Long Valley Therapy Training › Refining Training

Introduction

Thank you for taking the time to participate in this survey. Your feedback is invaluable and will help us improve the assessment methods for both the skills (readiness for placement) and placement (readiness for qualifying) assignments in the Advanced Diploma in Humanistic Integrative Counselling. Please complete this honestly, as the community's experience of the training sector is vital to ensure meaningful policy change

Section 1 - Interview Assessment and Suitability

It is important to balance the need for thorough suitability assessments with the risk of oppressive gatekeeping. We aim to ensure that our assessment processes are fair, inclusive, and aligned with our ethical standards.

What specific qualities or criteria should be assessed during the interview process? *

Do you have any thoughts on how can we ensure that the interview process is fair and avoids oppressive gatekeeping? *

Minimum recommended training age *

What are the reasons for your answer? *

Further recommendations

Section 2: Readiness for Placement Assessment

This section aims to gather your feedback on the effectiveness of the current assessment methods in preparing students for their placements. Your insights will help us identify strengths and areas for improvement.

How effective do you believe the current assessment methods are in preparing students for their placement? *Current assessment is typically a series of formal skills observations in addition to written assignments that cover: ethics, theory and skillsVery ineffectiveIneffectiveNeutralEffectiveVery effective

How would you feel about adding a viva voce (oral exam) to the placement assessment? *A viva is a well established method of assessment in the form of an oral exam. Candidates are required to explain their understanding of crucial elements (theory, ethics and framework) to assessors. A viva can easily be adapted to the course level and offered with reasonable adjustments to ensure accessibility.Very negativeNegativeNeutralPositiveVery positive

How would you feel about adding an exam-style assessment to the placement assessment? *This would be similar to the proficiency exams that some professional bodies utilise. This would be an objective, standardised assessment that needs to completed before trainees are released for placement.Very negativeNegativeNeutralPositiveVery positive

Any other ideas or thoughts?

Section 3: Readiness to Qualify Assessment

In this section, we would like to understand your views on how well the current assessment methods prepare students to qualify as counsellors. Your feedback is crucial for safeguarding the integrity our qualification process.

Current assessment relies on: completion of all criteria (including personal therapy and minimum attendance), satisfactory supervision reports and placement logs, successful completion of a final placement assignment (validated by an external verifier).How sufficient is this?Not at all sufficientRequires improvementSufficientPotential for unfair gatekeepingOverly stringent

How would you feel about adding a viva voce (oral exam) to the final assessment process?A viva is a well established method of assessment in the form of an oral exam. Candidates are required to explain their understanding of crucial elements (theory, ethics and framework) to assessors. A viva can easily be adapted to the course level and offered with reasonable adjustments to ensure accessibility. If we were to add this, it would be paired with a written assignment based around a placement case study. Some training providers already incorporate this.Very negativeNegativeNeutralPositiveVery positive

How would you feel about adding an exam-style assessment to the final assessment?This would be similar to the proficiency exams that some professional bodies utilise. This would be an objective, standardised assessment that needs to completed before trainees are allowed to qualify; it would represent part of the formal assessment process and be completed under exam conditions.Very negativeNegativeNeutralPositiveVery positive

What specific changes or additions would you suggest to improve the readiness to qualify assessment?

Final thoughts

Do you have any other thoughts or suggestions on how to make the assessment process more robust?

Follow up

If you would like to discuss or contribute to any part of the training process, we welcome you to add your details below. We'll be in touch to arrange an informal meeting either online or in-person (Hythe/Deal)

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