The British Psychological Society
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    Revised Qualification in Forensic Psychology (post-July 2021 enrolments)

    Discover what this qualification could offer you in your career.

    About

    The BPS Qualification in Forensic Psychology (Stage 2) is a doctoral level qualification and the independent route to training as a forensic psychologist.

    Our qualification has been designed by leading experts in the profession. It covers a broad range of knowledge and skills in forensic psychology, training you to become a confident and competent practitioner and researcher through a flexible and supportive framework.

    By completing this qualification you will be able to showcase your expertise and professional standards. You will become eligible to join the BPS as a chartered member and be eligible to apply for registration with the HCPC.

    If you are working in a suitable area to gain the required competencies then this qualification is for you. Suitable areas/suitable job roles include:

    • Prison services
    • Probation services
    • Rehabilitation units
    • Secure hospitals
    • Social services
    • Forensic care settings
    • Any other public, private and voluntary work as deemed appropriate by the Qualifications Board

    Duration

    • 2-4 years

    Enrolment requirements

    • Graduate Basis for Chartered membership

    • BPS accredited MSc in Forensic Psychology

    • Suitable role to undertake supervised practice

    Benefits of undertaking this qualification

    • Become eligible to be a chartered member of the BPS

    • Become eligible to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council

    • Join a network of likeminded professionals as a full member of the BPS Division of Forensic Psychology

    • Open up new career prospects and contribute to the field of forensic psychology

    • Attend training and development events delivered by forensic psychologists

    Start date

    There are four application points per year:

    • January
    • April
    • July
    • October

    Following your application to enrol, you will be invited to a Registrar review meeting to explore and agree your Plan of Training.

    If you have any questions, contact us via [email protected] or by phone 0116 252 9505. 

    Outline

    The qualification requires you to undertake structured supervised practice over a 2, 3 or 4 year period, depending on your employment, for example whether you work full-time or part-time, and your access to relevant development opportunities.

    During this time your supervised practice will build upon the academic components of your MSc by requiring the development and demonstration of skills in the following areas:

    • Conducting psychological applications and interventions
    • Research
    • Communicating psychological knowledge and advice to other professionals
    • Training other professionals in psychological skills and knowledge

    You will undertake your supervised practice with the support of your Co-ordinating Supervisor, Additional Supervisor (if applicable to your plan of training), the Forensic Psychology Qualifications Board and a designated Professional Development Delivery Officer.

    You will have agreed points at which you will submit specific work for assessment, dependent on whether you are enrolled on a 2, 3 or 4 year track.

    This structure provides a framework within which you can undertake your training, whilst still offering flexibility in the way that you develop the competencies within your individual work setting.

    For more information consult the appropriate handbooks and guidelines:

    Code of Conduct

    The BPS sets standards that it expects candidates to follow.

    In order to guide candidates in understanding their responsibilities as a trainee, the society has adopted this Code of Conduct for Members enrolled on a Society Qualification.

    Enrolment

    First consult the Candidate Handbook to make sure that you fulfil the entry requirements.

    Next, find a Co-ordinating Supervisor using the Register of Applied Psychology Practice Supervisors. It is advisable to contact more than one supervisor before agreeing terms.

    Your Supervisor will be able to explore with you how you might design your plan of training, taking into account any previous qualifications and your current circumstances. 

    Once you have secured supervisory support, the next step is to meet with your Co-ordinating Supervisor and line manager to discuss your enrolment application. This will help to ensure that you are ready to undertake the qualification and will be supported in doing so by those around you.

    You can then complete and submit your enrolment application. The Candidate Handbook will help guide you through the process of enrolment and provide tips on how to complete the forms.

    Once your application has been received, you will be invited to a Registrar review meeting to explore your plan of training in more detail. Once your application is approved and your enrolment confirmed, you will be undertake a QFP induction as the final part of the enrolment process.

    Enrolment dates 2024

    • Monday 15 January 2024
    • Monday 15 April 2024
    • Monday 15 July 2024
    • Monday 14 October 2024

    Enrolment dates 2025

    • Monday 13 January 2025
    • Monday 14 April 2025
    • Monday 14 July 2025
    • Monday 13 October 2025

    The deadline for all enrolment dates is 5pm.

