Module Catalogue 2025/26

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

This module aims to give trainees the knowledge and skills to undertake a range of assessments within NHS talking therapies for people with common mental health problems. These assessments include: screening/triage; risk; provisional diagnosis; psychometric assessment, problem focused assessment and intervention planning assessment. The module will teach the theoretical and diagnostic principles of undertaking assessments, and the correlating clinical and interpersonal skills to carry these out. The module aims to give an overview of the incidence, prevalence and presentation of mental health disorders, including complex and severe presentations and the care pathways associated with more severe disorders. The module will raise issues pertaining to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in NHS clinical settings and considerations for minority groups and all protected characteristics.

Outline Of Syllabus

Assessment types overview
Diagnosis (ICD-10/11) and diagnostic measures
Interpersonal Skills
Clinical Risk Management
Information gathering for mental health problems
Use of therapeutic questioning and interviewing
Problem summarizing and goal setting
Behaviour change models
Socialisation and formulation in CBT
Diversity, equality and inclusion applications to engaging minority groups - protected characteristics group exercise
Formulating co-morbid and complex difficulties at LI
Different diagnostic criteria in NHS talking therapies
Assessment of different anxiety disorders in NHS talking therapies
Self care and resilience as a mental health professional
Medication management

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

By the end of the module trainees should be able to:

1.       Demonstrate knowledge, understanding and critical awareness of concepts of mental health and mental illness, diagnostic category systems in mental health and a range of social, medical and psychological explanatory models.
2.       Demonstrate knowledge of, and competence in applying the principles, purposes and different types of assessment undertaken with people with common mental health disorders (across in person, telephone and video-based modes of delivery).
3.       Demonstrate knowledge of, and competence in using ‘common factors’ to engage patients; gather information; build a therapeutic alliance with people with common mental health problems; manage the emotional content of sessions and the impact of this on both themselves and the client and hold boundaries.
4.       Demonstrate knowledge of, and competence in ‘patient-centred’ information gathering to arrive at a succinct and collaborative definition of the person’s main mental health difficulties and the impact this has on their daily living.
5.       Demonstrate competence in assessing and understanding the world view of patients, with a focus on the here and now, including cognitive patterns and biases that link to specific conditions and the implications of these to shape low-intensity working.
6.       Demonstrate knowledge of, and competence in recognising patterns of symptoms consistent with diagnostic categories of mental disorders (according to ICD 11) from a patient- centred interview, and by doing so correctly identify the correct primary problem descriptor.
7.       Demonstrate understanding of the complexity of mental disorders and competence in conceptualising comorbidity, including how to decide the primary target problem for intervention in the context of comorbidity of mental and physical health problems.
8.       Demonstrate knowledge of, and competence in accurate risk assessment with patients or others to ensure practitioners can confidently manage this effectively in accordance with NICE Guidance.
9.       Demonstrate knowledge of, and competence in the use of standardised assessment tools including symptom and other psychometric instruments to aid problem recognition and definition and subsequent decision making.
10.       Demonstrate knowledge, understanding and competence in using the COM-B behaviour change model to identify intervention goals and choice of appropriate interventions.
11.       Demonstrate the ability to set agreed goals for treatment which are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely (SMART).
12.       Demonstrate knowledge of, and competence in giving evidence-based information about treatment choices and in making shared decisions with patients.
13.       Demonstrate knowledge of, and competence in selecting an appropriate mode of delivery in partnership with patients. If digital modes of delivery are considered, competence to assess a service user's suitability for online interventions, revising this as necessary on an ongoing basis. COM-B
14.       Demonstrate competence in understanding the service user's attitude to a range of mental health treatments including prescribed medication and evidence-based psychological treatments.
15.       Demonstrate competence in clinical decision making in terms of choosing the appropriate pathway for a service user after assessment.

