The Chaplaincy Centre is a space on main campus for people of all faiths and none. Prayer rooms are also available across campus. There is a keypad for access to the prayer rooms on main campus. Please ask a member of staff on the Clinical Psychology programme for the code to access both the men’s and the women’s side. The prayer rooms in HI one are A40 and A41.
Category: Support
Programme ethos
The Lancaster DClinPsy programme recognises that all trainee clinical psychologists are human beings, who have potential to experience mental health difficulties or psychological distress during training. People also may have experienced such difficulties prior to training, and may be accessing mental health services or have accessed services in the past. Experiences of mental health difficulty and psychological distress may include low mood and ‘depression’, ‘anxiety’, voice hearing, extreme stress, and others.
It is recognised that training to be a clinical psychologist can be challenging and trainees may experience adverse life events in their personal lives that impact their well-being during the course of training. On placement, the supervisory role involves exploration of how a trainee feels in relation to their work and support with managing this. Trainees’ ability to identify when their well-being is negatively impacted is an important skill, and trainees are encouraged to talk with their tutor pair and placement supervisor, and access support as needed (see section on Support in the programme handbook). When necessary, trainees can be referred to access support from Occupational Health within their employing Trust, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT). Trainees might also need to take leave for reasons relating to stress or mental health difficulty (see section on Absence from work in the programme handbook).
Although experiences of mental health difficulties can be difficult and distressing, the insights they provide can be valuable to clinical psychology trainees. Such experiences may help equip trainees to work with individuals experiencing mental health difficulties, to understand what it is like for others to access mental health services, and to understand how mental health difficulties are seen within a cultural context.
The programme welcomes trainees sharing current or previous experiences of mental health difficulty at relevant times during training, such as during Selections interviews, teaching, placement supervision, or in discussion with the tutor pair. It is recognised that disclosing such experiences can be difficult, particularly for those who have had experiences of being stigmatised or ‘othered’ because of their experiences. The programme aims to promote a culture whereby these disclosures and contributions are valued and normalised. Trainees’ disclosure of mental health difficulties or use of services will not be assessed negatively, and should not be conceptualised negatively by others who contribute to the programme, including other trainees, staff, external teachers, and placement supervisors. In the event that a trainee feels their experiences of mental health difficulty are being seen negatively, it is encouraged this is fed back to the programme through the appropriate channels. For example, if this takes place during teaching the trainee could feed this back through the teaching feedback form, a member of programme staff with responsibilities associated with the teaching day, or to their clinical tutor.
Confidentiality
When a trainee discloses current or previous personal experience of mental health difficulty or access to mental health services during training, this would usually be kept confidential between the trainee and the person or people with whom they have shared this information. When the person who is being informed thinks there is a need for this to be shared, they should discuss with the trainee in the first instance. The trainee’s preference for what they do and do not give permission to be shared should be respected, and followed wherever possible. There are occasions when it might be necessary for the person who has been informed to encourage the trainee to share this information with an appropriate person, particularly if they are concerned about the trainee’s current well-being. For example, if a trainee’s ‘buddy’ is told that the trainee is struggling with difficulties such as stress and anxiety, the buddy might encourage the trainee to speak to their clinical tutor about this. If the trainee does not want to share the difficulties with anyone else, the person who has been informed should be sensitive to the possibility that their own perspective on the issues might be impacted by societal biases e.g. internalised racial biases. They should consider that the person themselves is often the best judge of what they need. However, there may be occasions in which the person informed has a professional responsibility to share some of this information. For example, a placement supervisor who is concerned about a trainee’s well-being and the impact of this on their placement work might need to share their concerns with the trainee’s clinical tutor. In such an event, the psychological contract set up between the trainee and supervisor should be referred to for how best to go about this in a collaborative and sensitive way. The trainee should be offered support from the clinical tutor and placement supervisor, and next steps should be considered collaboratively. The trainee’s clinical tutor may also share information with the clinical director as needed. This is because the clinical director is line manager to all trainees and clinical tutors.
Trainees should be aware that due to nature of the profession they are training in, it is possible that they will meet someone through their training who they have seen before in a personal capacity. For example, a clinical psychologist who has offered them psychological therapy might teach on the programme. In such an event, the clinical psychologist is bound to follow HCPC guidelines with regard to the confidentiality of service-users, and any contract/agreement surrounding confidentiality between the trainee and the other individual should apply.
This information is available in the following location: –
HCPC Health, disability and becoming a health and care professional
This information is available in the following location: –
This information is available in the following location: –
This information is available in the following location: –
Often, even before entry to the programme, potential trainees may contact the office in regard to any special requirements they may have. Where any trainee has a registered disability, and a need for particular equipment or special procedures to be followed to facilitate training, office staff (usually the Programme Administrator) liaise with staff and the Disability Service within the university to ensure requirements are assessed and then met as efficiently as possible.
Disability assessment
Trainees with a diagnosed disability are eligible to apply for Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) and should do this directly through the DSA. If eligible, a needs assessment will be arranged by Student Finance England and paid for through DSA entitlement. Equipment and support will then be recommended and funded.