    Enrolment forms

    As part of your electronic enrolment you must ensure that:

    • All documents are signed with an electronic signature (scanned and inserted) and not typed
    • Certificates are authenticated copies. This means a photocopy/scanned version that has been signed by your co-ordinating supervisor with a written statement to confirm they have seen the original document
    • The criminal records check is a full scan of all pages
    • All documents are enclosed in a zipped folder labelled with your name, membership number and qualification you are enrolling on

    Your documents must be submitted to the office electronically.

    If you are employed by any other employer (non-MOJ) please submit your enrolment application via Hightail (link below)

    Submit your documents

    Assessment

    You will enrol on a two, three or four year track, depending on your employment and associated opportunities.

    Based on your enrolment track, you will have set points at which you will submit specific work for assessment. You will also need to attend a viva assessment as the final part of the assessment process.

    Your submissions will be assessed against the competencies to ensure that, across all of your submissions, you have demonstrated all of the competencies and can be awarded the qualification.

    Fees

    If your fees are being paid for by the Ministry of Justice, please indicate this at the relevant point on the enrolment form. The fee details below apply only to candidates not employed by the Ministry of Justice.

    Enrolment Fee

    • Amount: £120 (£100 + VAT)
    • When: upon submission of an enrolment application

    This is a non-refundable fee which covers the processing and review of your enrolment application.

    An invoice will be sent to you when we receive your enrolment application and this must be paid within 30 days of the date on the invoice.

    We will not be able to confirm your enrolment until this fee has been paid.

    Accreditation of Existing Competence Fee (AEC)

    • Amount: £360 (£300 + VAT)
    • When: upon submission of an AEC application

    This is a non-refundable fee which covers the processing and review of your AEC application.

    An invoice will be sent to you when we receive your AEC application and this should be paid within 30 days of the date on the invoice.

    We will not be able to confirm the outcome of your AEC application until this fee has been paid.

    Qualification Fee

    • Amount: £8212.80 (£6844.00 + £1368.80 VAT)
    • When: upon confirmation of enrolment (either in full or by monthly Direct Debit)

    This fee covers any support and expert advice you might need, as well as administration carried out during your enrolment by either the society's staff or members of the Qualifications Board.

    It also pays for one assessment of each element of the qualification.

    If you are referred for further assessment on any element a re-submission fee will become due.

    Should you withdraw from the qualification a refund may become due (please see the Terms and Conditions for further information).

    Re-submission Fee

    • Amount: £385.20 (£321 + VAT)
    • When: one month prior to submitting your amended work

    The re-submission fee covers the cost of work carried out during the re-assessment of your portfolio.

    Direct Debit

    We offer flexible payment plans via direct debit to spread the cost of a qualification over your period of study. These are monthly interest free payments and you can choose to pay over 12, 24, 36 or 48 months.

    We only charge you for the cost of the qualification once. If you need longer to complete the qualification we won't charge you extra.

    Please be aware that if you complete your qualification before the payment term has been completed you will be required to pay the outstanding balance before your results can be released.

    Third Party Fees

    Please note that you may incur additional costs during your training which are not set by the society, may include, but are not limited to, supervision costs, travel and accommodation costs (for instance, for supervisory meetings, events and conferences) and professional indemnity insurance.

    These fees are not set by the society so we are unable to advise on what rates will be charged.

    Fee Reductions

    A fee reduction of 20% is available to candidates who are in receipt of a state benefit or a state pension.

    Requests for reductions for other reasons will not be considered.

    Formal requests for reductions must be submitted to the Professional Development Delivery Officer along with evidence of income and level of state benefits.

    Review of fees

    All fees charged by the society are reviewed annually and, therefore, are subject to change from 1 January each year.

    Refund policy

    Download the policy

    We will be periodically holding information sessions for new enrolments.

    These sessions will be run by the registrar team so please feel free to attend if you wish to discuss any queries relating to the revised qualification.

    Places will be limited so please book as soon as possible.

    The next QFP information session will be taking place on Friday 27 September 2024 from 10am – 11am via Zoom.

    Book your place now