A Training Programme in Health and Wellbeing for Psychologists in Palestine

Overall goals

A Training Programme in Health and Wellbeing for Psychologists in Palestine: The first evidence-based applied child psychology programme in the Palestinian context.

To co-produce a workforce development and applied training programme that will improve the competence and capacity of professionals to improve outcomes for Palestinian infants, children, and adolescents in the domains of health, education, well-being, self-determination, and social functioning.

Key UK Colleagues and Partners

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, International Office Lord Provost, Glasgow City Council, Glasgow City Council Education and Psychological Services, University of Glasgow, University of Dundee, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Specialist Children’s Services

International Partners

The Guidance and Training Centre for the Child and Family (GTC), Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine

Sustainable development goals

• SDG 3 - Good health and well-being
• SDG 4 - Quality education
• SDG 10 - Reduced inequalities
• SDG 17 - Partnerships for the goals

Funding source

Financially supported by The Lord Provost of Glasgow’s Twinning Programme. Future funding to be raised via grant applications. Support in kind from member organisations. Academy of Medical Sciences award from Global Challenge Research Funding to develop a complementary Research Network

Project origin

Glasgow and Bethlehem cities have been twinned for over 10 years, during this time there have been a number of cultural, educational and knowledge exchange activities.

Evidence of need

The Guidance and Training Centre in Bethlehem is a provider of clinical services, consultancy research and training funded by a range of governmental and non-governmental organisations a German Charity Weltfriedensdienst e.v. (WFD). It has been identified that workforce capacity restraints in developing post graduate applied professional training has undermined GTC’s ability to meet its objectives and support Palestinian Children and Families. This has led to ongoing work to identify ways of increasing the number of appropriately qualified clinicians/practitioners and developing skills within existing clinicians/practitioners to meet the needs of children and families in Bethlehem and more widely within the West Bank.

Project areas

Improve the quality of service provision for children, young people and families
Increase the supply of suitably trained and competent practitioners
Improve health and wellbeing outcomes for children and young people in Palestine
• Build capacity to develop applied post graduate professional training(s) in Palestine
• Increase the capacity of Palestinian professionals in research competencies and in contributing to and leading research.

Project activities

So Far
• Cultural and educational exchange visits from stakeholders Glasgow to Bethlehem and Bethlehem to Glasgow.
• Pilot of module/phase 1 of the Applied Health and Wellbeing Diploma completed and evaluation carried out
• Incorporated learning from the pilot into the content and delivery for pilot phase 2
• Launch Ceremony of programme in Bethlehem 24/06/2018
• Delivery of pilot phase 2 commencing
• Plan to commence delivery of Applied Post Graduate Diploma in September 2019

Planned
• Evaluate phase 2
• Agree final curriculum, delivery and timescales 2019
• Develop and agree a 5 year business plan
• Apply for grants
• Conference in November 2019 to share progress and present on development of the research network.

Changes

Develop a programme that is sustainable within the resources and context of Palestinian civic society.
to improve the competences of practitioners in Palestine to respond to needs of children, young people and their families in different contexts.

Drive up standards supported from a Ministerial level across Health, Education and Higher Education and Social Development Ministries.

Shared learning to support insight into how to address trauma and support refugee children in Glasgow

Next steps

Delivery of phase 2 and evaluation
Scale up modules after feedback from 2nd phase with aim to have full cohort delivered from September 2019

Networking with academic partners and the identification of a Palestinian University to accredit the course.

Explore offering access to the course to others who meet entry criteria e.g. social worker, school councillors.

Apply for funding opportunities e.g. Medical Aid for Palestine (MAP) have invited the partnership to submit an application for funding.

Drive up standards with support from health and education ministries in Palestine

Evaluate change in practice and show impact on stakeholders

Challenges

• Prioritises key areas of knowledge development relevant to the context and needs of Palestinian children, young people and their families.
• Develop a set of modules that can transfer that knowledge using a blended learning approach
• Include a wide range of knowledge, skills and competence from the priority domains of Psychology, Education and Allied Health Professionals.

• Overcome challenges by co-production and understanding need within a Palestinian context to develop a unique curriculum which is sustainable and deliverable.

Mitigating challenges

Free access to a secure online learning management system to deliver virtual learning. (e.g. Moodle).
Resources to produce high quality audio and visual teaching session.
Translation support with an understanding in academic and clinical terms for accurate translation.

Partnership principles

• strategic
• harmonised
• effective
• organised

Project gains

• leadership
• teamwork
• clinical
• awareness
• academic
• patient
• resilience