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Why do we need the Mentoring Scheme and other widening access initiatives?

At present, many high-calibre psychology undergraduates and recent graduates from minority ethnic backgrounds choose to pursue alternative professions, which may be due in part to a relative lack of awareness about the profession as a viable career option.听 Others may be keen to pursue clinical psychology as a profession but research has indicated that, compared to White British applicants, BME applicants to clinical psychology may have:

• Lower levels of 1:1 contact with clinical psychologists and poorer access to high-quality careers advice and guidance (Scior et al. 2007; Wright, 2008, Ragaven, 2018 鈥� unpublished doctoral thesis; Rennalls, Baah and Alcock, 2019) 鈥� unfamiliar with what is required in terms of experience, the 鈥渃ulture鈥� of clinical psychology, and unwritten rules when it comes to application and interview (e.g., demonstrating reflective capacity on application forms
• 听A lack of a support network. Meredith and Baker (2007): Families of potential candidates from BME backgrounds are less likely to know about/understand/hold in high regard clinical psychology as a profession.

Other barriers include:

• Financial constraints (Meredith and Baker, 2007; Rennalls et al,, 2019)
• Experiences of racism and off-putting feedback and advice from psychologists and lecturers (Ragaven, 2018; Rennalls et al., 2019).
• An off-putting lack of representation in the profession (Rennalls et al., 2019), concern about Eurocentric curricula with a lack of focus on social factors (Meredith and Baker, 2007; Rennalls et al., 2019)
• Feeling unwelcome in the profession (Williams et al., 2006) and difficulty holding onto pride in what candidates have to offer (Ragaven, 2018).

The London widening access initiatives are positive action initiatives under Section 158 of the Equality Act (2010). These initiatives aim to address societal inequalities that are mirrored in institutions. They are necessary alongside efforts to change structures that may be reproducing inequalities (e.g., a lack of ethnic diversity of interview panels, issues arising during shortlisting, Eurocentric curricula and a lack of inclusivity on training courses).

Aims of the mentoring scheme?

The primary aim of the scheme is for mentees to have the opportunity to develop relationships with both trainee and qualified clinical psychologists. Mentors can be from any ethnic background themselves and there is evidence that cross-ethnicity mentoring relationships can have substantial benefits for majority ethnicity mentors, as well as for mentees.

It is hoped that the scheme will help mentees to decide whether they would like to pursue a career in clinical psychology, and that mentors will help to guide, support and encourage mentees in their chosen career.

How the scheme works:

Interested undergraduates and graduates can sign up by emailing the address on the front of this brochure, in order to register their interest. They will then be asked to complete an Eventbrite registration. In order to be eligible for the scheme, applicants must be based in the London region and come from an ethnic group that is under-represented in the profession, in relation to the populations we serve in London.

All eligible participants are offered the opportunity to attend a small-group online workshop, facilitated by three trainees from across the London area training courses. These workshops take place in August. All those who attend a workshop are subsequently matched with a 1:1 trainee mentor and/or a qualified psychologist from the region. This matching takes place in early September. Termly, optional webinars are offered for mentees and mentors.

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Purpose of mentorship and work exposure

It is felt that trainees and qualified psychologists are able to offer differing perspectives, input and experience to mentees.听
Trainee mentors

• The purpose of the workshops and 1:1/paired mentoring is:
• To help mentees consider a range of relevant routes into training听
• To help mentees to reflect on their experiences to date (clinical, academic and research experience and, if helpful to the mentee, experiences related to minorized identities) and consider how they might talk about them in applications and interviews
• To share experiences of being on a training course
• To guide mentees to relevant documents and resources
• To provide encouragement and advice for mentees about obtaining relevant experience and making a successful application for clinical psychology training
• To help build mentees鈥� confidence
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Qualified mentors:
The purpose of mentorship is to provide contact with qualified clinical psychologists who might act as advisors or mentors in encouraging and advising mentees towards obtaining relevant experience and making a successful application for clinical psychology training
Topics typically discussed include: Experience (clinical, academic and research experience and, if helpful to the mentee, experiences related to minorized identities), ambitions and interests; possible pathways into clinical psychology; gaps in experience; the various roles of a clinical psychologist; current issues in the NHS and for the profession; navigating the application process, form and interview; support with linking theory and practice and understanding different models of mental health; discussion of alternative career paths where relevant.
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Sometimes it is possible for qualified mentors to provide work exposure or experience, including:

• Exposure to the work of clinical psychology and the NHS and contact with clinical psychologists and NHS staff which might help students decide whether they would want to try and pursue a career in clinical psychology
• Exposure to psychological-related work of different kinds in settings which might facilitate mentees in later successful application for more substantive 鈥渞elevant experience鈥� (e.g. as an assistant psychologist)听

The work exposure/experience outlined above is not a requirement of mentors.

Expectations of mentees and mentors

A minimum expectation of all trainee and qualified mentors is to offer mentees three to four meetings over a six to twelve month period. These 鈥渕eetings鈥� can take place in person, over the phone, via video or email. Mentees are expected to actively pursue the opportunities offered to them, and mentors should not feel that they should have to 鈥渃hase鈥� mentees who are not engaging with the scheme.

In addition to mentoring meetings, some qualified mentors will be able to offer work exposure and experience of a variety of different kinds within their departments. This is not a requirement of the scheme and, if offered, is only appropriate for mentees who are seeking it. If exposure/experience has been offered by mentors, it will be stated in the email in which mentors are introduced to mentees. One-off opportunities to observe a case discussion or care planning meeting can be as useful for some as substantial work placement experiences lasting a year. The kinds of work exposure/experience opportunities offered, whether as one-off experiences or as part of a work experience 鈥減lacement鈥�, will depend on different work settings and the skill level of mentees. Examples are:

Garnering service-related feedback from service users Attendance at multidisciplinary team reviews/discussions Attendance at case discussions Meeting staff and trainees from other health professions Visiting other teams and services Observation of psychometric assessments Observation of clinical work of different kinds Participation in group sessions, including planning of groups and support of group members in inpatient settings Specific structured assessment, clinical observation and/or treatment work under close supervision Involvement in audit and research projects, collecting and analysing data

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