All trainees with a diagnosed disability should contact the Disability Service at the university. If a trainee has not had a previous diagnostic assessment (e.g. dyslexia/SpLD), but would like a review to investigate learning needs there is a cost to the trainee of approx. £140. Trainees should contact the disability service who will liaise with the programme following an assessment.
The Disability Service student registration form is for any student who wishes to register a disability with the service. The form guides the student through various questions so that we have more information when getting in touch with them.
The Disability service query form is an alternative way for students to get in touch with the service for general enquires. The form guides the student through various questions so that the service has more information when getting in touch with them.
Access to Work
Access to Work support is also available through a trainee’s employing Trust, i.e., Lancashire & South Cumbria Foundation Trust. Trainees should liaise with Emma Munks for further information in the first instance.
Training support
The DClinPsy programme is committed to ensuring that training sessions are equally accessible to all trainees. In order to ensure this, trainees are asked to inform the programme of any specific learning needs they may have, so that the course team can offer them the support that they need. The majority of training takes place in person, with only occasional sessions held remotely on MS Teams. For in person training, some examples of the support/aids that are available to trainees include:
- Hearing loop facilities are available in all teaching rooms
- Trainees with specific learning needs, i.e. dyslexia, are able to record teaching sessions on digital recorders, after seeking permission from the teacher, in order to aid their learning
- All teaching rooms are wheelchair accessible for students
- An accessible toilet is located next to the main DClinPsy training room
Where in programme staff’s academic and clinical judgement it is deemed suitable, teaching is video recorded using MS Teams. MS Teams video is captioned by default and will become available on Moodle, the online learning space. Trainees who have a ILSP statement that suggests the recording of teaching they are attending will be of benefit for them are permitted to individually audio record the didactic portion of any teaching which the programme is not due to record (i.e. not any group discussions or other exercises due to the sensitive nature of these).
Another way in which the programme supports inclusive learning is by asking all teachers to adhere to the DClinPsy guidance on document and slide preparation available below.
Guidance on document and slide preparation
HCPC guidance: A disabled person’s guide to becoming a health professional
Peer support
A reflective peer support space is in place for trainees with a disability and/or lived experience of a mental health difficulty. The group meet monthly online to share resources, experiences of navigating training and to offer peer support. Aspects of training discussed in this space that require change or additional focus can then be forwarded to the relevant development & implementation group for discussion and action.
The Faculty of Health and Medicine, in which the programme is situated, has its own ‘Learning Developer’. They can be contacted directly by trainees for support and advice around learning and academic skills, such as study skills, academic writing, etc.
Dr Beth Caldwell
https://modules.lancaster.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=7580
The buddy system
One of the greatest forms of support reported by trainees is that provided by other trainees. Prior to starting the course each member of the new cohort is given the opportunity to be put in touch with a current first or second year who will act as a ‘buddy’ throughout the three years of training. The Chair of the Pastoral Development and Implementation Group coordinates the allocation of ‘buddies’.
On starting the programme there is an induction period, where trainees spend time face-to-face at the university for teaching. This offers opportunity for peer support. There is normally a minimum of one day’s teaching each week throughout training where the trainee year group meets, either face-to-face or online. There are also extended teaching blocks at various points that tend to accompany placement changes. This again is an opportunity for peer support during periods of transition. In addition, it is often the case that several trainees will be on placement simultaneously with an individual supervisor or within a particular service. There are also opportunities for group supervision sessions with trainees from different cohorts, and these provide a good opportunity to share information about aspects of placement experience.
The peer supporter system
As well as the opportunity to be paired with a buddy when starting the programme, trainees can also access peer support at any point during their training when they think such support would be useful in relation to a specific issue. The idea of this peer supporter system is for trainees to be paired with another trainee who has experienced a similar issue themselves. Issues may be related to work/training e.g. when a trainee is being assessed for a disability and wants to speak to another trainee who has been through the disability assessment process or when a trainee has failed an assignment and wants to speak to a trainee who has previously failed the same assignment. Alternatively, issues may be more personal in nature, for example trainees who are experiencing mental health problems or physical health problems and would like support from someone else who has had similar difficulties, or trainees who are parents and want to speak to another trainee who is managing parenthood alongside training. Support can come from trainees in any year of training or from trainees who qualified from the programme in the previous year.
Becoming a peer supporter
A database is held of trainees who have volunteered to be peer supporters. To be added to the database trainees should contact the peer support co-ordinator, specifying any particular areas they may be able to offer support with where possible.
Accessing support from a peer supporter
When a trainee would like to access the peer supporter system, the process is as follows: –
- Trainee emails the peer support co-ordinator Claire Anderson (c.l.anderson@lancaster.ac.uk) seeking support for a particular issue.
- The peer support co-ordinator tries to match the trainee with a suitable peer supporter from the database.
- The peer support co-ordinator emails the peer supporter to check they would be happy to be contacted about that issue.
