Immersed in Westminster

When I was initially elected to the House of Commons as the first Clinical Psychologist in history, I began to think about how vital it is that applied psychologists have involvement in policy making at the highest level. I wanted information regarding psychosocial models of treatment delivery and efficacy to be more widely disseminated to my peers in Parliament. These developments struck me as important for the profession and for evidence-based policy making for the UK population.

So I am delighted this year, post-pandemic, to have been able to undertake a pilot project providing clinical supervision to a final year clinical psychology trainee on their leadership placement. 

Hannah is attending the House of Commons for two days per week over a 12-month period, to learn about policy development at Governmental level and how bills progress through parliament, to liaise with MPs cross party via the Psychology All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), and to help set the APPG programme in conjunction with myself (as Chair) and the British Psychological Society (who provide the secretariat). Hannah will also be engaging with mental health stakeholders at Westminster regarding social policy campaigns that can be supported, and doing a small piece of research on stressors affecting staff in Parliament. I am hopeful that the results of this project can then be presented to the Speaker so that recommendations supporting staff welfare can be enhanced. 

The Royal College of Psychiatry also provide internships of this nature in parliament each year, led by Baroness Hollins, who has been very supportive of a similar programme being developed for clinical psychology trainees under my supervision; so there may also be potential to link with the House of Lords and policy work being undertaken there too.

I am very keen, following from the pilot year, to expand this placement programme. I would be interested in speaking with applied psychology courses who wish to support its development. 

Policy making is key to service efficacy and delivery, and I know first-hand that psychological formulation and evidence-based approaches are highly sought after at the highest level, particularly given the desperate need for mental health service development at this time.

Dr Lisa Cameron MP (Clinical Psychologist)

The opportunity of a leadership placement in parliament immediately caught my attention. Although I am passionate about providing mental health support and have thoroughly enjoyed clinical placements, whilst in these roles I found myself thinking about the additional work that needs to be done. The need for Governmental support for mental health provision is widely acknowledged, particularly within clinical psychology, but I had very limited understanding of what this looked like in practice. 

Despite eagerly applying for the role, on starting the placement, I felt somewhat like a fish out of water. It took me a while to familiarise myself with the processes, procedures, and language. I definitely did not 'hit the ground running.' However, after immersing myself in Westminster activity, such as attending APPG round tables, ministerial questions and select committee meetings, I started to feel like I actually knew what was going on. 

Trained in assessment and formulation, as well as research, audit and evaluation, psychologists are well placed to contribute to policy making. However, there seemed to be little evidence of a psychological voice and way of thinking, or the biopsychosocial model, in parliamentary discussions and debates. The placement has given me the opportunity to ask questions and raise concerns to those making decisions, about factors that someone without the same experience may not have considered. This experience has highlighted the importance of both involving experts-by-profession, and more crucially, experts-by-experience in decision making at all levels. 

I have been working on setting up links with professional bodies and other stakeholders, including organisations with experts-by-experience input, to forge systems in which these voices can be heard within parliament. I have also been checking in on the priorities of these professionals and organisations, to think about how these can be supported from within.

Although it has been extremely insightful, there have been unique challenges that have arisen from feeling so passionate about support for the NHS and working within this environment in the context of ongoing discussions around funding, pay and the 10-year mental health plan. However, this has served to highlight the complexities and importance of Lisa's role, and just how vital it is for psychologists to engage with politics.

Trainee Clinical Psychologist (Hannah Shaw)