees should contact their Personal Tutors for individual
feedback concerning their performance. Academic progress is reviewed at End of
Placement Meetings and at the Annual Review.
A5.1 Failed Academic Work (Except Thesis)
When an assignment does not meet the assessment criteria, a fail mark will be awarded.
The marker will also determine whether the work is capable of being remedied to meet the
pass mark, or whether a new assignment should be submitted. Assignments that are
assessed as a fail will be returned to the student for resubmission with specific
recommendations for further work. In such cases, students may be invited to meet with
the marker to discuss the further work required and to agree the new submission date.
This date will be set by the marker, depending on the extent of submissions or whether a
new submission is required. For simple resubmissions this is likely to be within two weeks
of the meeting date, unless special circumstances apply. For more extensive
resubmissions, or submissions of new assignments, this may be more. In Clinical
Psychology, only one resubmission opportunity is allowed. Resubmissions are assessed
according to the same marking criteria as first submissions; no penalty cap is enforced.
However, only the original fail mark is recorded on the student's academic transcript. For
the purposes of adding and averaging marks, for example, determining the Gillian Birrell
prize, only the first submission mark is counted, not the resubmission mark.
Where a failed piece of work is resubmitted or replaced and is again allocated a fail grade,
the trainee’s progress will be discussed by the Board of Examiners, who may make the
recommendation that the trainee’s studies are discontinued. Should a trainee fail any two
22
academic courses, his/her progress will be discussed by the Board of Examiners, who
may make the recommendation that the trainee’s studies are discontinued.
A5.2 Criteria for Programme Discontinuation
There is an explicit policy on programme discontinuation, which has been agreed by the
Joint Training Committee. All instances of potential discontinuation are discussed at the
Exam Board, which makes a recommendation to the College Postgraduate Studies
Committee. Any Exam Board in which a recommendation to discontinue a student’s
studies is a potential outcome must have invited the student’s NHS employer to the Board
(see section in the Programme Orientation Handbook on the Constitution of the Board of
Examiners).
Where a trainee has failed a placement, this alone will trigger a discussion at an Exam
Board, reflecting the greater magnitude of placement failure compared to failing an
academic assignment. The Exam Board may then recommend either an opportunity to
retake the placement or discontinuation of studies, as appropriate to the individual
circumstances. It should be noted that this would not apply if a placement had not given
the individual sufficient experience to be able to gain the required competences. In such
circumstances, the trainee would not be deemed to have failed the placement, and
existing procedures would allow an extension of the placement or the completion of a
further placement in order to gain the competencies. If the Exam Board recommends that
the trainee be allowed to retake the placement, any further failure of academic work will
also trigger a discussion by the Exam Board.
In terms of course work (case conceptualisations, research proposals and small scale
research projects), the failure of any two of these pieces would similarly trigger a
discussion by the Exam Board. Discontinuation of studies is one of a range of options the
exam board may recommend, in addition to further opportunities to resubmit the failed
work and to put in place any extra supports or remedial action required. The thesis is
governed by separate regulations, which are clear regarding passing, any resubmission
required and failure, so this policy would not apply to the thesis.
The regulations for postgraduate taught programmes are clear regarding instances where
a student has underperformed due to circumstances beyond their control, such as ill
health. Such situations are covered by the use of Special Circumstances Committees.
Trainees should inform their Personal Tutor at the earliest possible convenience of any
personal circumstances that might reasonably be considered to affect academic or clinical
progress through the programme.
A5.3 Special Circumstances Committee
Any candidates for whom special circumstances are known should be discussed in a
specially convened meeting, prior to the meeting of an Exam Board. The full Exam Board
does not need to convene for the SCC. It will be convened and chaired by the Programme
Director and in attendance will be a nominated representative of the External Examiners,
23
the Personal Tutor of any candidate to be discussed by the SCC and any other member of
the Programme Team from whom it would be useful for the SCC to hear, such as the
Clinical Tutor etc. It will be the Personal Tutor’s duty to decide from whom it would be
useful to hear. Written reports may be presented in lieu of attendance.
The purpose of the SCC is to hear in confidence any special circumstances that may
apply to the progress of a postgraduate student and to make a recommendation to the
Exam Board regarding that students’ progress. Recommendations may be to extend
training or to allow progression, or a further opportunity to resubmit for a given piece of
work (e.g. a case conceptualisation, essay or small scale research project). Special
Circumstances Committees do not provide recommendations in relation to the thesis
project.
