Dear H.G.,

I refer to your email of 26 November 2024. The University’s response
follows.

 - the number of registered psychologists who have applied for your
clinical psychology programme each year for the years 2020 - 2024.

- the number of registered psychologists who have been offered places in
your clinical psychology programme each year for the years 2020 - 2024.

 We have interpreted your request to relate to the DClinPsy as this is the
only ‘clinical psychology programme’ open for admission at the University.
I have been advised that the University does not hold the requested
statistics for the DClinPsy. The DClinPsy does not require applicants to
be registered psychologists and so this information is not collected
during the admissions process. This part of your request is refused under
section 18(g) as the information requested is not held by the University.

 I note that recent proposed changes by the Psychologists’ Board would
narrow the scope of registered psychologists, so that only clinical
psychologists would be able to make complex mental health assessments and
diagnoses. If these proposed changes were implemented, registered
psychologists would either be unable to make complex mental health
assessments and diagnoses, or would have to be considered on a
case-by-case basis to do so.

 I am wondering whether these proposed changes may have led to increased
numbers of registered psychologists applying for clinical psychology
qualifications, because a clinical qualification would allow them to
continue to make complex mental health assessments and diagnoses, even if
the changes proposed by the Psychology Board go ahead.

As such please, advise whether your clinical psychology admissions staff
have noted any new trends in clinical psychology applications - formally
or informally - that could be related to these proposed changes.

The Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) allows eligible persons to make
requests for specified official information held by an agency subject to
the Act. The OIA does not require agencies or their staff to create
information by forming views on topics of interest to the requester. You
are free to make a request for specified official information about
DClinPsy admissions if you wish, but I note that the statistics relevant
to your specific interest about the numbers of registered psychologists
applying for the DClinPsy in recent years are not held by the University.

 You have the right to make a complaint to an Ombudsman if you are
dissatisfied with this response. 

 Yours sincerely,

Farleigh Quinlivan

 

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