APPLYING FOR AN ASSESSMENT
OF COMPETENCY TO TEACH MBCT

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PREAMBLE
This process is based on best practice in the assessment of Mindfulness Based Programmes in a rangeof teaching and research settings and builds on work collaboratively developed with colleagues at theCentre for Mindfulness Research and Practice, Bangor University. It may be reviewed and improved asnecessary. In submitting your application, you will be expected to meet the requirements detailed on
the website at the time of your application.

APPLICATION PROCESS IN SUMMARY
Step 1
You will be asked to supply a portfolio for assessment. This would typically include:
1. reasons for the application
2. summarised (and ideally evidenced) information demonstrating that you have fulfilled theprerequisites outlined in the MBCT Training Pathway (version 2.0 Segal et. al., 2018)
3. evidence that your supervisor feels that you are ready to be assessed and supports yourapplication
4. video recordings of all 8 sessions of the MBCT course you have run, with supporting
documentation (see below)
5. A reflective commentary on your experience of teaching the course
6. The portfolio should include evidence of meeting the Good Practice Guidelines for MBCT
teachers
The portfolio and recordings will then be passed on to an OMC assessor. If you do not meet the prerequisites, the portfolio will be returned to you and the application fee will be refunded, minus aprocessing fee of £50. If the portfolio meets all of the pre-requisites, the recordings will then beassessed as below.

Step 2Your assessors will always rate two whole sessions for competency in teaching MBCT using the
Mindfulness Based Interventions Teaching Assessment Criteria (MBI-TAC). Normally this will be
one session from the first half of the course (not session 1) and one from the second half of thecourse (not session 8). Your assessor may also sample parts of any other sessions to see further
examples of your teaching – practices, didactic teaching or inquiry – if necessary. The approachto assessment of competency is set out in the MBI-TAC Manual here. An independent
moderator will moderate both the competency assessment and the feedback. This may include
further review of the recordings and discussion with the assessor.

Step 3 (competency met)
A certificate of competency is issued if you meet the criteria for competency on ALL six
domains of the MBI-TAC. Formative feedback will be provided that includes strengths and areas
for development.

Step 3 (competency not yet met)
If you do not yet meet competency across the domains, formative feedback will also be
provided that includes strengths, areas for development and what is required to meetcompetency. You can then come back to be reassessed at Step 2, providing a statement of how
the feedback has informed further learning.
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APPLICATION PROCESS IN DETAILYour application must include:
1. an application form
2. video recordings of an 8-week MBCT course which you have taught recently
3. a time-line synopsis of each session
4. consent forms from your participants
5. your consent form
6. a page explaining your teaching context
7. a reflective commentary on your experience of teaching the course
8. payment of the fee of £5951) Application Form
Please submit your application form online. The online application form can be found here.
This must be in English and provide details of your readiness to be assessed. This will typically
include(a) reasons for your application and(b) summarised (and ideally evidenced) information demonstrating that you havefulfilled the requirements of the MBCT Training Pathway, version 2.0 (Segal et. al.,2018) including the prerequisites and an apprenticeship with supervision. If youteach within the UK, the application should also include evidence of meeting theGood Practice Guidelines for MBCT teachers(c) evidence that your supervisor feels that you are ready to be assessed and supports
your application

2) Video RecordingsYour application must be accompanied by video recordings of all sessions of a recent 8 -week
MBCT course that you have taught. It is your responsibility to send us recordings in which you
are visible and both you and your participants are audible. Recordings which do not meetthese criteria cannot be assessed.
Please submit two copies of your recordings on two separate USB memory sticks. If possible
the memory sticks should be password protected. The following USB stick will hold the full 16hours of your recordings. It will allow you to set up a password-protected private folder andwill secure your files with 128-bit AES encryption:
SanDisk SDCZ48-128GU46 Ultra USB Flash Drive USB 3.0
Please send your USB stick by secure courier or delivery service to:Competency Assessment,
Oxford Mindfulness Centre,
Kellogg College,60-62 Banbury Road, Oxford,
OX2 6PN.
Please also supply us with an address for returning the USB stick to you when the assessment iscomplete. Once we have received your recordings, we will email you to ask for your password.
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2.1 Guidance on making video recordings
What you need to submit
1. You will need to submit video recordings of all 8 sessions of your course
2. The camera must be trained on you (see below) so that your face and as much of yourbody as possible is visible
3. As far as possible your participants should not be visible
4. Both you and your participants must be audible
5. You will need to submit two copies of your recordings on two separate passwordprotected USB sticks
6. Recordings that are not visible and audible cannot be assessed