A5.4 Alternate Exit Awards
From time to time a trainee is not able to complete the Doctoral level training. Under these
circumstances the University can consider awarding an alternate exit award. These
awards are at Masters and PG Diploma level, based upon the work that has been
satisfactorily completed and the credits attached to each. These awards do not allow a
trainee to register with the HCPC and do not confer Chartered Psychologist status with the
BPS. If trainees are considering exiting the programme and not completing the
DClinPsychol, they should discuss their options carefully with their Personal Tutor and
Clinical Tutor and be aware of the possible alternate awards and the implications of each
for their future career. Trainees that have not been able to progress because of a failed
resubmission (of any placement or academic work) may also be able to exit the
programme with an alternate award.
For more information please see the University’s information on Progression
Requirements and Award Criteria.
A.6 Case Conceptualisation Framework
Case conceptualisation reports must demonstrate a thorough understanding of the
relevant literature as well as evidence of its application to clinical problems through the
use of appropriate psychological skills. As well as providing a critical overview of the
relevant literature at the beginning of the case conceptualisation, clear links throughout
the report must be made between the theoretical framework, relevant research findings
and the particular situation and intervention described. This will involve referencing the
psychological literature where appropriate. The case conceptualisation report should
include relevant information in the appendix, such as summary tables of assessment
scores. However, case materials must not be included in the report (e.g. consent forms,
completed measures, referral letters). Case conceptualisations should include most of the
following elements or sections, which should be clearly defined, although it is not
necessary to follow the order given below or to use identical sub-headings.
A critical overview of the literature relevant to the case:
24
This will outline the theoretical context and evidence base within which your case
conceptualisation is situated. For example, if your case relates to anxiety management
with a person with a learning disability, you may wish to provide an overview of models of
anxiety as applied to this client group along with the evidence base for different
interventions. However, in order to obtain a high grade, this overview should go beyond
the description of various models and the evidence-base for associated interventions and
include a significant amount of critical analysis. For example, if your case relates to the
treatment of depression in the context of psychosis, this overview may question the
validity of drawing on the evidence base for non-psychotic depression to inform treatment
for this population. Alternatively, you may wish to discuss the possible psychological
mechanisms of change (e.g. cognitive vs behavioural) underlying the treatment of various
anxiety disorders. Your presentation of the case can then refer to this research context.
An introduction to the case or problem situation:
This will probably include some information about the referral or the initial stimulus for
intervention, if no formal referral was received. It will also usually include the client’s initial
presentation of the problems to the psychologist.
A detailed assessment of the problem situation, based on the trainee’s own investigations:
The case conceptualisation should give a clear description and justification of the
approach taken for data gathering, as well as a clear summary of the results obtained.
The referral information and client’s initial presentation of the problems provide the basis
for the initial hypotheses about the case that can then be tested out through the
assessment and treatment. At the initial stages of assessment it is likely that there may
be alternate or competing hypotheses or explanations to account for the problem
situation. The assessment section should show the most likely explanations, together with
an account of how these hypotheses will be tested. Reporting the results of the
assessment may include details gathered in the initial interview(s), with the client or
significant others, concerning such factors as home background, social, sexual,
educational and occupational histories, client beliefs or attitudes, and history of the
presenting problem(s). The information presented should be clearly relevant to the
proposed hypotheses and theoretical stance adopted in relation to the case. It should
also include reports of any standardised tests, or additional behavioural, cognitive or self-
report forms of assessment.
A hypothesis should contain a postulated psychological mechanism of the onset,
development and / or maintenance of the presenting problem or problems, e.g. adverse
childhood experiences leading to self blaming beliefs, or avoidance of affect leading to
social withdrawal. Consideration of whether a client meets criteria for a particular DSM
diagnosis is not a hypothesis. Consideration of differential diagnoses is not the same as
hypothesis testing. The key distinction is a postulated theoretical mechanism, as
described above.
