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Section 5 - Committees

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Course Committee structure

The course needs to ensure that all its functions are carried out effectively, efficiently and appropriately. To achieve this each major aspect of the course is managed by a committee. Most committees include representation from trainees, supervisors and psychologists working in the Region, and in many cases service users.

Committees and teams

Committees focus on particular areas of course activity (for example, selection procedures, the curriculum, clinical practice or research) but day-to-day work in each area is carried out by ‘teams’ of course staff. It is the work of these teams that the committee oversees. The idea is that each committee identifies objectives and monitors the team, with the team being responsible for delivering these objectives. 

An example of how this works will help. Membership of the selection committee includes the selection team, other members of the course staff, trainee representatives, psychologists from the region and service users. The selection team is responsible for organising the selection process, but the committee checks that the team is doing this in an appropriate and effective way.

Though this might seem somewhat complicated, it ensures that the course is managed openly and transparently, and that trainees and external representatives have a clear input into course procedures.

Trainee representation on committee

The course is a collaborative enterprise and trainees are involved in all aspects of planning and management. To help make this involvement as effective as possible, trainee representatives are invited to the following bodies:

  • The Course Monitoring Committee (CMC)

  • Sub-Committees of the CMC:

    • Clinical Practice Committee
    • Curriculum Committee
    • Research Committee
    • Selection Committee
    • Service-user Committee
  • Staff-Student Consultative Committee

Election of Trainee Representatives

Each year group is asked to choose its own trainee representatives, and to inform the course of these. Although trainee representatives should be elected each academic year (to ensure that these responsibilities do not become too onerous for any individual) individuals may stand for re-election.

COURSE COMMITTEES

Course Monitoring Committee (CMC) and its subcommittees

The Course Monitoring Committee (CMC) oversees the strategic direction of the course. It is not concerned with day-to-day running of the course; it is more focused on how the course philosophy is executed and whether the content of training, fits with the needs of the Region, the NHS and service users. For example:

  • are we selecting and training the right sort of trainees?
  • are we producing trainees with the right sort of clinical and personal/professional skills?
  • how well are we meeting recruitment needs?
  • are we teaching in the right sort of way?
  • are placements set up in the right way?

Membership of the CMC brings together the ‘stakeholders’ who have a direct interest in the quality of training, and includes:

  • Course staff
  • Trainees
  • Unit Organisers
  • Supervisors and Clinical Psychology service leads
  • Service Users
  • Representatives from the commissioners of training (NHS London)

The meeting includes some reports from the course, but the agenda is configured to ensure that issues which concern the various external 'stakeholders' are well-represented.

Frequency meets up to 3 times per year
Service user representation at least one service user
Trainee representation two from each year group
Trainee responsibilities to identify issues with their year group and to represent these at the committee


Annual Course Review

Each May the CMC meets to undertake the “Annual Course Review”. The aim is to overview the functioning of the Course in clinical, academic and research domains, to provide an opportunity for the course staff, trainees and stakeholders in the course to give feedback, for all parties to make suggestions for improvement, and to identify targets for change. Trainee representatives from each year group are required to provide a report summarising and feeding back their experience of training during the year and any particular issues raised.

COURSE EXECUTIVE

The Course Executive is responsible for ‘actioning’ recommendations of the CMC. This team monitors the quality and effectiveness of course activities as a whole, overviews trainee progress in academic, clinical and research domains and (from time to time) makes proposals for improvements in the Course structure. The Executive is chaired by the Joint Course Directors, and is attended by the Head of the Research Department, the Academic Director, the Research Directors, the Clinical Director and the Course Administrator.

Frequency monthly, or as required
Trainee representation none
Assessment Committee

One function of the Course Executive is to act as an Assessment Committee in order to review the operation of course assessment processes and to action recommendations from the Examination Board. It reviews trainee marks across all domains, reviews the rubric and functioning of all assessment procedures (including the rubric and content of examinations), considers course regulations and ensures these reflect requirements of internal and external regulators.

Frequency as required
Trainee representation none

RESEARCH COMMITTEE

This committee overviews issues relating to the research component of the course. It is chaired by one of the Research Directors, and is attended by the Research Directors and other staff involved in research supervision, the Course Administrator, the Research & Finance Administrator, and a trainee representative from each year group.

