Aims

The MSc in Applied Psychology for Children and Young People aims to train psychology graduates in the range of skills and competencies essential for the delivery of tier two psychological assessments and evidence-based interventions in services for children, young people and their families.

On completion of training, trainees will be able to demonstrate a range of skills and competences, which include the ability to:

• Understand the relevant contemporary psychological and developmental theories and the application of the knowledge base in applied psychology to underpin clinical practice.
• Integrate prior knowledge in novel situations, enhancing their professional ability to think critically, creatively, and reflectively; and to evaluate the impact of planned psychological interventions.
• Apply appropriate assessment procedures, develop appropriate formulations, and implement appropriate interventions with clients, recognising and observing professional boundaries and standards of competence, and conducting appropriate appraisal of the impact of such procedures in service delivery systems within CAMHS, using highly developed self-reflective skills.
• Understand the importance of fostering productive and therapeutic working alliances with clients, while maintaining awareness of the wider social setting of interventions, and balancing the needs of clients and service delivery systems.
• Understand the range of service delivery models in CAMHS available for interventions at individual, group and systemic levels.
• Work in collaboration with others to conduct and report evaluation and audit models to evaluate interventions and service delivery.
• Demonstrate competence in the selection and implementation of appropriate methodological designs for the evaluation of efficacious and effective interventions in practice.

Personal and Professional Skills

• Understand their responsibilities towards clients they come in contact with. Trainees will understand the need to remain cognisant of the ethical demands in practice and remain bound by the BPS code of conduct.
• Develop an awareness of the inherent power imbalance between practitioners and recipients of their care and minimise the potential for the abuse of this power imbalance.
• Know the professional responsibilities of working within the limits of one’s competence and the duty to seek supervision as appropriate.
• Know they have a duty and responsibility to maintain collaborative working arrangements with colleagues and service users.