Applicants for this course should be aware that they are also applying for employment with the NHS and therefore must be eligible for employment in the NHS. This includes having appropriate personal qualities suited to employment in the NHS. Recruitment will be jointly undertaken by senior academic staff and NHS staff.
This is an NHS Scotland-funded training course designed to produce graduates with the qualification to work as Clinical Associates in Applied Psychology, an NHS Scotland role. There is no guarantee of employment following training, however previous candidates are undertaking several roles within and out-with NHS settings. These include Clinical Associate posts, Primary Mental Health Workers, and equivalent roles.
On successful completion of the course graduates are eligible to apply for these posts as well as other related posts. While specifically an NHS Scotland role, accreditation by the BPS and BABCP has increased the acceptance of this qualification in other parts of the UK.
NHS Education for Scotland (NES) funds the following psychological training:
- Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (University of Edinburgh/NHS Scotland and University of Glasgow/NHS Scotland)
- MSc Psychological Therapies in Primary Care (Universities of Dundee & Stirling/NHS Scotland)
- MSc Applied Psychology for Children and Young People (University of Edinburgh/NHS Scotland)
- Stage 2 Health Psychology Training (NHS Scotland/British Psychological Society)*
- Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy Training (Human Development Scotland/NHS Scotland)
- Post graduate certificates and diplomas in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) training to Accredited Practitioner or Supervisor level
- Family Based Treatment (FBT) training to Accredited Practitioner or Supervisor level
- Family Therapy (FT) Masters level Training
- Enhanced Psychological Practice Programme, with Adults (EPP-A) or with Children, Young People and their Families (EPP-CYP), (Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and NHS Education for Scotland (NES))
Where a candidate has previously received, or is currently in receipt of funding for any of the above programmes, that candidate will normally not be eligible to receive funding for the MSc PTPC until a minimum of 18 months after the award for the previous training is recommended by a qualifying examination board or by chair’s action after the qualifying exam board (or achieved by other recognised route) *. Where a candidate has enrolled in, but not completed one of the identified programmes, funding would not be available for a period of 24 months after the exit date from the programme. The 18 (or 24) month period is from the date of award of the previous training to the date of commencing the subsequent training.
*For Stage 2 Health Psychology Training, the date of award is taken as end of the 2 year NES funded contract, rather than award of the qualification by the BPS.
John Wills, MSc PTPC graduate
Lizzie Taylor, MSc PTPC graduate
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