Unit information: Clinical Practice Portfolio in 2026/27

Unit name	Clinical Practice Portfolio
Unit code	PSYCM0064
Credit points	40
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
Unit director	Dr. Anderson
Open unit status	Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)	None
Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)	None
Units you may not take alongside this one	None
School/department	School of Psychological Science
Faculty	Faculty of Life Sciences

Unit Information

This unit delivers the practice competencies necessary for entry to the Specialist Register of Clinical Neuropsychologists.

This unit aims to prepare and advise you on the appropriate construction of your clinical portfolio and prepare you for the demands of a viva.

Your learning on this unit

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge and skills that meet the competency standards sufficient for entry to the Specialist Register of Clinical Neuropsychologists.
2. Demonstrate a capacity to translate and apply knowledge to clinical practice.
3. Demonstrate analytical skills with respect to the complexities of a patient case history with appropriate understanding of the complex interrelationships between various sources of information. Where appropriate, you will be able to indicate awareness of uncertainty or incomplete information and the implications of this.
4. Synthesise a patient case history with published evidence in order to demonstrate evidence-based practice via scholarship.
5. In respect of case work, demonstrate a capacity to synthesise all relevant information and present an effective formulation, recommendations for forms of treatment, and evaluation of any outcomes associated with these recommendations.
6. Evaluate the relevant evidence base for your case work and provide well-formulated arguments for the decisions taken in your clinical practice.

How you will learn

Virtually all learning will be via distance learning.

Learning will include regular, facilitated group sessions with other clinicians in which generic and specific clinical practice issues will be explored.

There will be focused discussions of how to handle the demands of a viva examination and indications of what to expect in these examinations.

You will have a 1:1 session with a clinical tutor in order to discuss specific aspects of your own developing practice portfolio.

Our team will provide detailed feedback on up to two of your intended case reports. We will also provide you with an opportunity to take part in a practice “mini viva” in order to prepare you for the final viva.

Whether you are registered full time or part time, we will conduct a 3- monthly quarterly review of your progress and provide feedback on our perception of your preparedness as the viva approaches. We will comment upon your case log, supervision log and your progress on the six cases.

How you will be assessed

Assessment for this unit comprises submission of a written portfolio and a viva. The written portfolio contains 8 components:

• Supervision log - marked Pass/Fail
• Case log - marked Pass/Fail
• 3 case reports (4000 words) - each marked Pass/Fail
• 3 x 3000 word formative case reports each with a 1000 word reflection. The 3000 word component provides context, but is not part of the formal assessment. Only the reflection forms the basis of the mark. These should be cases encountered previously which reflect formative experiences and the reflection will show your ability to reflect and learn from those prior experiences - marked Pass/Fail.

Viva assessment - 100% of unit mark.

The viva is chaired by two approved members of the British Psychological Society’s (BPS) Specialist Register of Clinical Neuropsychologists. The purpose of the viva is to examine your competence against the BPS neuropsychology competency framework. Questions in the examination will be designed to explore this in depth. The focus of the viva will likely encompass aspects of your clinical logs and case reports but will also explore areas where it has been difficult to ascertain competence from the submitted work. The full range of competencies from the BPS neuropsychology competency framework is encompassed by the viva.

The pass mark is 50%. All components, including viva and written portfolio, are must pass for the award of credit.

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. PSYCM0064).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.

The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.