- If yes, the peer support co-ordinator will give the name and contact details of the peer supporter to the trainee seeing support so that they can decide to contact them directly.
- If it is not possible to identity a suitable peer supporter from the database, the peer support co-ordinator will ask whether the trainee would like a summary of the issue to be sent to all on the database with the hope of a peer supporter volunteering themselves to offer support. The co-ordinator would then pass on the name and contact details of the peer supporter to the trainee.
The peer support co-ordinator stores information about trainees on their computer and ensured it is password protected.
The PADIG has a core membership consisting of:
- Four members of the programme team (including at least one of each of the clinical team, the research team and the administrative team)
- Two LUPIN members
- One trainee from each cohort
The membership of the core group will be reviewed each year. The group may also co-opt additional members.
The group will meet at least three times per year. These meetings are booked in at the start of the academic year, with additional meetings arranged as needed. Meetings will only go ahead if at least three members are present, including the chair (or co-chair or deputy chair) and will usually last 1.5-2 hours.
Pastoral Development and Implementation Group Terms of Reference
Our hope is that trainees will establish mentoring relationships that will support their work related development needs and help to make training a valuable and manageable experience. Please note that mentoring is optional (but strongly encouraged) for trainees.
We recognised that what makes a mentoring relationship work for one mentee/mentor pair may be very different from another. Your mentoring relationship can be one that is shaped by you and focuses on what is important for you.
You can find guidelines for getting started with mentoring, information on how to develop a mentoring contract and an example template for the contract in the Getting started with Mentoring document.
Being a mentor
My initiation into being a mentor seemed to evolve quite naturally. Having been a trainee on the Lancaster programme, I have remained working in the north-west and have built up a number of links over the years through working in different departments. I was initially approached to be a mentor by a trainee I was supervising at the end of her placement with me…
Being aware of how precious time is as a trainee I have feel that it is important that mentoring sessions are useful and beneficial for the mentee. What’s useful can change throughout the process of training so flexibility is important…
Prospective mentors should complete the Mentor Pro-forma document.
Being a mentee
I’m a second year trainee, and I’ve had a mentor since my first month on the course. When the idea of a mentor, or personal tutor as it was then, was mentioned it sounded like something that would be really useful. I didn’t know any clinicians in the area though, and I was hesitant about just choosing someone off the list without knowing anything about them…
It was difficult to know where to start with approaching people at first. To narrow it down I decided to focus initially on people working in the same geographical area, thinking that might make it easier to meet around busy times such as deadlines…
In the early days I generally would reflect upon my experience of the course so far and enjoyed having a source separate from my peers with whom I could check out my experience. I often use my mentor as a sounding board for how I am finding things…
Further information and queries
For further information or for any mentoring related queries please contact Claire Anderson (Personal Development Clinical Tutor)
Deadlines and extensions
Trainees can find the fixed deadlines for all assignments with the programmes’ Assignment Submission Plan. All assignments need to be submitted by the agreed deadline to avoid negative consequences. The consequences of late submission and the process for obtaining an extension is detailed on the following page:
Changes via Individual Training Plan meeting
Deadlines for individual trainees may also be moved to a subsequent fixed deadline for that assignment during an individual training plan meeting if both of the trainee’s individual tutors are in agreement and this is approved by the directors. If trainees are aware of any extended circumstances out of their control which might result in them being able complete assessed work to their normal standard of academic performance then they should discuss this with their individual tutors at the earliest opportunity so that any necessary reasonable adjustments can be made.
Exceptional Circumstances
If subsequent to a submission being made or a deadline being missed a trainee identifies such circumstances then they may request that exceptional circumstances are taken account of.
Introduction to the Tutor Pair
To ensure that trainees receive coordinated support and advice on their progression throughout their training, from staff who have a chance to get to know them and their learning needs, each trainee is allocated a pair of tutors. Around the first day of induction trainees will be made aware of their allocated individual clinical tutor. All new trainees meet with their clinical tutors during the induction period, and clinical tutors and trainees are encouraged to agree a psychological contract describing the way that they will work together.
Each trainee and their individual clinical tutor will be part of a Vertical Tutor Group (VTGs). There are three VTGs consisting of 4-6 clinical tutors and their allocated trainees. The VTGs were established in order for the tutors and tutees within them to get to know each other so that other tutors within the group can work with particular trainees if the need arises for any reason. The VTGs also help to foster relationships between trainees in different cohorts. In order to operate effectively information that trainees have shared with their individual tutor will be shared within VTGs on a need to know basis, as the other tutor members of the VTGs have delegated line management responsibilities for all the trainees within the VTG.
In addition to an individual clinical tutor and the VTG the trainees also have an individual research tutor. The research tutor is allocated to trainees within the first 55 days of training (expressed as such as some trainees are on part-time training routes) and, for full time trainees, will also usually be their thesis supervisor. The respective roles and responsibilities of the research tutor and the trainee are captured in the thesis contract and the research consistency framework. The individual tutor team will work with the trainee to the end of the training programme.
