New Ways of Working for Applied
Psychologists
Introduction
The applied psychologies include
clinical, counselling, health, forensic, educational and child,
occupational, sport and exercise psychology and neuropsychology. In
order to become a chartered member of the British Psychological
Society (BPS), psychologists must first have completed an
undergraduate degree in psychology (or equivalent), which entitles
them to register as a graduate. Following this first degree, most
psychology graduates gain some additional work experience before
going on to register for a three-year programme of work and
academic experience that leads to chartered membership. Some of
these three-year programmes lead to a doctorate-level
qualification, and most psychologists are in the process of moving
to this level of academic award. All programmes require a mix of
work and academic inputs and assessment to ensure the applied
psychologists develop the appropriate competences. Finally,
to qualify in neuropsychology, one must first be chartered as a
clinical or educational psychologist, and must then complete a
further programme of academic and work experience. This allows
individuals to qualify for practitioner membership of the Division
of Neuropsychology.
Aims and objectives
The New Ways of Working for Applied
Psychologists sub-group was established in
July 2005 and has met every two months
up to the launch conference in Leicester in July 2007 when the
group had completed its work. The group was jointly chaired by
Roslyn Hope (NIMHE, NWP) and Professor
Tony Lavender (BPS) and included
representatives of carers and users,
from the divisions of applied psychology and other professions,
including psychiatry, nursing and the allied health professions.
Two
stakeholder conferences were held in
Wolverhampton and Edinburgh. The group has addressed the following
seven objectives:
- reviewed the pre-qualification roles
of psychology graduates, including Primary Care Mental Health
Workers (PCMHWs), and recommend how they could be developed to
contribute to the sustainable delivery of psychological
services;
- reviewed the current training models
for applied psychologists, develop and assess alternative models
and make recommendations for the future;
- mapped the current workforce, identify
emerging good practice in new ways of working and develop role
descriptions for all levels across the career framework and produce
guidance for National Assessors;
- identified the best models for organising psychological
services within Trusts and review the leadership development needs
of applied psychologists;
- identified the best ways that applied psychologists can
contribute to the development and work of multidisciplinary
teams;
- identified the way that applied psychologists can improve user
access to psychological therapies; and
- clarified the role, training needs and registration
requirements of applied psychologists in implementing the new
mental health legislation. Delays to the implementation meant
this was not completed by July 2007.
Progress report
Seven project groups were established
to meet each of these objectives, and a summary of the work is
included below.
• New
pre-qualification roles:
The group reviewed recent
developments in graduate roles (including
the PCMHWs). The major
lessons were that unless i) these roles fit in with clear
career frameworks, and ii)
are coherent with local service developments, they will
not be sustainable. The group
developed a career framework for pre-applied
psychology doctorate training
that involved the creation of three new levels of
worker, which would enhance
access to psychological services across specialties.
An education framework that
built on previous work about new roles was
developed to improve the
competence of those staff.
• Training
models:
A review of the training
models of applied psychologists (i.e. the current divisions
of clinical, counselling,
educational and child, forensic, health, occupational,
sport and exercise psychology
and neuropsychology) was undertaken.
Alternative models that
enhance the unification of those models and
encouraged the adoption of
new and flexible roles were developed.
A preferred way forward was
identified and a consultation process developed.
This will be a long- term
exercise and will require further strategic analysis and
planning by the BPS about the
future of the divisions of applied psychology.
• Career
pathways:
The current applied
psychology workforce was mapped and examples of
good practice in new ways of
working across the country developed.
These examples can be used to
provide practising applied psychologists with ideas
for developing innovative
practice in their local contexts. Throughout the career
framework, those roles at the
different levels that integrate innovative practice
were identified. Finally, the
role of the National Assessors has been reviewed
and new guidance produced
relevant to all applied psychologists.
• Organising, leading and
managing psychological services:
The current organisation of
psychological services has been reviewed, and key
guiding principles for
organising psychological services have been identified. The
need for the development
within Trusts of Board-level leads in psychological
therapies/services has been
emphasised. A variety of models of leadership have
been reviewed, and a model
likely to suit applied psychologists and psychological
services has been presented.
The leadership roles and training needs of applied
psychologists throughout
their careers have been reviewed. Ways in which the
leadership-development needs
of applied psychologists can be met have been
identified.
• Team
working:
The theoretical and research literature about
effective team working has
been reviewed.
Recommendations have been made about the role of applied
psychologists in such key
issues as the separation/integration of psychologists in
teams, leadership, and the
involvement of psychologists in service improvement.
The role of applied
psychologists working effectively within and for teams is
strongly endorsed. Good
practice in a number of strategically important services,
such as assertive outreach,
crisis resolution and acute care teams, have been
identified throughout the UK.
These should act as examples of how applied
psychologists and others can
improve the effectiveness of their work for and
within teams.
• Improving Access to
Psychological Therapies:
The project group has
actively liaised with the DH and CSIP programme
on Improving Access to
Psychological Therapies (IAPT) and in particular the
Workforce Group. Issues that
have been identified and addressed include defining
competences for psychological
therapies and CBT in particular, surveying the
post-registration training in
psychological therapy, developing and defining a
Career Framework for
Psychological Therapists, and estimating the workforce and
training requirements for
implementing the phased roll-out of the IAPT
programme.
• Mental health
legislation:
A small project group has liaised closely
with the existing BPS and DH groups
addressing the reforms to the
Mental Health Act and the Mental Capacity Act.
There have been discussions
on how to take things forward with the Mental
Health Act reform. In
particular, there has been identification of the competences
required in the roles of
Approved Mental Health Professional and Responsible
Clinician, the training needs
(including probable curricula) and the regulation
and registration mechanisms.
Finally, strong links have been established with
the Royal College of
Psychiatrists on issues of implementation. The work of this project
will continue as legislation was not passed in time for the group
to complete the work by the end of July.
Contact details for chairs of the NWW for Applied
Psychologists:
Professor Tony Lavender at tony.lavender@cantebury.ac.uk,
Roslyn Hope at roslyn.hope@csip.org.uk,
Back to
top.