Frequency once a term
Trainee representation one from each year group
Trainee responsibility to identify research-related issues with their year group and to represent these at the committee

CURRICULUM COMMITTEE

This committee reviews the curriculum, and is chaired by the Curriculum Director. It is attended by course staff, a trainee representative from each year group, regional unit organisers and the Academic Administrator.

Frequency at least twice a year, with additional meetings scheduled in relation to need
Trainee representation one from each year group
Trainee responsibility to identify curriculum-related issues with their year group and to represent these at the committee

SELECTION COMMITTEE

This committee reviews the effectiveness of selection procedures, and considers any necessary improvements and modifications. It is chaired by the Selection Team Leader and is attended by the Joint Course Director, the Course Administrator, one trainee representative (usually from the third year), relevant course staff, three regional psychologists and a service user.

Frequency at least once a year, with additional meetings scheduled in relation to need
Service user representation at least one service user
Trainee representation one from the Third Year

CLINICAL PRACTICE COMMITTEE

This committee reviews the effectiveness of links between the course and clinical placements (for example, identification and allocation procedures, or support and training for supervisors). It is chaired by the Clinical Director, with membership including members of the tutor team, a further academic member of staff, a trainee representative from each year group, and three additional regional psychologists, a service user, the Course Administrator and the Clinical Placements Administrator.

Frequency at least once a year, with additional meetings scheduled in relation to need
Service user representation at least one service user
Trainee representation one from each year group

STAFF-STUDENT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE

This committee provides an opportunity for trainees to directly represent concerns and to raise any issues which they consider relevant to their training experience. It is chaired by the Joint Course Directors, and membership includes the Academic, Clinical and Research Directors and the Course Administrator as well as trainee representatives.

Frequency once a term
Service User representation none
Trainee representation two from each year group

SERVICE-USER COMMITTEE

This committee aims to ensure that service-users can comment on and directly contribute to course organisation, strategy and policy. It is co-chaired by the Academic Director and a service user, and membership includes service users, carers, course staff and a trainee representative.

Frequency once a term
Trainee representation one (from any year group)

OTHER COURSE COMMITTEES

BOARD OF EXAMINERS

The overall aims of the Board of Examiners are to ensure that examination and assessment requirements of the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology are met in accordance with relevant regulations. It reviews each trainee's progress in relation to all aspects of course work.

Specific Duties
  • Plan and administer the internal examinations.
  • Appoint internal examiners, make recommendations regarding external examiners to the University.
  • Liaise with external examiners.
  • Report back to Course Monitoring Committee.
  • Maintain confidentiality.
  • Agree advice to be given to University regarding the results of examinations.
  • Agree policy and method for feedback on performance to trainees.
Membership

Joint Course Directors

Academic and Clinical tutor staff to the course

Internal and External examiners

Frequency
 three times a year (September, January and June/July)
Service User representation none
Trainee representation none

COURSE STAFF COMMITTEE

This committee ensures that staff views are appropriately represented within the course. It includes feedback of ideas developed by the Course Executive, and the standing agenda includes feedback from all the subcommittees of the CMC. In effect this is a forum for staff to raise any or discuss proposals affecting the course. It is chaired by a member of the Course Executive and is attended by all Course staff

Frequency
at least twice a term, with additional meetings scheduled in relation to need
Service User representation none
Trainee representation none

HOW THE COMMITTEES LINK TOGETHER

The organisational chart below shows how the various committees link together.

Essentially the Course Monitoring Committee (CMC) has oversight of all the ‘working committees’, all of whom report back to it, and all of whom take forward its decisions.

The Course Executive Committee relates both to the CMC (because it needs to ensure that any decisions made by the CMC are followed through) and to the working committees (because it needs to monitor the work of these committees and respond to any issues which they raise).

The Examination Board links to the course committee structure via the Assessment Committee, which is constituted from the Course Executive Committee.

Since the remit of the Postgraduate teaching committee is essentially confined to the interpretation of internal (UCL) regulations, its primary link is to the Assessment Committee (which would be responsible for interpreting and implementing any required changes).

committee-structure