Last Updated on 04/08/2022
Minimum standards
Placement providers must be capable of providing: –
- supervised practice consistent with the standards set out in BPS Accreditation through Partnership Handbook Guidance for Clinical Psychology programmes (p.27-30) enabling the trainees to achieve the learning outcomes set out sections 1
- HCPC & BPS accreditation best practice requirements that supervisors attend supervisor training once every 5 years as a minimum.
Supervision in relation to the innovative placement activity may fall outside of the above specifications, particularly if the focus of the innovative placement is non-clinical work. Quality of supervision in relation to this work will be closely monitored by the tutor team in both the planning and active phases of the work.
North west network
The programme works closely with the other two North West DClinPsy programmes to ensure that enough placements of suitable quality are available.to each programme at any point in the placement provision cycle (i.e. core or specialist). The programme also works closely with practice placement providers, services and special interest groups within the profession, so that the impact of local and national workforce issues can be noted and, if necessary, acted upon to keep the availability of good quality placements high on the agenda of local services and practitioners in the North West. The Placement Development and Implementation Group also strives to maintain links with Practice Education Facilitators (PEF) in the NHS trusts across the region, to identify issues with placement capacity, troubleshoot short term difficulties and work to ensure that Trusts in the region are upholding their training agreements by providing the agreed quantity of placements.
Selection of the final placement is more bespoke, as these placements are negotiated and designed to meet the remaining clinical training needs of each trainee as they approach qualification.
Placement description forms
Potential supervisors are asked to fill in a placement description form. This provides information about the characteristics of the placement and helps distinguish those placements that might meet the specific needs of specific trainees, which informs the placement allocation process.
Quality assurance
All practise placements are subject to a quality assurance check before a trainee starts on placement. This typically takes the form of a meeting between supervisor and a member of the clinical tutor team (usually the clinical tutor of the trainee allocated to the placement) The check includes the following:
- Suitability of supervisor to provide the placement (i.e. current HCPC registration; supervisor training requirements have been met etc)
- Suitability of placement setting (i.e. access to facilities, policies; safe working practices/environ etc)
- Considerations that the placement can meet trainee need in relation to their progression/additional needs/reasonable adjustments
If a placement is deemed not suitable based on the outcome of the quality assurance check – then an alternative will be found for the trainee. Where appropriate, supervisors will be offered support to remedy the issue leading to the placement not having passed the quality assurance check.
This pre-placement contact by a clinical tutor to all new placements also serves as extra support to supervisors new to the programme as the tutor will help orientate new supervisors to the programme.
Review of feedback
The programme team will review any of the records the programme holds about previous placements provided by any potential supervisor and the service in question to identify whether there has been a serious concern raised about the quality of this placement or supervisor before.
In addition, regular liaison takes place between the three North West training programmes so that any previous difficulties can be identified and addressed. Should any problems have been identified that have put into question the appropriateness of a specific placement, the placement providers are consulted and assurance sought that (i) any issues identified have been addressed and (ii) there is a process in place to assure the ongoing quality of the placement. If such assurances are not received, the offer of a placement will not be taken up by the programme.
BPS Accreditation through partnership handbook
Placement quality assurance form
Placement description form