HS775-8-FY-CO:
Clinical Interventions and Skills 2
2024/25
Health and Social Care (School of)
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Postgraduate: Level 8
Current
Monday 02 September 2024
Friday 29 August 2025
15
04 July 2024
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
CER C89F24 Applied Psychology,
DIP C89F24 Applied Psychology,
MSD C89F24 Applied Psychology,
DOCTC84036 Clinical Psychology (D Clin Psych)
This module provides second year clinical psychology trainees with the clinical skills required for 2nd year placement, working within services for Children and adolescents (CAMHS) and people with Intellectual disabilities. Additionally, this module includes teaching on the theory and practice of systemic therapy.
Clinical Skills (Year 2)
This topic area is aimed at providing trainees with the competencies and skills to work effectively within services for children, adolescents and families and in services for people with learning disabilities. It supplements the teaching in HS772, allowing additional opportunities for trainees to develop essential competencies and skills required for placements within HS771.
Systemic theory and practice
This topic area within this second year module is aimed at the development of a critical understanding of the systemic approach to clinical problems. In the course of the module, trainees will learn how to formulate within the systemic framework and to conduct assessments and interventions within the systemic model. The module is further aimed at developing a thorough understanding of the theory underpinning systemic theory and to apply systemic theory to work with adults, children, couples, families and organizations, and in relation to the trainee’s own personal and professional development. Trainees will also acquire skills related to evaluating effectiveness within systemic theory and practice. The aim, eventually is for trainees to integrate teaching and learning within this module with placement experience(-s) and learning in associated modules:
• To be able to apply systemic theories and techniques to new or novel presenting problems and service settings;
• To develop a framework for integrating systemic theory and techniques with other approaches to assessment and intervention.
• To have a good understanding of one’s own position within the different contexts of practice from a systemic perspective.
Clinical Skills (Year 2)
By the end of this module, trainees will be able:
• To communicate effectively with children and adolescents and their families and clients with learning disability and their carers.
• To communicate effectively with the wider systems involved in CAMHS and services for people with learning disabilities, including formulating recommendations and writing appropriate reports
• To carry out general assessments, develop formulations and carry out clinical interventions with clients, carers and systems relevant to these client groups
• To provide advice and consultation to other professionals and other agencies
• To use psychometric testing and questionnaires with both client groups
• Have a critical understanding of the use projective tests
• To be able to think proactively about developing services
Systemic theory and practice
By the end of the module, trainees will:
• Have a thorough understanding of the underpinnings and core concepts of systemic theory/thinking.
• Evidence an understanding of the application of those concepts in clinical practice with adults, children, couples, families and organizations.
• Have skills in designing and implementing a clinical assessment from a systemic perspective.
• Be able to formulate psychological, emotional, relationship, or organizational problems from a systemic perspective.
• Have skills in designing and implementing an intervention from a systemic perspective.
• Have a highly developed understanding of how the impact of difference and diversity is thought about within a systemic framework, how such issues impact on the trainees themselves, and on the different systems they are working in.
This module is undertaken in all three terms of year two. It lays the foundation of clinical skills needed to work with children and clients with intellectual disabilities in the NHS and private and voluntary sector. This includes both generic clinical skills and specific systemic skills. The style of teaching will be primarily experiential with some didactic elements. The module will also look at systemic thinking and practise and how this applies to working with clients, their families, and organisations
HS775 is taken in all three terms of year two and comprises two topic areas namely:
- Clinical Skills (Year 2)
- Systemic theory and practice
In line with the general approach to teaching on the DClinPsych, the module places the emphasis on the application of underlying psychological theory clinical practice. This second year module introduces trainees to the fundamental principles necessary to work with children and adolescents and with people with learning disabilities. The module runs in parallel with the two clinical placements of the second year, namely a placement in a service for children and adolescents and a service for people with learning disabilities (or equivalent placements).
The module builds on the first year module on clinical applications and extends trainees' knowledge and understanding of adapting assessment, formulation, intervention and evaluation to their work with children and adolescents and people with learning disabilities. Trainees will learn about common presentations and risk encountered in clinical work with these client groups, and will draw on a range of theoretical models and frameworks.
HS775 comprises two topic areas. Within Clinical Skills 2, the focus is primarily on practical applications and skills development in relation to working with children, adolescents and their families as well as people with learning disabilities and their care systems. Teaching therefore takes the form of active involvement of students, case discussion, role play and workshops focusing on developing particular competencies. In this way, Clinical Skills 2 supplements the teaching in HS772.
Additionally, teaching on the Systemic theory and practice topic area involves a significant amount of practical role play, reflection on case presentations etc. in order to aid trainees in developing systemic therapy competencies.
The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's
reading list.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Practical |
Oral Clinical Presentation ***Please only take note of the date as no FASER Submission is required*** |
05/08/2025 |
100% |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Danny Taggart, email: dtaggart@essex.ac.uk.
External contributors
E: dcpadmin@essex.ac.uk
No
No
No
Available via Moodle
Of 88 hours, 0 (0%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
88 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.
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