Psychology employability: Summer placement at iCope (Islington and Camden’s IAPT service), by Jodie White

Over the summer of 2021, I completed a 3-month placement at iCope, an Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service for Camden and Islington NHS Trust. My role as an honorary assistant psychological practitioner (HAPP) was varied; I was responsible for allocating patients to therapists and psychological wellbeing practitioners (PWPs), as well as identifying and flagging any risks. Within team and patient care network (PCN) meetings, we discussed clinical cases, aspects of our roles, and important information within the trust. During supervision, I reflected on my weaknesses and improvements.

It was fascinating to witness first-hand team communication and problem solving within a clinical setting. I had the chance to observe 1:1 assessment and treatment sessions at Step 2 (low intensity support delivered by PWPs) and at Step 3 (high intensity support delivered by therapists), and group therapy sessions. These were the highlight of my placement, as I was able to observe PWPs offering various cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) techniques. Fortnightly, PWPs ran HAPP skills sessions, explaining how they deliver CBT techniques personally and within iCope. These stood out to me, and I learned highly interesting information about mental health issues (e.g., anxiety disorders and depression) and CBT techniques (e.g., cognitive restructuring). I gained insight into the IAPT service and practicing CBT techniques; I learned how to develop clinical formulations and recognise symptoms.

Moreover, I had the opportunity to contribute to the creation of new CBT stress group and perinatal CBT modules. Additionally, towards the end of my placement, I assisted a PWP in analysing and presenting their data looking at cultural awareness training of staff, which was held earlier on during my placement. This consisted in performing a qualitative and quantitative analyses on questionnaire responses, and consequently developing a PowerPoint presentation – a great opportunity to use research methods taught on my undergraduate course in real clinical settings.

The iCope team was welcoming and eager to get me involved. This placement was an excellent opportunity, especially as it provided great variety: I was given both research and clinical opportunities during this placement. Importantly, I had the chance to make use of quantitative and qualitative research skills developed in class to analyse the cultural awareness questionnaires. Through the HAPPs skills sessions, I also gained insight into performing a variety of CBT techniques, recognising symptoms, and adhering to protocols when dealing with patients suffering from mental health issues.

This placement has improved my communication and teamwork skills in a clinical setting, as I worked alongside other placement students, as well as my admin abilities (e.g., by working on the IAPTUS Database). Furthermore, observing PWPs’ therapy and assessment sessions taught me how PWPs communicate with patients. This placement clarified my ideas about my future, strengthening my drive to pursue clinical psychology by training as a PWP. The experience from this placement opened many opportunities for me, e.g., gaining contacts with PWPs and therapists. This placement has therefore greatly enhanced my employability.