In this blog article hear from Clare Peatson, who has recently qualified as a Chartered Forensic Psychologist by passing her Stage 2 in Forensic Psychology. The course is offered as a Forensic Psychologist in Training role through Elysium. In this role you have the opportunity to meet all core roles, work with a co-ordinating supervisor, get all the support you need to do the qualification and most importantly experience Psychology in real life settings to grow your skills and knowledge to be a Psychologist.
Learn about the challenges, real- life insights and career story of Clare as she tells us more about the Stage 2 Forensic Psychology qualification, her Psychology journey and how Elysium Healthcare has supported her through this.
Tell us more about the qualification you have just passed.
It’s called Stage 2 in Forensic Psychology. You are eligible to apply for this qualification once you have completed a BPS accredited undergraduate degree in Psychology and a BPS accredited master’s degree in Forensic Psychology. The qualification involves gathering experience evidencing that you are developing competence across 4 core competencies. These are: conducting psychological applications and interventions; conducting research; communicating psychological knowledge and advice to other professionals; and training other professionals in psychological skills and knowledge.
The qualification is a Doctorate level equivalent qualification and results in you qualifying as a Chartered Forensic Psychologist at the end of it. Being a Chartered Psychologist reflects the highest standard of knowledge and expertise in psychology, so it is a real honour to have access to this qualification.
There are a lot of different routes available to become a Forensic Psychologist. You can do a doctorate through a university where you have access to different six-month placements. You can also become a registered Psychologist through different universities that work alongside some employers, such as HMPPS. Then I decided to do the Stage 2 route as it provided me with extensive on the job experience, which was thoroughly supervised by my co-ordinating supervisor. There is also the perk that you are in full time employment at the same time.
What are some of the benefits of working in real life settings?
It’s great because you can see the theory come to life in front of you. Because I did this course over a 6 year period, I got the opportunity to have many different experiences, and you get to see into lots of different challenging situations that you learn from and know how to deal with similar situations in the future.
Overall, it’s a great opportunity to put what you learn into day-to-day practice which is really valuable.
How did you get into Psychology? What was you path?
I studied Psychology at University and to do this route, like most routes in Psychology, it needs to be accredited by the British Psychology Society (BPS). Whilst doing my degree I learnt more about Forensic Psychology and I wanted to progress further in this, so I did an Applied Forensic Psychology Masters in York. These are two key pieces of background work that you need to get onto the qualification with BPS for the Stage 2 qualification. After that I then worked in the prison service as an Interventions Facilitator. This provided me with further evidence that this was a field that I wanted to pursue. This experience was also invaluable as it provided me with key core skills that I could generalise into my Trainee role.
Have you always wanted to go into Psychology? Why Forensic Psychology?
I’ve always been interested in Psychology. I’ve always been interested in understanding why people do things, and the impact that our environment has on us, the impact that so many external factors can have on us as human beings and the decisions that we make. Why Forensic Psychology specifically? I was really keen to think about how I could work towards reducing future victims in a public protection setting.
I also think it is important to work towards breaking down the stigma around people who offend. They can be classed as “bad” or “wrong” and I think it is important to raise awareness that crime does not just happen in isolation, and that culturally and societally, there’s huge things that we need to put in place, it’s not about physically locking someone in jail, letting them out and hope they don’t do it again. People who have offended really need that help and support. To build insight into what happened for them in the past and build skills to support them to turn their lives around and work towards rehabilitation.
You feel that what you are doing is worthwhile if you can prevent future victims from crime. But also, it’s the reframing of people who have committed crimes, as they are quite often victims in their own right as well.
Why did you do the Stage 2 qualification with Elysium?
The actual course is through the British Psychological Society, but the reason I came through Elysium was because they were offering a paid Forensic Psychologist in Training role. Within this they provided me with the opportunity to meet all the four core roles, work with a coordinating supervisor, and provide any other additional support I needed to complete the qualification. Once I was employed as a Forensic Psychologist in Training I was then able to apply to the BPS for Stage 2.
Have you enjoyed it?
Working in Elysium has just given me such varied experience., I’ve worked within the women’s service, the men’s service, in a DBT locked rehab ward, and acute wards that are more rehabilitation focused. I’ve got such a range of experience through working here and I’ve really been pushed to go out of my comfort zone, and worked with so many different presentations, within both medium and low secure services, and working psychologically to manage and negotiate individual’s risks.
It has been so varied and really enjoyable, but I also need to say that it has taken a lot of hard work and it has been a long journey, but one that I would absolutely recommend for anyone wanting to be a Forensic Psychologist.
What was your favourite setting you worked in?
For a long time, I was on a female medium secure ward. I really, really enjoyed it. I was really getting into my training journey. I could really see the change from the start to where I was, how much I developed. I was able to utilise that learning and consider how I could support the ward psychologically with implementing new initiatives, such as setting up ward formulation meetings, leading on PBS (Positive Behavioural Support) care plans, and offering wider consultancy on managing complex risks. I found it challenging and exciting and a really good opportunity to see how psychology can work holistically with the team to support service users through their treatment pathway.
Would you recommend doing the Stage 2 qualification through Elysium?
Yes, I really enjoyed it. In my experience with Elysium, you’re able to really get stuck in and really embed yourself into a service and get to know what it’s like to be a Psychologist and to feel supported on that journey by your supervisors, but also your Psychology Department.
For me that was the whole reason I went down that route because you can just really live the role whilst you’re building up your skills and you can just see over time just how much you’ve grown and how much your confidence has developed.
In terms of Elysium in particular, I can only comment from my experience at Chadwick Lodge, but the different opportunities that I was able to get involved in, the different sites, working with different genders, it’s meant that I’ve gained such a strong foundation of my career that I can really build on. My Psychology department was also so welcoming and supportive, I learnt so much from everyone I had the pleasure of working with.
What is next for you?
I’m going to remain at Chadwick Lodge as a Chartered Forensic Psychologist. It means so much to me that I have been able to remain at the organisation that started this journey for me. I am looking forward to seeing what comes next as I progress further within my career. After being qualified for 2 years I will be able to supervise a trainee and I would really love the opportunity to do that and help someone to go through the journey and get as much from it as I did.
If you are ready to develop yourself as a Psychologist, take that next step, take a look on our careers page for all our live Psychology role opportunities.
Is a Career in Psychology Right for You?
If you have a deep interest in understanding human behaviour, enjoy helping others navigate challenges, and have strong listening and problem-solving skills, then psychology could be the perfect career path for you. From clinical and counselling psychology to research and organisational roles, there’s a psychology career that fits your passion.
As an Elysium Psychologist you’ll develop expertise in mental health, behaviour analysis, and therapeutic techniques while making a meaningful impact on people’s lives. A career in psychology is insightful, fulfilling, and ever-evolving. If you’re ready to support others in achieving mental well-being, we’d love to hear from you.
