Supervised clinical experience is gained over the three years of training and you can expect to work in four to six different services in this time, providing exposure to a variety of working contexts, service user presentations and psychological approaches. Your placements will enable you to apply your psychological knowledge and skills in ways that are informed by sensitive understandings of the complex worlds and circumstances in which people develop and live.
Placement learning facilitates development in seven core clinical competencies across the three years of training. In Stage 1, a foundational year, you will learn to practise safely and ethically with structure, guidance and closer supervision. Stage 2 develops trainees’ skills further, supporting increasing autonomy, flexibility and integration across clinical, professional and academic domains. Stage 3 is a consolidation and specialisation year, in which you will gain more in-depth experience of applying and integrating psychological approaches, and consolidate your acquisition of core competencies and experiences as you prepare for your first qualified post.
You will be allocated to a placement area of either Cornwall, Plymouth, or South Devon and can expect to have all your placements throughout training in this patch. Note that, proportionally, more trainees are placed in Cornwall than Plymouth or South Devon. Plymouth is an urban locality with good public transport links to placement bases. Cornwall and South Devon have a rural geography in which being able to travel independently by car is essential.
It is strongly recommended that trainees live within their allocated placement patch.