A psychological formulation of the problem:
25
The formulation is the drawing together of the hypotheses that are being considered and
is at the centre of the case conceptualisation report. The formulation should make sense
of the data that has been gathered in terms of psychological principles, and draw upon the
literature presented in the critical overview section in order to clearly point to an
intervention plan or therapeutic recommendations. Within the formulation, it may be useful
to distinguish between aetiological factors and maintaining factors. It may be useful to
illustrate the formulation schematically. The formulation should clearly link the case
material to a key area of psychological knowledge and cite appropriate key references for
that area.
Many clinicians use the 5 P’s approach to formulating (Factors clustered into:
Predisposing, Precipitating, Presenting, Perpetuating, and Protective) and certainly this
approach is not wrong per se. It is the experience of academic markers however, that this
approach lacks theoretical specificity, makes it harder for the case conceptualisation to
demonstrate strong theory to practice links and makes it harder to critique the models
being used in formulating. We recommend the use of a theoretically specific, model driven
approach to formulation.
An account of the intervention itself:
This should give a brief description of the treatment intervention itself, which should follow
on from the original formulation. You should give an account of the treatment process and
any issues arising out of this, problems encountered, and any outcome measures that
were taken. Sessional or mid-treatment measures can be very useful at guiding treatment
and pointing to re-formulation or a change in treatment direction where therapeutic
change has not taken place in the manner expected.
Evaluation and discussion:
The process of change almost inevitably brings forth additional information. This may
substantiate the original formulation or require a revision of the formulation, and a change
in tactics. With the benefit of hindsight, it may be possible to see how things could have
been done differently, or how therapeutic benefits could have been maximised. It is not
essential to present successful cases, but it would be a matter of concern if psychologists
were presenting unsuccessful cases from which nothing had been learned! Follow up
information, where available, can be included in this section, together with an analysis of
the important issues in the case. This section can also be used to highlight what the case
may teach us about psychological theory. For example, it is often useful to speculate
about possible mechanisms of change. Alternatively, the case process and outcome can
be used to comment on key debates raised in the introductory session of the
conceptualisation. Additionally, it may be useful to reflect on professional issues for the
profession, such as team working, leadership, multi agency liaison etc. Finally, we would
expect to see some personal reflection on therapy process, personal learning and ways in
which the therapeutic encounter shaped the trainee.
References – Please ensure that the BPS Style Guide is used for referencing.
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Appendices
Information Gathering: Both quantitative and qualitative approaches to information
gathering are appropriate. Both should be equally rigorous. Quantitative data may include
observational, psychometric, self-report (e.g. quantified diary information) or
psychophysiological findings. Qualitative data might include examples of dialogue,
interaction sequences (for example, as recorded on videotape during family therapy
sessions), and descriptions of situations derived from participant observations. In case
conceptualisation reports which include only qualitative data (e.g. process recordings from
psychotherapy) a clear distinction must be made between the data and your
interpretations of these. If appropriate, raw data may be placed in an appendix and only
summary data presented in the main text of the report.
Clinical Validation
Examiners will be concerned about clinical validation of the case conceptualisation.
Supervisors must sign a declaration that the case conceptualisation report is a fair
representation of the work undertaken.
Length and Presentation
Case conceptualisations should be between 4,000-6,000 words in length (NOT including
references and appendices). Give the actual word count on a title or contents page. If the
word limit is exceeded, a lower mark may be received and resubmission of the
assignment in a more concise format may be required.
Title Page
The first page contains the title (which should give some indication of the type of work
carried out), your name and the words “Submitted in part fulfilment of the degree of
Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Edinburgh” followed by the month and
year of submission. On a separate line the statement “I certify that this report is a fair and
accurate account of the work carried out” should be signed by the supervisor whose name
should also be printed in typeface. If the supervisor does not have an electronic signature,
then the trainee can copy and paste an email from the supervisor containing this
statement at the start of the submitted piece of work. The second page should be the
declaration of own work form (see below). The third page should include a list of contents
and a word count which excludes references and appendices.
A6.1 Confidentiality in Case Conceptualisations
Although this section refers to Case Conceptualisations, the importance of not breaching
confidentiality applies to all submitted work.
Confidentiality will be deemed to be breached if a reader is potentially able to identify an
individual from the details contained in the submitted piece of work. Obvious breaches of
confidentiality include the presentation of a name or address. However, more care may be
27
required when submitting a case conceptualisation, as a minimum level of information is
required for the reader to understand the case.