Individual tutors are intended to be the main point of general contact for the trainee with the programme. They are available to provide pastoral support as well as having the delegated authority to deal with some day-to-day line management issues, such as approving annual leave requests (clinical tutors). They will also work with the trainee to develop and maintain an Individual Training Plan (ITP) (see below) throughout training. It would generally be expected that both tutors would copy the other into communication with and/or about the trainee when this concerns issues beyond routine clinical/academic/research tasks. Examples of such communication would be concerns regarding personal issues impacting on training; discussions about planned absence from the programme or revisions to an ITP. The principle here is that both tutors and the trainee are involved in decision-making wherever that is appropriate and possible. Where trainees approach other members of staff to discuss specific issues that have implications for their wider training experience, these staff members will also link back to the trainee’s individual tutors so that a coordinated response and plan can be agreed.
Individual tutors (or a nominated tutor from the VTG) also carry out some specific tasks in relation to the trainee. These include the following: –
- Support the self-assessment exercise (SAE) assignment (both tutors)
- Undertake the self-assessment exercise (SAE) viva (both tutors)
- Pastoral support (both tutors)
- Conducting (in person or remotely) visits to the trainees at their placement to review progress (clinical tutor)
- Supervise the thesis proposal assignment (research tutor)
- Support for placement assignments, including draft read of first placement assignment (clinical tutor)
- Conducting ITP meetings with the trainee (both tutors if possible)
- Raising issues of concern with the trainee or feeding back on discussion about the trainee which have taken place in other for a (both tutors if possible)
- Conducting end of training interviews with the trainee (both tutors if possible)
Tutor Contract
The role of the Clinical Tutor
The primary role of the clinical tutor is to help trainees to acquire the competencies to help vulnerable and distressed members of the public when they graduate from the course. Overall, the clinical tutor role involves monitoring the tutee’s progression in terms of acquiring skills, identifying any barriers to that, offering pastoral support and signposting support where necessary, plus working with placement supervisors to provide clarity on what opportunities are necessary for skills acquisition.
Although the Clinical Director has ultimate line management responsibilities for trainees, each clinical tutor has ‘delegated line management responsibilities’ for each trainee they are assigned to.
Line management responsibility has two main areas of activity: University and NHS.
- The NHS role involves an interface with Lancashire and South Cumbria Foundation Trust, our employing Trust, and includes tasks like managing absence, both long and short term, managing maternity leave, performance reviews and monitoring professional behaviour. Within this context the tutee is conceptualised as an employee and the tutor as a manager.
- The university role involves the management of deadlines, assessment, involvement in teaching and university committees and the acquisition of skills, where not on placement. Here, the trainee is seen primarily as a postgraduate student within an adult learning model (responsible for their own development with tutorial support)
Principles for Tutor/Tutee contract
Regularity of contact
- The clinical tutor will offer the trainee monthly check in meetings of between 30 minutes and an hour. It is an expectation that the trainee will attend those meetings at a mutually convenient time. These can be face to face or online to maximise opportunities to meet, although face to face is preferable, particularly at the start of training. In months when there is an ITP or placement review already planned there is no expectation for there to be a separate check in meeting. Trainees will also have monthly contact with their thesis supervisor.
- Where issues (e.g. personal circumstances requiring pastoral support, identification of the need for study support, a persistent health issue, a failed assignment) have arisen there may be a need for more frequent meetings and they will be arranged as necessary. Again, if the clinical tutor identifies a need for more regular meetings it is an expectation that the trainee will attend at a mutually convenient time.
- Trainees can request meetings outside of the monthly check-ins. The clinical tutor will do their best to accommodate this meeting. Where this is not possible due to work commitments/leave etc, the clinical tutor will ask the clinical director (or deputy) to meet with the trainee.
- If either the trainee or the clinical tutor cannot make the arranged meeting notice should be given where possible and a new time negotiated.
- Both the clinical tutor and the trainee should be on time and prepared for meetings.
- Meetings can be held face-to-face, on-line or by phone dependent on preference and pragmatics.
Responsiveness
- Most clinical tutors work part-time. They will reply to e-mails, phone messages within a working week, unless on annual leave. If the trainee has an urgent issue they should phone the absence phone and/or e-mail the clinical director.
- Although trainees are typically on placement 2-3 days per week they are line managed by their clinical tutor throughout the working week. Placement supervisors do not have delegated line management responsibilities. Trainees would be expected to check university e-mails and triage them on every working day, including placement and teaching days. Not all e-mails need to be responded to on the day, but some will be more urgent. If not on leave, trainees will be expected to reply to all e-mails requiring a response within a week.
- If there are any issues with a lack of responsiveness from either the tutors or the trainee then please see the ‘how to deal with difficulties section below’.
Raising Issues
- Regular check-ins provide the opportunity for the trainee to raise any issues pertinent to their training. These could be issues on placement, issues with academic assignments and/or any personal issues (including physical and mental health issues) impacting on training and competency development.
- It is the trainee’s responsibility, as outlined in the HCPC code of conduct and ethics for students to make sure their clinical tutor is aware of any issues that impact on training. Trainees should raise issues as soon as they become aware of them, the hope being that issues shared in a timely manner can be managed together in a way that prevents them becoming more significant challenges.
