This is the first practitioner Doctorate in the UK to provide people who complete the course eligibility to practise in two different branches of applied psychology, in this case Forensic and Clinical Psychology.

Successful completion of the course will lead to a dual qualification conferring eligibility to practise as a Forensic and Clinical psychologist.

The course is run in collaboration with St Andrew’s Healthcare who regularly sponsor their assistant psychologists on the course.  Trainees on the course are also sponsored by a range of other partners including Newcastle and Solihull Mental Health NHS Trust.  We also welcome applications from people who wish to self-fund.

In the Centre for Applied Psychology, we are committed to involving experts by experience in all the different aspects relevant to our teaching and research. The Experts by Experience Steering Committee (EBESC) is a group that meets regularly to discuss, organise and support the work of experts by experience linked to the Forensic Clinical Psychology Doctorate Programme. We comprise members from various backgrounds, including local experts by experience who contribute to the course and staff from the Centre for Applied Psychology.

We contribute to our different courses in various ways:

• Contributing to teaching, including training workshops
• Reviewing, supporting, designing and contributing to research projects
• Co-ordinating feedback in the course subcommittee
• Involvement in the course admissions process

This Doctorate programme in Forensic Clinical Psychology is aimed at psychologists wishing to work in forensic and clinical settings who need skills from both forensic and clinical disciplines.  St Andrews Health Care and other employers also sponsor trainees. Sponsorship generally amounts to the payment of fees and the provision of a modest bursary however this is normally limited to current employees of these organisations.  Self funding trainees will also normally be considered. The programme is four years long in duration, and took its first intake of five trainees in September 2013.

Approval for the programme has been granted by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and accreditation has been received from the British Psychological Society (BPS) for dual recognition in Forensic and Clinical Psychology.

Candidates who complete the programme successfully will be eligible to become Chartered Forensic and Clinical Psychologists within the BPS and to apply for registration with the HCPC as Forensic and Clinical Psychologists.

The programme seeks to train reflective scientist-practitioners who are able to use their core knowledge and skills to formulate problems in psychological terms and draw creatively on theories and techniques from the discipline of psychology to find feasible solutions to a wide range of presenting issues, considering both clinical and forensic approaches, and in both clinical and forensic contexts.

There is an increasing need in prisons and in the community for skills that draw upon both forensic and clinical disciplines. A large number of individuals within prison and probation settings have mental health problems, while those in forensic mental health settings need robust risk assessment to identify criminogenic need and inform release decisions.

The programme is deliberately generic to promote flexibility but also emphasises evidence-based practice. In line with NICE guidelines and the ‘What Works’ approach, special consideration is given to cognitive-behavioural approaches.

• The core principle is to apply psychological theories, principles, knowledge, models and methods in an ethical and evidence based way to promote the wellbeing and effectiveness of individuals, families, groups, organisations and civil society, respecting the dignity and rights of both victims and offenders and remaining mindful of the need to protect the public from harm.
• The programme encourages an attitude of ‘critical open-mindedness’ to a range of approaches and theories.
• The programme team works in close partnership with forensic mental health, clinical and correctional colleagues in setting the direction of the programme, in its delivery and in its review.
• The programme recognises that trainees are mature students who bring a rich variety of experiences to their training and have a clear voice on programme matters.
• The programme is situated in an area of rich ethnic diversity, and ethnic and cultural issues are fully addressed during training.
• The essential aim of the programme is to provide professional, doctorate level training, commensurate with the requirements of the HCPC and BPS to qualify individuals to work as both forensic and clinical psychologists in forensic mental health, clinical, prison and other forensic settings. 
• Trainees are required to gain specialty specific competencies in both forensic and clinical psychology over the four years of training and to complete placements with each of the following four clinical client groups: 
  1. Children and Young People
  2. Adults (Mental Health)
  3. Older People
  4. People with Disabilities 
  as well as victims of crime and/or offenders, appellants and litigants in forensic settings. To achieve this two of the six placements will be in clinical settings, two in forensic settings and two in forensic clinical settings.
• The HCPC requirements for both forensic and clinical psychology training are defined through a set of Standards of Proficiency (SoPs), which trainees need to achieve by the end of their training and a set of Standards of Education and Training (SETs) that the training provider needs to meet.

Why Study this Course?

• This is a unique course integrating forensic and clinical psychological practice at doctoral level
• The qualification confers a dual qualification, BPS and HCPC approved, for practice in forensic, clinical or combined settings
• You can expand the knowledge base in this crucial area of psychological practice through your own forensic clinical research
• You can push the boundaries to improve forensic clinical practice and protect the public