Often trainees may accidentally include information without realizing that it is potentially
identifying. To avoid this, adhere to these rules:
Do not leave a name – either the first or last name of the client, even if the name is
not in full: do not use real initials, the first or last name of a friend or relative of the
client or a nickname. If a pseudonym has been used this needs to be stated or it
may appear the name has been included. If a false name is used, ensure there are
no slips where the real name is used by accident (avoid this by running a find and
replace command on Word). Please note that a name of something like a pet or
local pub can be potentially identifying. A simple rule is to avoid real names at all
and note at the start that all names and potentially identifying information have
been changed.
Clinical materials must not be included in the case study (e.g. questionnaires,
letters etc.).
The supervising psychologist must not be identified.
Be aware that detailed information about a client’s job or close significant other’s
job may act as an identifier if the information is very specific.
If the client has signed a consent form, do not include this in the report.
In general, ensure that any reference to your own identity, the identity of the clients or any
institutions is deleted. Bear in mind that in order to protect the identity of your clients, you
may need to go further than simply changing or removing names. Some details of the
history (for example size of family, ages and sex of family members, occupations, timing
of problem onset, specific details of the problem) may provide identifying information to
somebody reading the work. This risk increases if you include a lot of specific details
which, taken together, could add up to hint at a patient's identity, particularly if the case
has unique qualities such as a rare disorder, a high profile forensic history etc.
Where names and/or initials have been changed to protect confidentiality, highlight this on
the first mention of the name (e.g. ‘Mr Lowry (not real name)’ so that the marker and other
readers know that the name has been changed appropriately).
Appropriate steps should be taken to disguise a client’s identity without distorting relevant
issues. For example:
'A professional in her forties' is more appropriate than 'The client was aged 43 and worked
as a solicitor in a medium-sized law firm' or: 'He lives on a deprived council housing
scheme' is better than 'He lives on a run-down housing estate in Niddrie’.
Only necessary items of demographic and clinical information should be included. Some
specialities may require some detail that would normally be omitted, e.g. a specific health
28
condition. Please seek advice from your Personal Tutor and Clinical Supervisor before
choosing such a case, if the ability to protect confidentiality is questionable.
In some instances, case material will be unsuitable for writing up, because the nature of
the case makes it impossible to protect confidentiality adequately. If so, then please
choose another case.
Note that where inappropriate identifiable information is left on any submitted work, the
work is likely to be allocated a fail grade.
Any piece of academic work that has been failed for confidentiality reasons will be
discussed at a Programme Team meeting. The work will be allocated a fail grade, though
the trainee will receive a note of the mark that would have been granted had the breach
not occurred. The trainee must resubmit the same piece of work with the confidential
information removed. They will then be unable to receive more than a borderline pass. At
the request of NHS Area Representative/Heads of Service, the line managers of trainees
will be informed of serious confidentiality breaches.
Once you have completed the programme, you are expected to make every effort to
disseminate your research work in the form of journal articles and submissions, and there
is an expectation that your supervisor will assist you to do this. Under these circumstances
the requirement to remove details of where a piece of research was carried out are
waived. These elements only need to be removed from R1 and R2 assignments in order
for the work to be marked anonymously. As the thesis is not marked blind, there is no
requirement to conceal the location of the research, unless (in rare circumstances) this
breaches an individual client’s confidentiality.
Redacting information in academic assignments
As stated above, you should not submit clinical materials with case conceptualisations. If
materials are needed to illustrate an essential point however, anything potentially
identifying must be redacted (i.e. potentially identifying information removed). When
redacting details it is your responsibility to ensure that the details are fully and irreversibly
removed or deleted. Covering the details with correction fluid or black pen, or using black
highlighter (or similar on electronic documents), is not sufficient as the cover / electronic
blackening could be removed to reveal the details. In electronic documents, it is important
to ensure that the document does not contain tracked changes or similar which could
contain identifying information. An option if unsure would be to simply cut and paste text
into a fresh document. Your NHS Board may have guidance for this in relation to NHS
work.