- The clinical tutor will treat any issues raised in a respectful and compassionate manner. Issues raised will be treated confidentially but there are limits to that confidentiality. Information may need to be shared with others on a need to know basis, such as VTG tutors, placement supervisors, communication skills facilitators and the clinical director (see below).
- Any issues raised which have a significant impact on training will be shared with the research tutor. It is expected that both tutors will be involved in any pastoral support offered to the trainee.
- It may be that issues raised by the trainee suggest that ongoing professional support would be beneficial for the trainee. It is not within the role of the clinical tutor to provide this support but they will, alongside the research tutor, help to identify appropriate sources of support for the trainee.
- Any issues raised which have a significant impact on training will also be shared with the VTG tutors, and the clinical director as part of clinical tutor’s regular supervision. This is because of the shared delegated line management responsibility, and because the clinical director is ultimately the line manager for all trainees.
- Clinical tutors will regularly check-in with trainees about their placement experience. It is important for trainees to raise any issues regarding placement as soon as they arise and not to wait until the mid-placement visit. It may be that trainees raise issues about their placement experience which they ask their clinical tutor not to raise with their placement supervisor. At times, this may be appropriate, but at other times the clinical tutor may consider it necessary to raise with placement supervisors. Tutors will be open and transparent with the trainee about any issues they need to raise with the placement supervisor.
Tutoring Relationship
Conditions that will help the relationship to work well (we would encourage you to personalise this element of the contract through discussion with your clinical tutor):
- Maintaining regular contact and being responsive to communications.
- Being open and honest re: development, abilities, progress, workload etc.
- Give regular constructive and, where appropriate, positive feedback.
- Having time to discuss what will be raised at the mid placement review.
How to deal with any difficulties:
- Both the individual tutors and the trainee should talk as openly as possible about any difficulties encountered.
- Disagreements should be dealt with professionally and responsibility should be shared.
- If the trainee is experiencing consistent difficulties with one or both of their individual tutors they should raise that with the tutors and attempt to resolve this together. If resolution is not possible then the trainee should raise the issue with the Directors and a solution will be sought. Where trainees feel they have difficulties with other members of staff, they can also discuss this initially with their tutor pair. However, they would also be encouraged to discuss any difficulties openly with the specific member of staff with whom they felt they were having difficulties. The programme’s approach to any such interpersonal difficulties is to aim for resolution in an informal way before any recourse to more formal mechanisms. This is captured in the trainee concerns about staff document available in the online handbook.
Individual Training Plans
The purpose of the individual training plan (ITP) is to provide an overview of all aspects of training for each trainee, and to provide appropriate guidance to allow optimum development through the three years of the programme. This system of progress review is a collaborative exercise between the trainee and their individual tutors. It is important to emphasise that the individual training plan is not a formal ‘examined’ evaluative procedure but, instead, allows a considered discussion of progress in all domains that relate to training. The aim is for both the trainee and tutors to communicate openly and to agree on the best way forward to meet each individual trainee’s needs in the forthcoming year. Regular review is not only good practice and helpful to trainees, it also satisfies university and employer expectations for review.
The ITP process requires at least two meetings per year but meetings can be as frequent as is agreed to be useful. To ensure that students are supported effectively, failure in one of the assessments deemed to be summative will also result in a formal review of academic progress being undertaken. This will usually be done by scheduling an additional ITP meeting where these issues can be discussed and the training plan adjusted accordingly. If possible both individual tutors should be present for all ITPs. At times, due to part-time working and scheduling difficulties, it is not possible for both tutors to attend the ITP. In such cases, the tutor who is unable to attend the ITP should still review progress with the trainee. It is expected that both tutors are present for at least one ITP per year.
It is anticipated that issues in training evolve through the three years. For example, trainees’ goals are likely to be more exploratory (‘wider’) during the first year, and focus down to areas of special interest and career planning by the third year. It is the role of the tutors to help focus on appropriate goals, and strategies to meet these goals, in order to facilitate developmental progress.
It is anticipated that the trainee will make notes regarding the different areas of discussion prior to each review meeting and will bring the form to discuss at the meeting. Information in the document is then shared with the trainee’s individual tutors during the meeting, and progress on development goals from any previous meetings is discussed. There is then some reflective discussion culminating in new development goals being agreed for the next training period. Following the meeting, the trainee then updates the remainder of the form based upon these discussions. At the end of training, the form containing notes for all ITP meetings is signed by trainee and tutors and submitted to the office. These are stored in a password protected drive which can be accessed by all staff.
Individual Training Plan form – 2021 cohort onwards
Individual Training Plan form – 2021 cohort onwards – completed example
In line with university guidelines, DClinPsy trainees with a diagnosis of a SpLD have their diagnosis highlighted to academic markers by the use of the university’s standard coversheets.
This requests that markers are aware of the relevant guidelines and will be sent as applicable to those marking assignments.
