The scheme academic programme has been rated as one of the best in the country and has a high level of participation by trainees, trainers and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry members of the Division of Psychiatry, Imperial College London. The current Academic Programme Organiser is Dr Jovanka Tolmac.  The programme consists of treatment modules, reading seminars in developmental psychopathology, a research course, and other specialised courses. Each component of the treatment course, which lasts one to three terms, has an assigned consultant coordinator. The programme is delivered in three year cycles. Trainees contribute to the organisation of the reading seminars, with each trainee expected to present three papers each term. The academic programme takes place over three university terms. Administrative support is provided by the administrator for the Division of Psychiatry, Imperial College London, Nicole Hickey, based on the Hammersmith Campus of Imperial College London.

The scheme offers a very structured training programme over the three year period covering behaviour therapy (one term), CBT (two terms), family therapy (three terms), psychodynamic psychotherapy (one term), psychopharmacology (one term), and evidence based approaches to interventions (one term).  Sessions are delivered by both internal and externally renowned speakers, who have special expertise in their area of interest. The family therapy component is recognised by the Institute of Family Therapy and has been recognized by the Tavistock Family therapy course.

The weekly reading seminars cover all aspects of developmental psychopathology including child development, the range of influences on development, the main disorders, and preventive approaches. For each seminar a review chapter/article is identified, and trainees present papers from carefully selected journals. The seminars are chaired by a consultant, and thus trainees have the opportunity to receive Work-Place Based Assessment “Journal Club Presentation feedback”.

  • Once a month: Out-of-hours supervision
  • Once a month: Case/research presentation or research seminar
  • Every three months: Trainee-trainer meeting

Periodically additional training is arranged and offered to trainees. Recent courses include the ADOS and ADI-R.