Assignment suite overview

Formal Assessment

Broad skills assignments
Trainees may take THREE attempts at these assignments

Self-Assessment Exercise (SAE)

This assignment comprises four elements:

1. Initial Self appraisal – written report (maximum of 500 words).
2. Formative evaluative exercises. Trainees will engage in a series of formative exercises over approximately the first 55 days of training to enable them to self-assess their knowledge and skills effectively.
3. Report on outcome of self-assessment process (maximum of 1,000 words).
4. Self-assessment viva. This is a formal, structured meeting of up to 40 minutes duration between the trainee and two markers where the above documents are discussed. The outcome of the assignment is determined by performance in this meeting.

Thesis Preparation Assignment (TPA)

The assignment comprises two mains sections.

1. A literature review (maximum 4,500 words) examining the published research, theoretical literature and clinical and policy guidelines on the topic which the trainee intends to research for their DClinPsy thesis.
2. A Research Proposal (maximum 1,500 words).

These sections are submitted separately, and both must be submitted for the assignment to be passed. However, only the literature review section is formally assessed.

Placement Assignment – Service Evaluation (PASE)

This assignment is assessed via a report (maximum 3,000 words) of service evaluation activity that the trainee has conducted whilst on practice placement. Trainees from the 2020 cohorts and earlier must complete one of these assignments during core practice placement #2, #3 or #4 (the one for which a PALS assignment is not being submitted). Trainees from the 2021 cohort onward complete and submit the PASE assignments during their second practice placement.

Live skills assignments
Trainees may take TWO attempts at these assignments

Placement Assignment – Live Skills (PALS) (#1, #2, and #3)

These assignments each focus on a piece of clinical work that the trainee has conducted whilst on practice placement. Trainees must complete three PALS assignments during their practice placements. These assignments are independent of each other  and use the same marking criteria but are assessed at progressively higher standards. They must be passed in sequence (trainees must pass a PALS assignment at each level before submitting one at the next level)  Each assignment comprises the following:

1. A 30 minute excerpt of a recording of the trainee’s clinical activity, and
2. A report relating to the same piece of clinical work comprising
   1. An outline of the work undertaken,
   2. A transcription (not included in the word count) and commentary on two 5 minute sections of the recording, and
   3. A critical appraisal of the work undertaken.

The maximum word count for each of these three sections is 1,500 words. Overall word count is 4,500.

Service Improvement Poster Presentation (SIPP)

This assignment comprises four elements:

1. Group work: trainees will work collaboratively in groups during their project block to develop a service improvement proposal. During the group work trainees will record and submit six, 30 minute videos of themselves engaged in service development tasks
2. Project poster: trainees will produce a poster summary of their project
3. Presentation and communication skills: trainees will deliver a presentation of their project, and respond to marker questions
4. Service development summary: Each group of trainees will submit an easy-read’ summary (up to 500 words) of their project work.
5. Reflective summary: Each trainee will submit a summary (up to 500 words) of their reflections on their contributions to the SIPP and their learning from the experience.

All trainees must undertake a formative ‘SIPP’ experience  prior to undertaking the summative assessment.  This allows trainees to familiarise themselves with the aims and methods used in the assignment and to obtain formative feedback on their interaction and influencing skills, which are the focus of the assessment.

Guide to assignment submission timings

2018-2020 cohorts

Full time pathway

Part time pathway

2021 cohort

Full time pathway

Part time pathway

Complementary Tasks

While not formally examined in the way the assignments above are, there are other tasks which we would expect to be completed before the doctorate can be awarded. These are:

• Take part in one formative Standardised Role Play Simulation near the beginning of training
• Presentation to colleagues, programme staff and other stakeholders on third year placement activity
• Give a presentation to colleagues relating to their third year leadership teaching

All these presentation dates are indicated in the annual plan/teaching schedules and trainees should be aware that if they are unable to attend the scheduled dates, alternative dates will be arranged.

Useful documents

Assessment submission points

Self-Assessment Exercise (SAE)
Thesis Preparation Assignment (TPA)
Placement Assignment – Live Skills (PALS)
Placement Assignment – Service Evaluation (PASE)
Service Improvement Poster Presentation (SIPP)
DClinPsy Assessment Domain List