In addition to the university coversheet, an explanatory programme-specific addendum (see below) will be sent to markers to clarify the requirements.
Lancaster DClinPsy Guidance to Markers in relation to trainees with a Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD)
In line with university guidelines, trainees with a diagnosis of dyslexia, dyspraxia, and dysgraphia have the opportunity to highlight their diagnosis to academic markers by the use of the university’s standard coversheet, hereby requesting that markers are aware of relevant guidelines. As effective written communication is a specific competence required by clinical psychologists, and in line with BPS guidelines on assessing work of trainees with SpLD, the programme would like to highlight that markers are requested to provide constructive feedback where issues relevant to the disability are apparent in the work, but NOT to make allowances in the marks given for written communication due to this. Reasonable adjustments, such as study skills support and proof reading, are accessible to trainees prior to submission.
Identification of work
All work which is sent to examiners or assessors will be identified by means of a coversheet advising the examiner/assessor that the candidate has been diagnosed with a SpLD and referring to these guidelines.
General guidelines for marking work by candidates with dyslexia
An individual with dyslexia has difficulty both with the expression of his/her ideas in written form and with the correct use of language. It is commonly recommended, therefore, that wherever possible assessors award marks that reflect the candidate’s understanding of the subject rather than the level of linguistic skills. However, it is not intended that academic rigour be sacrificed, and where the marking criteria award marks for presentation or language special consideration should not be given.
However, some errors might still mean a fail is appropriate. For example, psychologists are often engaged in report writing which requires sources to be correctly referenced. As this is a skill necessary to fulfil the psychologists’ role, an adjustment would not normally be made.
For example, a candidate for the Qualification in Forensic Psychology might include in their evidence a report written for a parole board. This is a key requirement of the forensic psychologist’s role and they must be able to do this in order to be a competent forensic psychologist. Adjustments might be made to assist the candidate in preparing such a report to the required standard. However, it is possible that a candidate may lack the necessary skills to communicate in writing to the parole board and, in such circumstances, it would be appropriate for the assessors to fail the work.
University Assessment marking guidelines for students with a SpLD
Academic Standards
You may have concerns about compromising academic standards when making allowances for dyslexia. You should be reassured that the need to maintain academic standards is a fundamental premise within the law. There must be no difference in the requirement for students with dyslexia to provide evidence of learning than for their peers and reasonable adjustments cannot involve failure to penalise lack of knowledge or understanding. Also, where aspects of performance such as accurate spelling and grammar are part of the competence standards for a module, reasonable adjustments do not have to be made.
Providing feedback to trainees
Be sensitive toward individuals and their work in your feedback. Constructive criticism that is sympathetic to the students’ difficulties can help individuals to progress.
ILSP Assessment Coversheet Marking Guidelines (accessible to staff only)
| TYPE OF TRAINEE SUPPORT | PSYCHOLOGISTS AND OTHERS INVOLVED | FREQUENCY OF MEETINGS WITH TRAINEES | |||
| Tutor pair and individual training plan (ITP) | Programme staff: one member of the clinical team oversees the training pathway in partnership with a member of the research team | Meet with trainees at least monthly. Individual training plan meetings at least twice per year.End of training interview in last year of training. | |||
| Mentoring Scheme | Clinical psychologists and other appropriately registered professionals external to the course that are working in the region. The system is coordinated by the Mentoring Scheme Associate Tutor | There is no specific frequency; varies in accordance with trainee (mentee) needs and wishes and mentor availability. | |||
| Mini Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) | Cognitive Analytic Therapist external to the programme. Trainees have £500 available to use for CPD and research purposes over the course of their training. These may be used to undertake CAT reformulation sessions. | There is no specific frequency or number; varies in accordance with trainee choice. | |||
| Reflective space for trainees who experience racism | Self-facilitated trainee space for peer support around experiences of racism | Monthly | |||
| Reflective peer support space – Disability / Lived Experience | Self-facilitated accessible to any current trainee who self-identifies as disabled and/or as having lived experience which adversely impacts their daily life. This encompasses physical and mental health conditions, self-diagnosis, and prior disability and/or lived experience | Monthly | |||
| Reflective peer support space – LGBTQ+ | Self-facilitated trainee space for peer support around LGBTQ+ experiences and identities | Monthly | |||
| Personal Therapy | Individual tutors and/or the Mentoring Scheme Associate Tutor will support trainees in finding appropriate therapeutic input. | As necessary | |||
| Peer support; buddy system | Trainees. Jo Armitage coordinates the buddy system | Peer support: during teaching days (generally weekly) and as arranged by trainees. Buddy system: as necessary. | |||
| Student Learning Advisor Service | No programme staff involved. A student learning advisor is based in the faculty who can provide study and learning support for trainees on an individual needs-led basis | Frequency of meetings agreed as necessary | |||
| LSCFT assistance | LSCFT Employee Assistance Programme:
Health Assured on free phone: 0800 030 5182 or via the On-line Health Portal @ www.healthassuredeap.co.uk Username: Lancashire, Password: Care.
