Who the training is designed for...

A programme for people in practice providing opportunities for developing sophisticated ways of working, creating exceptional relational achievement. The award of the degree is subject to the presentation of materials used in innovative practice(s), together with a 20,000 to 30,000 word commentary inter-relating the practice(s) to research literature, making a portfolio overall of some 40,000 to 60,000 words (maximum)

Professional Doctoral Programme is unique, in that it focuses on practice as developed by the participants in the programme, often working together as members of the research school.

The programme is designed to include innovative material in the formulation of novel, maybe daring, practice(s) that create energy and life enhancing "nourishment" for both the practitioner and the situations they work in, as well as for the people they work with. Through the application of reflecting processes within the ongoing conduct of the practice, attention to the crucial details of the practice will grow out of the interests and enthusiasm of the practitioner. This will reflect back into the programme, so that as the practice research develops, so specific methods of working will be created, refined, savoured and shared with others within the programme's research school.

The practice will be innovative, creative and grounded in relation to those who might benefit from the methods used. Ethical reflection will be included as a central part of the evolution in the programme. This will entail broadening and deepening the focus for the practice. The programme will provide for creating and expanding relationships between practice and commentary and theoretical considerations, such that new theoretical commentary and theoretical considerations, such that new theoretical dimensions are fashioned out of the reflection on the developing practice. The practice will make a contribution to the learning of others through the innovative and refined activities in working with others - another aspects of the programme's research school.

The background to the programme is based on the perspective that managers, leaders, consultants and therapists, for example, create excellent practice through engaging with clients, other people at work and others in similar fields who may possess a diversity of practice. At the beginning of the programme participants will form learning contracts with other group members so that, through the engagement with each other, learning is developed and the course of practice is formulated with each other in the research school programme.

Thus participants of the programme draw on each other's resources and knowledge. The groups that are formed will be central to the learning. Course staff will facilitate the learning events and processes together with programme participants. Course staff will be available for coaching, advice, tutoring and sharing in the processes of the programme.

Course Dates

The first phase will involve engagement with each other so as to develop a learning profile and creating a contract between programme participants and course staff. Included in this activity will be the refining of practice and theoretical learning, deepening the uses and understanding of, systemic, social constructionism by extensive reading and discussion of landmark literature. The study programme will include linking the systemic approaches with other methods of understanding systemic knowledge, scientific and otherwise.

The first phase culminates in creating the first part of the portfolio. This will include a proposal of the practice that is envisaged and linking this with writers and thinkers both from the world of practice and the world of practical theoretical reflection.

Over 9 months. 14 days - three sessions of three days each and a one week residential intensive, five days, working together.

The work and explorations which constitute the first phase of the course will be drawn together in a portfolio of the student's work thus far. This will be assessed. The assessment will include a 3,000 word essay exploring both concepts and methods relevant to the proposed practice research. Programme participants will produce a 1,000 word research proposal at the end of the one week intensive.

The research proposal will be submitted to the University's Research Degrees Committee at Luton for final approval. Participants proceed to the next phase subject to passing the first part of the portfolio development together with some picture of how to use the next two phases creating in-depth reflections about the path the student is following. This will include an "end-in-view" exercise as a way of looking at the project of practice as a whole

The second phase of 12 months will further advance the projects that programme participants are engaged in This will include carrying out the practice and amassing material for the presentation in the portfolio as part of the final assessment. This may include internal reports and presentations used in the development of the (researched) practice. Further theoretical issues are attended to and developed. The circular process of practice, articulation and communication, further evaluations and refinements of practice followed by further articulation is the pattern of activity that is related to this phase.

The phase concludes with, amongst other dimensions, the preparation for presenting the work achieved thus far either through a workshop, a publication of a paper, a presentation at a conference, a publication on the internet or through some other framework that includes the element of "communicability to others" who could gain something from the practice that the programme participant has developed. The experience is used to incorporate further learning from the sharing of the practice of the learning with a wider audience.

12 months. 17 days consisting of 4 sessions of three days each and, in the summer, an intensive residential week of 5 days.

Who is the course for

Practitioners in organisational consultation or training, managers and leaders in organisations and communities, psychotherapists and counsellors, supervisors and trainers and teachers, professionals in the human relationship field, clergy, doctors, human resource managers, leaders in the churches, communities, unions, political parties and directors. The participants will be concerned to develop innovative methods of working in their chosen fields and subject these methods of working to careful, rigorous reflection to make for a unique contribution to practice and enquiry.

£3,500 per annum plus such tutorial arrangements as are negotiated with faculty staff from time to time according to the needs of the programme participants. The fee covers all tuition and consultation to students in their explorations of what they are developing. Students will be responsible for the cost of the residential intensives.

Applicants will normally possess a good first degree or professional qualification and be in currently involved in the field that is the focus of the practice the programme participant wishes to develop. There may be other routes into the programme, enquiries can be made to KCCF to discuss these possibilities.

Applicaiton forms

Application forms can be obtained from Christopher Gunstone, Courses Registrar,

telephone. 020 7720 7301  email info@kccfoundation.org

JOHN SHOTTER

A world leading social constructionist. He will be a lead consultant to the programme and its participants. He will have a particular part in the programme, guiding reading and development of thinking around practice.

GLENDA FREDMAN

A wealth of experience and knowledge firmly based in practice. Author of two seminal books, "Death talk" and "Working with emotions". Innovative and sensitive working methods in therapy, supervision and training.

VERNON CRONEN

Possesses a huge knowledge of John Dewey and other inspiring writers in the pragmatic mode. This will be a resource for course participants. As founder, with Barnett Pearce of Co-ordinated Management of Meaning, a special resource for programme participants. Vernon also has a wide experience of therapy and consultation in the systemic voice.

IMELDA MCCARTHY

A practitioner of considerable importance in the systemic world. Innovative work with situations of sexual abuse and violence. An experienced trainer and therapist. Wide range of clinical experience. Also major input supervising doctoral students.

ELSPETH MCADAM

Experienced trainer and therapist and consultant. Extensive use of methods of systemic therapy blended with appreciative inquiry. Innovative and novel approaches to working with sexual abuse and violence. Developed sophisticated ways of working within the frameworks provided by Dewey and Wittgenstein. Her practice included solid focus on language as a maker and doer. She works with organisations, commercial enterprises, communities and schools. She is widely sought after as a therapist and as a supervisor.

PETER LANG

Interested in the way that people learn creating new forms o work with people and how this can be made available beyond the forms which are already fixed. Learning must be communicable to ensure its relevance to practitioners. He will be working with programme participants round issues of communicability and using that to free us from forms of "elitist" presentation. Has a wide experience of presenting to different kinds of audiences in different cultures working to respect them.

SHEILA McNAMEE

Author of many books and edited volumes in the framework of Relational practice. She will bring to the doctoral programme a wealth of experience in developing relational practices both for families and people involved in therapy; she will also bring a wide experience of relational practice in supervision, training and research.

JOHN BURNHAM

John brings a wealth of experience as a therapist working amazingly creatively with children and the families they are part of. Possesses a talent of creativity and humour in helping other therapists to develop and learn through training and supervision. Exceptional skills in coaching and assessing innovative work produced by therapists and managers.

KAREN PARTRIDGE

Drawing on a range of experience working in different settings in adult and child psychiatry she offers ways of thinking that contribute to innovative and novel ways of practice. She will offer course members ways of thinking through what they are doing in relation to the context of where practice takes place and what needs to be thought through in this process.