Intended Skill Outcomes

By the end of the module trainees should be able to:

1)       Complete different types of assessment undertaken with people with people with common mental health problems
2)       Use ‘common factor’ interpersonal skills to gather information, and build a therapeutic alliance to build meaningful relationships and manage the emotional content of sessions
3)       Elicit cognitive phenomena pertaining to clients difficulties including their world view
4)       Elicit emotional autonomic and behavioral phenomena pertaining to clients difficulties
5)       Use patient centered interviewing to arrive at a succinct and collaborative definition of the persons main mental health difficulty and feed this back via a provisional diagnosis
6)       Elicit information pertaining to the impact of the problem on the clients life
7)       Provide evidence based information about treatment choices and making shared decisions with clients
8)       Advise, support or implement a range of mental health treatments including prescribed medication and evidence-based interventions
9)       Record appropriate clinical notes
10)       Support people in their attitude and adherence to psychotropic medication treatment

By the end of the module, trainees will be able to evidence skill in the following clinical practice outcomes which will be assessed by portfolio

•       Demonstrates competency in undertaking and recording a range of assessment formats. This should include both triage within an NHS Talking Therapies service and problem focused assessments.
•       Demonstrates experience and competence in the assessment and correct identification of presenting problems across a range of problem descriptors including depression and two or more anxiety disorders.
•       Demonstrates the common factor competencies necessary to engage patients across the range of assessment formats.
•       Demonstrates understanding of the complexity of mental health difficulties, to conceptualise comorbidity of mental disorders and prioritise the appropriate primary problem in the context of both physical and mental health comorbidity.
•       Demonstrate competence in accurate recording of interviews and questionnaire assessments using paper and electronic record keeping systems.
•       Demonstrate competence in identifying patients at assessment who do not fit the criteria for treatment at Step 2 (e.g. those with PTSD, social anxiety disorder or severe mental health problems) and facilitate appropriate stepping up or onward referral.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

•       Didactic lecture segments establish a learning framework for the theoretical components of the module and the learning outcomes
•       Small group work within workshop segments enable role play practice of the relevant clinical topics, to enable trainees to practice and develop their clinical skills ahead of seeing NHS patients. This ensures clinical skill develops within the learning outcomes
•       Structured guided learning enable trainees to expand on theoretical knowledge of the lecture/workshop content, and translate this theory to clinical practice where relevant. This supports the application of theory to practice and advances knowledge and competence of the learning outcomes.
•       The placement ensures theory is embedded in clinical practice, which clinical competence advancing throughout the module with the support of on-going supervision provided through the placement

The total hours of the module exceeds 200 due to the nature of the programme of study. Students are employed full time by their NHS employer (37.5 hours FTE). 0.4 FTE of the working week is spent at the education institution and is detailed within the teaching activities, and 0.6 FTE is with the employer to full fill their employment contract. Their salary reflects the working hours of a full time employee on a clinical training contract and expected clinical contact hours.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Assessments are compliant with those determined by the national curriculum / NHS England. All assessment components must be passed.

The written examination assesses trainees knowledge of assessment theory, diagnostic measures and treatment planning as per the NICE guidelines

The OSCE allows for the clinical skills and application of theory to be assessed. This will be with an actor playing an NHS patient, following which the trainee will complete a full problem focused assessment, entailing risk assessment and behaviour change assessment.

The formative assessments give trainees the opportunity to test their knowledge and skills and allows feedback to be given prior to the summative assessments.

The portfolio allows for all skills outcomes to be assessed, and evidences whether the embedding of skills within the placement has occurred. The portfolio further enables the theoretical knowledge gained during the practice based learning days to be evidenced and assessed.

In order to pass the module, trainees must pass all assessment components. In order to pass the placement within the module, the practice-based outcomes set by NHS England must be evidenced in a practice portfolio, which demonstrates the programmes content has been embedded in clinical practice. This includes assessment of clinical competencies by clinical supervisors. Each practice portfolio must be passed. The clinical hours obtained on the placement component of the module contributes to the required total of 80 hours on placement across the programme.

General Notes

N/A