LSCFT Well Service Website: We are pleased to share with all staff the Staff Health and Wellbeing website. The website has been designed in collaboration with the ICS and provides a holistic repository for staff health and wellbeing information, tools and resources. This website is accessible to staff, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can be used to access immediate support or to find out how you can make positive healthy changes to your lifestyle. Website: www.lscwellservice.co.uk Username: LSCFTWELL Occupational Health Employee Assistance Program: If you wish to access our Employee Assistance Programme please call 0800 028 0199. This provides 24/7 telephone support, advice and information to help with your mental health and wellbeing. You can receive independent confidential counselling support. |
As necessary |
The programme supports trainees seeking personal therapy. Trainees considering personal therapy are encouraged to discuss this with either their mentor, tutors, or with the Personal Development Clinical Tutor (Claire Anderson), who will assist them as appropriate in finding personal therapeutic support (for example advising them where to search). Neither course staff nor the Personal Development Associate Tutor would have any direct contact with a trainee’s therapist, and trainees would not be required to share any details of arrangements made around their own therapy. Trainees are able to use a proportion of their trainee budget to access personal therapy.
Currently, the course is able to facilitate access to Personal Reformulation sessions. These sessions are offered by Cognitive Analytic Therapists and consist of an initial meeting and a follow up session. Trainees can opt to fund these session out of their allocated trainee budget. If trainees are interested they can access a list of potential CAT therapists and find out further details about this opportunity through the ‘Personal reformulation information for trainees’ document.
The remit of the programme’s Exceptional Circumstances Committee is to consider submissions by a trainee relating to events outside their control which may have resulted in them failing to complete assessed work to a standard of academic performance that might reasonably have been expected on the basis of their performance elsewhere during their study. The committee, which meets monthly, considers any submissions and reaches a judgement on whether the circumstances have been detrimental to a trainee’s academic performance. If so, it proposes a remedy for consideration by the Exam Board. The current Chair of the committee is Dr Euan Lawson, Senior Clinical Lecturer in General Practice, Lancaster Medical School. Other committee members are the clinical director, the chair of the pastoral development and implementation group, the chair of the examination board and the programme assistant – academic. If any of these members are unable to attend a meeting then their deputy may attend in their place. On each deadline date a request for any documentation is circulated to trainees. Any exceptional circumstances forms relating to a given assignment must be submitted within two weeks of that assignment submission. Exceptional circumstances cannot be submitted for an assignment submission that has not yet been made – in this situation the trainee should instead seek a deadline extension. Any queries regarding the administration/scheduling of the committee can be addressed to the Programme Assistant – Academic.
Some guidelines for submission of exceptional circumstances
- On the monthly deadline date a request for any documentation is circulated to trainees
- This documentation should comprise an exceptional circumstances form and supporting documents evidencing the medical condition or other adverse personal events for consideration as amounting to exceptional circumstances
- Circumstances likely to be considered ‘detrimental and requiring a remedy are only those that have not previously taken into consideration in terms of support for and adjustments to a particular assignment submission. Examples are:
- Significant illness experienced by the trainee
- Significant illness of an individual for whom the trainee has a caring responsibility
- Death of a family member
- Family breakdown
- Significant unexpected life event
- Trainees must provide appropriate evidence to support their exceptional circumstances. This often takes the form of doctor’s notes or discharge letters.
- Trainees are advised to discuss their exceptional circumstances with their clinical and/or research tutor prior to submission. These staff members can advise on an appropriate submission and what would be considered sufficient supporting evidence.
As a programme team, we endeavour to undertake our duties in a respectful and ethical way, however there may be times when trainees wish to raise concerns about any aspect of the Programme and the following document outlines the procedures for doing so.
Trainees’ experience of training, their feedback and ideas for improvement are key elements of the programme. Trainees are represented on DClinPsy committees and development and implementation groups in order for their views about DClinPsy process/policy/assessments to form part of the strategic development of the programme. There are also two cohort tutors for each year group, including those on a ‘bespoke’ / part time pathway. Cohort tutor meetings are a regular forum for open dialogue about trainee’s experience of the DClinPsy and an opportunity to address any concerns about process/policy/assessment.
Where issues concern an individual member of staff then we would expect both trainees and staff to be committed to resolve any issues in an informal way, through discussion, mutual respect and understanding. If this does not achieve resolution then trainees should seek the support of their individual tutor pair. The tutor pair will discuss an action plan with the trainee and if appropriate facilitate further discussion with the staff member in question. Where this is not possible, or where the concern is regarding a member of the individual tutor pair, then the concern can be raised with the Directors. Again, all efforts will be made to resolve the issue without recourse to formal processes. If the issue concerns any of the Directors then the trainee should seek the advice of their individual tutor team.
Where all efforts to tackle the issue informally have not led to resolution that the trainee is satisfied with then the next step is to consider a formal complaints procedure. There are two separate routes for doing so: –
- For university aspects of the Programme
- For Lancashire and South Cumbria Foundation Trust [LSCFT] aspects
Any trainee wishing to consider a formal complaints procedure can seek the advice of Lancaster University students union and/or the Trainee Advocate.
