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Supervising Evidence-Based Psychological Therapies (Low Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)

Module description

It is increasingly recognised within mental health settings that clinical skills and case management supervision plays a fundamental role in improving clinical outcomes, supporting practitioners and ensuring safe and efficient practice. In this module, you will develop an advanced and critical knowledge of the theory surrounding supervision and develop competency in the supervision competencies associated with clinical skills and case management supervision identified by Roth and Pilling. Considerable opportunity for reflection on your supervisory practice will be afforded to enhance learning and facilitate ongoing action planning.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The aim of this module is to develop an advanced knowledge, understanding and competency in the skills required to undertake clinical skills and clinical case management supervision in Low Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and to support critical reflection upon supervisory skills. 

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Explain and evaluate types and functions of clinical supervision
• 2. Demonstrate generic and modality specific competencies associated with clinical skills and case management supervision, reflecting on your skills as a supervisor across these competencies
• 3. Describe the context within which supervision is provided, including relevant professional, ethical and legal frameworks
• 4. Provide clinical skills and clinical case management supervision, critically reflecting on practice to facilitate continued development as a supervisor and to further enhance skills

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. Systematically address complex supervision problems which may be framed within unpredictable contexts, think independently, and appreciate the complexities of the issues
• 6. Support practitioners to maintain high volume caseloads through competencies in structured case management supervision
• 7. Support practitioners to maintain fidelity to the low intensity model, whilst being able to adapt practice to suit a wide range of individual patient needs
• 8. Describe the wider ethical and professional issues encountered within clinical supervision

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 9. Appraise your personal strengths and weaknesses in training and clinical practice, and reflect upon the implications of these to identify further training needs
• 10. Give accurate and constructive feedback

Syllabus plan

The module will run over five taught days across one term. In addition there will be three sessions of supervision provided on three separate days. Time in class will be divided between theoretical teaching and clinical simulation. Each lecture will focus on one key topic, but other research that develops, critiques and relates to this topic will also be discussed. An indicative lecture list follows, with content, delivery and assessment as dictated by the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Supervisor training commissioning document and mapped to the Roth and Pilling (2010) IAPT supervisor’s competency document.

Consistent with the Roth and Pilling (2010) IAPT supervisor’s competency document, teaching sessions will cover:

• Aims and function of different models of supervision.
• Getting the most out of supervision.
• Ethical and professional issues arising with supervision.
• Enhancing supervisory practice through personal reflection.
• Roth and Pilling core competencies.
• Developing competency in clinical skills supervision
• Assessing case management supervision competency in Low Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Three assessments are required for this module. In all cases re-assessment will be the same as the original assessment. Where you have been referred/deferred for any form of assessment detailed above you will have the opportunity to retake within four weeks from the date that feedback was provided.

If you pass re-assessments taken as a result of deferral, your re-assessment will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment and the overall module mark will not be capped.

If you pass re-assessments taken as a result of referral (i.e. following initial failure in the assessment), the overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

If you fail re-assessments taken as a result of referral (i.e. following initial failure in the assessment), you will be failed in the module and as a consequence you will be failed in the programme and your registration as a student of the University will be terminated.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Core reading:

• Milne, D. (2009). Evidence-based Clinical Supervision. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.
• Roth, A.D. & Pilling, S. (2007). Competencies Required to Deliver Effective Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy for People with Depression and with Anxiety Disorders.London: Department of Health.
• Scaife, J. (2008). Supervision in Clinical Practice; A Practitioner’s Guide. London: Routledge.
• Turpin, G. & Wheeler, S. (2011). IAPT Supervision Guidance. London: Department of Health.

Wider reading:

• Bennett-Levy, J. et al. (2009). Acquiring and refining CBT skills and competencies: Which training methods are perceived to be most effective? Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 37, 571–583.
• Proctor, B. (2000). Group Supervision: A Guide to Creative Practice. London, Sage.
• Richards, D. A. (2010). Supervising low-intensity workers in high volume clinical environments. In: Bennett-Levy, J., Richards, D.A., Farrand, P., et al (eds). The Oxford Guide to Low Intensity CBT Interventions. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

All resources will be made available on ELE.

This includes instruction to inform directed learning activities to inform and prepare for taught days, alongside additional material covered in the tutorials, required readings, information about assessment and additional material (e.g., videos).

Key words search

Supervision, improving access to psychological therapies, IAPT, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, psychological wellbeing practitioner, low intensity, competencies