A6.2 Guidelines for Marking Case Conceptualisations
A – 70+ (Excellent) (A1 = 90-100; A2 = 80-89; A3 = 70-79)
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The case conceptualisation shows critical analysis of the material rather than being merely
descriptive and is focussed and economical; the material is well understood, trainee uses
a wide range of literature and examines this in depth in order to understand the case and
intervention or assessment. The report has a strong structure; the writing is lucid and
confident. Theory, research and clinical practice are well integrated in the material, which
shows an informed consideration of the current issues within Clinical Psychology as a
profession.
B – 60-69 (Good to Very Good)
The report has many of the qualities of the ‘A’ case conceptualisation and must certainly
contain a good deal of critical analysis. It differs from an ‘A’ case study in showing fewer
signs of original thinking, less depth of critical analysis. The structure is clear and
arguments well developed and substantiated. There may be one or two minor
misunderstandings of material, or lapses in a clear structure, but this is compensated for
by other strengths. There is some link made in the material between theory, research and
clinical practice. The answer shows some consideration of the current issues within
Clinical Psychology as a profession.
C – 50-59 (Satisfactory)
The balance here is towards description rather than analysis of a case. The range of
material used is more restricted than in a ‘B category’ answer, or the literature is less
deeply understood, analysed and critiqued but is still relevant. The structure and analysis
may at times be a little less clear but is still discernible. Writing is only occasionally
clumsy. Whilst there may be occasional misunderstandings of the material, other
strengths make up for these. Theory, research and clinical practice may be less clearly
linked than in a B answer. There should still be some awareness of the current issues
within the profession of Clinical Psychology. There should still be an awareness of and
critical thinking or review of the literature that is relevant to the casework being described.
Overall the work demonstrates sufficient competence, understanding and standards of
scholarship to merit a pass at doctoral level.
D – 40-49 (Fail)
The case conceptualisation does not really show competent application of psychological
theory to clinical practice though some of the material used is relevant. There are
misunderstandings of the case, theory, its application or the implications of this. These
deficiencies are not ameliorated by strength in other aspects of the project. There may be
a lack of understanding or awareness of key professional issues within Clinical
Psychology. Overall there is insufficient evidence of competence, understanding and
scholarship to merit a pass at doctoral level.
E – 30-39 (Fail)
Very little evidence of effective clinical work and much irrelevant material. Evidence that
the trainee has seriously misunderstood the issues raised by the case or approaches it in
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a very restricted way with much important material omitted. These deficiencies are not
ameliorated by strength in other aspects of the case study.
F – 20-29 (Fail)
The case study does not provide evidence that the trainee has worked competently,
understands the case or the theory. There is insufficient evidence to merit a pass.
G – 10-19 (Bad Fail)
H – 0-9 (Bad Fail)
AT ALL GRADES
Trainees are expected to write up projects in ways that meet standards of presentation
(Layout, grammar, punctuation, spelling etc.) appropriate for a professional clinical
psychologist. An appropriate level of ethical conduct and approval must be demonstrated.
A.7 Information for Trainees on Awards
The programme has benefited from bequeathed endowment funds to allow us to offer two
class prizes per year.
The Gillian Birrell Memorial Prize
This award is presented to the trainee with the highest overall performance and marks for
all work completed over the course of training. It is a financial prize awarded annually to a
trainee in his or her graduating year.
Gillian Birrell is remembered professionally for her major contribution to advancing the role
of Clinical Psychology in the specialism of Severe and Enduring Mental Health. She was
influential in seeking ways of providing support and psychological therapy to clients whose
psychological needs had previously been met with little recognition at the time. Gillian was
a support to her colleagues and is remembered in Lothian, where she was based, for her
kindness, warmth and humour.
The Caroline Blair Memorial Prize
This award is presented annually for excellence in a thesis in the area of Child,
Adolescent and Family Psychology.
Caroline Blair’s contribution to the mental health of the adolescent population is
widespread. As an exceptional researcher, Caroline identified and provided an
understanding of undetected mental health needs of homeless teenagers and other
vulnerable groups. She had an ability to transmit her research into excellent clinical
practice. She is remembered for her generosity in promoting and sharing her knowledge
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of evidence based practice to her colleagues and trainees to promote the well being of
young people.
New Clinical Psychology Thesis Prize
A new thesis prize has been introduced as a means of recognising and promoting high
quality thesis research. The new prize will ensure that the highest graded thesis is always
recognised with a prize, regardless of topic area.
The three prizes will be given to three separate trainees each year.