Trainee feedback
The programme staff value feedback from trainees on all aspects of their experience in training. Some methods of obtaining feedback are very formal, for example after each teaching session trainees are required to provide feedback via an online system. Others can be less formal, such as conversations with teaching coordinators.
With placement activity trainee feedback is given on a form called the Placement Audit Form and this supplements verbal feedback to the programme staff during placement visits. There are more details relating to this in the Placements pages of the handbook.
Trainees’ views on research are sought during the teaching sessions in the formal way described. However, with research there is considerable individual tuition given by the research team and trainees usually talk very openly about their experience of their research work and their support and liaison with research supervisors.
In addition to the above, trainees are encouraged to talk more generally about their view on training, in informal settings with staff and also within the more formal context of the various programme committees. There are also the individual training plan meetings, which occur at least twice a year, and the end of training interview which, again, provide useful forums for feedback.
Feedback is received and acted upon (as appropriate) following discussion in the placement and teaching reviews, and then in the appropriate development and implementation groups. The way the programme has decided to act upon trainee feedback is detailed at Programme Board meetings. The programme feels it important that the way feedback has been used is communicated to all providers of feedback, including trainees.
University student complaint procedure
LSCFT grievance procedure
Why do we have cohort tutors?
- To provide a point of contact for each cohort (with the bespoke/part time group being considered as a fourth ‘cohort’) for the duration of training
- To address specific cohort-related issues
- To provide a conduit for information between trainees and the programme
How does the cohort tutor system work?
- There are two members of the programme team (one clinical tutor and one research tutor) who act as cohort tutor for each cohort of trainees. The cohort tutors meet with the cohort once a month/every six weeks (or more frequently in exceptional circumstances, such as a pandemic) with meetings typically held on teaching days. The purpose of these regular, scheduled meetings are for trainees to inform the tutors of any issues affecting the cohort; and for the cohort tutors to pass on information to the cohort. These meetings can take place via Microsoft Teams or face-to-face on campus, dependant on which is most appropriate/possible.
- Cohort tutor meetings are also a forum for trainee committee reps to feed back any items from committees and development and implementation groups they have attended.
- The cohort tutors meetings are a standing agenda item for monthly staff team meetings. This allows for issues to be shared between cohort tutors and taken forward in efficient and systematic ways.
- The cohort tutors pass information/concerns raised by the cohort on to the relevant individual or development and implementation group.
- The cohort tutors are not responsible for individual trainee issues. Any issues affecting individual trainees should be taken to the trainee’s tutor pair in the first instance.
Annual leave entitlement
This will depend on your length of continuous service but will be at least 27 days a year, plus bank holidays (April to March). If at the start of or during training you accrue five or ten years’ continuous service within the NHS then your annual leave allowance will rise to 29 or 33 days respectively. Please show the programme office a letter confirming your years of continuous service and they will update your leave record accordingly. Which days count as annual leave? Example: You wish to take five days of annual leave, Monday through to Friday, inclusive. On three days you would usually be on placement, one day would be private study, and one day in for teaching. Each day counts as a day of annual leave. You need to officially ask for five days annual leave, and ideally liaise with your year group such that not too many are away from teaching at any one time. You must inform (in advance of taking leave) the Programme Office of your requested leave days. Please see the Absence from work policy and procedure in the online handbook.
Days on placement
Full time trainees should generally be on placement three days a week. Following thesis submission trainees are expected to spend 4 days a week on placement. Where thesis hand in goes beyond the middle of March there is a grace period of 4 weeks where trainees can retain a study day per week, after that they will be expected to spend 4 days a week on placement. Where there are specific exceptional circumstances which have resulted in a delayed thesis hand-in then more study time may be agreed but this would be in discussion with the Directors. Part-time trainees are typically on placement two days a week with a negotiated increase after thesis hand in.
Teaching days
Generally, there is one teaching day per week. If, for some reason, there is no teaching, you should be on placement. For example, during the majority of August there is no teaching planned, so, if you are not on annual leave go to your placement.
Ill health
Please refer to the Absence from work policy and procedure in the online handbook.
Non-typical leave requirements
Should any trainee require prolonged special leave, for example, maternity leave, reasons relating to illness (in self or family members), extensive compassionate leave, then that is arranged on an individual basis in line with LSCFT’s policies following discussion with the Clinical Director. A trainee requesting such leave would need to discuss with their clinical tutor in the first instance.
If there are any changes to your personal details (e.g. address, contact details, name, next of kin) you must let the programme office know as soon as possible.
For any address changes you will need to inform LSCFT. You can change your details via ESR on an LSCFT Laptop or complete the section attached to your payslip – this should be returned to LSCFT as per the instructions on the form. You should also update your address with the university registry by completing the change of address form on the student portal. Please ensure that you also email Sarah Heard with your new address once you have done this so that the programme are up to date.
If you change your name you will also need to make relevant documentation (e.g. marriage certificate) available to the Post Graduate Studies Office.