Workforce

Statistical Publication Notice

26 February 2008

Workforce Planning for Psychology Services in NHSScotland.
Characteristics of the Workforce Supply in 2007.

INTRODUCTION

This release is a collaborative piece of work between ISD and NHS Education for Scotland (NES), and presents psychology services workforce information as at 30th September 2007:

Data on staff in post in NHSScotland psychology services including: Clinical Psychologists, Other Applied Psychologists, Clinical Associates, Cognitive Behavioural Therapists, Counsellors, Other Therapists and Assistant Psychologists.
Data is available by target age of clients seen, area of work, NHS Board, and gender, age, contract type, tier of operation and service role of staff.

Health policy in NHSScotland recognises the importance of psychological factors in improving the physical and mental health and wellbeing of the people of Scotland. The input of appropriately trained clinical and other applied psychologists to multidisciplinary and multi-agency teams can help achieve the objectives of Delivering for Mental Health (December 2006,
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/11/02102635/26356).
and implementation of policy direction set by Better Health, Better Care (August 2007, http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2007/12/11103453/0 ).

It is important for the delivery of good quality psychological care that the correct numbers of well trained staff are available for career posts in psychology services across NHSScotland. ISD&NES have collaboratively collected and reported psychology services workforce information since 2001.

KEY POINTS

528 Clinical Psychologists (479 wte) and 49 Other Applied Psychologists (44 wte) were employed in NHSScotland psychology services at 30th September 2007. This total of 523 wte is an increase of 10% in all Clinical&Other Applied Psychologists compared to 30th September 2006.
Mental Health is the principal area of work, employing 276 wte Clinical&Other Applied Psychologists. This is an increase of 13% compared to 30th September 2006. The rest of the workforce is distributed across services for people with learning disabilities, physical health, neuropsychology, forensic and other specialty services.
Staffing of psychology services varies with the age of the target client population. The staffing ratio is 1 wte Clinical&Other Applied Psychologist per 9, 326 population for those aged under 20, 1 wte per 9, 276 for those aged 20-64 yrs old, and 1 wte per 30, 143 for those aged 65 and over.
Psychology services increasingly employ a skill-mix of staff. 34 Clinical Associates (33 wte), 64 assistant psychologists (64 wte), 33 cognitive behavioural therapists (29 wte), 32 counsellors (22 wte), 6 other therapists (5 wte), and 23 other clinical staff (20 wte), were employed in NHSScotland psychology services at 30th September 2007.

INTERPRETATION

The tables present figures in both Headcount numbers and Whole Time Equivalents (wte). Wtes adjust headcount staff figures to take account of part-time staff.

Agenda for change

Agenda for Change is the new national NHS pay system and will introduce new pay bands and harmonise terms and conditions for NHS workers. It replaces the previous Whitley Council system and is one of the key reform elements of the Pay Modernisation Agenda, focused on the need to deliver more effective patient-centred care, better value for money, and redesign of services.
NHS Boards are currently operating a phased approach to assimilation of staff to Agenda for Change, and full assimilation of psychology service posts was not yet achieved at September 2007. Thus data in this report is not presented by Agenda for Change pay band.

DETAILED FINDINGS

528 Clinical Psychologists (479 wte) and 49 Other Applied Psychologists (44 wte) were employed in NHSScotland psychology services at 30th September 2007. This total of 523 wte is an increase of 10% in all Clinical&Other Applied Psychologists compared to 30th September 2006.
Psychology services increasingly employ a skill-mix of staff. Staffing numbers in the skill-mix of staff have risen since 30th September 2006: Clinical Associates has risen by 38% (24 wte to 33 wte); Counsellors up 10% (20 wte to 22 wte), and Cognitive Behavioural Therapists up 7% (27 wte to 29 wte) since 30th September 2006.
A 1 year Masters level training was developed in 2005 to equip graduate psychologists with the competencies required to deliver evidence based psychological interventions for common mental health problems presenting in adults in a primary care setting. The first cohort started in January 2005. Of the cohort who completed the course in January 2006, 52% have taken up employment in NHS Scotland psychology service during 2007 as Clinical Associates.
The new 1 year Masters level training in MSc in Applied Psychology for Children and Young People, began in January 2007, and the first cohort of 18 students are due to complete the course in January 2008 and expected to enter the workforce during 2008.
In 2007, Clinical and Other Applied Psychologists spent 62% of their time in direct service provision, 12% of their time in the clinical training/supervision of others, 9% in management activities, 5% in research and audit, and the remaining time in their own professional development activities or 'other' e.g. travel to clinics.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the sixth in a series of reports concerned with workforce planning for psychology services in NHS Scotland. The report presents data to describe the characteristics of the workforce engaged in the delivery of psychology services at 30th September 2007.
The continued collection of reliable and detailed intelligence about psychology service workforce is essential for service planning and educational development.

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MAIN CONTACTS

Liz Jamieson
Principal Information Analyst
0131 275 6442
elizabeth.jamieson@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk

Lorraine Smyth
Information Analyst
0131 275 6529
lorraine.smyth@isd.csa.scot,nhs.uk

Catriona Watt
Information Analyst
0131 275 6599
catriona.watt@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk

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PRE-RELEASE ACCESS TO THIS PUBLICATION WAS GIVEN TO:

NHS Education for Scotland
Heads of Psychology Services Scotland Steering Group
Scottish Government National Workforce Unit
Scottish Government Mental Health Delivery and Services Unit

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