The guide below may help you to produce good quality recordings for assessment purposes.
Get some help. If you have not used a camera before, ask for help and advice from a friend or acolleague who has used a camera. Perhaps even borrow a camera to practice with.
Pick the right camera. If you are buying or hiring a camera or video camera, it needs to havegood sound and a reasonably clear picture (don’t worry too much about pixels – if it’s a fairly
recent digital camera it will be good enough). It is usually helpful to attach an external
microphone to a camera. Don’t forget to make sure your camera has all the connectors it needs
to transfer your footage to the computer and copy onto a USB stick. Please ensure you submit
two copies on separate USB sticks.
A video camera and some new cameras will record continuously for 2 hours; other cameras
will record for a maximum of 30 minutes. If you have a camera that only records for 30
minutes, you will need to find a way to restart the camera after each 30 minute period, which
could be difficult if you do not have a helper. It would also be easier to make sure that the SD
card in the camera will take a 2 hour recording.
There is a lot of different software available to convert your media if required. In most cases,
the computer will come with software to do this. You can also buy more advanced software
packages.
Make sure the sound is as good as the picture. To be assessed properly, it is essential that we
can hear both you and your participants clearly. Remember that the assessor will not be able tosee the participants’ faces, which makes the sound quality even more important. Make at least
one test recording before you start teaching. As far as possible, make sure that there are no
loud noises from outside the room (e.g. construction work) which might make it difficult tohear what is being said on the recording (you may need to shut windows and doors). If thesound quality is doubtful, try using an external microphone.
Make sure there is enough light in the room to allow a clear picture.

4Put the camera somewhere stable. You don’t want the camera to fall over or tilt while you are
filming. It might be worth purchasing a tripod. Otherwise make sure that there is a surface ortable at the right height and in the right place for you to rest the camera.
Check where you are aiming the camera. It is really important to make sure that you are
filming what needs to be seen. It is important to see the whole of your face and not just a sideview. As much of your body as possible should be in camera view (so the assessor can see yourbody posture); at the same time, avoid having the camera so far away that your face cannot beseen clearly. As far as possible, your participants should not be in the camera for reasons ofconfidentiality. You may be able to position the camera between two participants (perhaps
looking over their shoulders) on the other side of the circle to yourself. Putting the camera
inside the circle is very intrusive, but too far outside makes the picture small and the sound too
quiet. Find a balance that suits your situation.
It is important that you are audible all the time and visible most of the time. This includes
being visible and audible whilst guiding practices lying down (body scan, mindful movement)
and standing (stretch and breath). At times, you may be audible but lose some of the picture
for short periods e.g. when transitioning between sitting and lying down, or when teaching
walking meditation and you go out of sight of the camera.
If at all possible, have someone else operate the camera for you. This is particularly helpfulwhen you are recording for summative assessment, so that your attention can be fully on yourteaching (not on the camera) and you can be kept ‘in shot’ at all times. It is important that yourhelper is also a participant in the class and not a passive observer. This could be someone who
has done the course before and is happy to do it again and operate the camera for a reduced
fee or free course.
Practice where to place the camera before the start of each session and decide how toposition the camera when you move from your chair – e.g. to the flip chart, a body scan or a
movement practice. If moving the camera would interrupt the teaching process or distract thegroup, e.g. in a walking practice, it is possible to point the camera towards the floor or a walland to have the sound only recorded for short periods (but remembering to point the camera
at you afterwards).
Be aware of the effects of recording on yourself. If you are worrying about whether thecamera is working etc. it can distract you from your teaching. Also you may feel initially
uncomfortable about being recorded. It is helpful to practice recording yourself as early as
possible in your teaching (before you come to make the recordings for assessment) so that it
begins to feel more comfortable. Watching your recordings will give you a greater sense offamiliarity and ease. Your mindfulness practice, especially grounding yourself in your body, will
be a support with any feelings of anxiety or self-consciousness. Remember that that recordedteaching is very helpful indeed for you to watch, learn from and give yourself feedback on and ispart of the supervision process.

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Be aware of the possible effects of recording on the group members. You will need to tell yourparticipants in advance about being recorded and ask for their consent (see consent form).
Talking it through in a matter of fact and reassuring way is helpful, as is being clear thatrecording is for supervision or assessment purposes only and that the recordings will only beseen by you and your supervisor and assessor. It is important to be clear with participants
about whether they will be in view or not, and that it is only you being filmed and not them.
Remember that inadvertent recording of participants often occurs e.g. when they forget about
the camera or when they are doing movement or walking. Usually as long as you are relaxedabout the camera and process of recording, your participants will accept it as part of thefurniture and will be supportive of your work, seeing it as part of ensuring high standards inteaching.
PRACTICE! This is the most important thing of all. Test out the functions and settings on yourcamera before you start the recording sessions. Remember to take the lens cap off and press
all the right buttons to start the recording. Make sure your memory cards record for longenough. The amount of recording time each card can hold will depend on the type of cameraand size of the card. Check before you start (sometimes the remaining time will be shown on
the screen). Make sure your speaking voice is loud enough and the light is sufficient.
We strongly suggest that record yourself teaching before you submit a recording forassessment, for example recording some of the first course you teach and showing yourrecording to your supervisor. You will then know how to adjust the picture, sound etc. so thatyour recordings are audible and visible.

62.2 Guidance on recording whilst co-teaching
The requirements for co-teaching are given in Domain 2 (Relational Skills) of the MBI-TAC
manual. Please note that your relationship with your co-teacher will have a strong influence on
the quality of the teaching process for participants. Domain 2 will assess your co-teaching
relationship as well as your teacher-participant relationship.
If you are recording yourself co-teaching with another teacher, you must have explained therequirements to your co-teacher in advance and have their written consent.
You must record the whole of each session and the camera must be trained on you throughout,even when your co-teacher is teaching.
You must record yourself teaching each of the following, from any of the relevant sessions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Raisin exercise (and inquiry)
At least 1 body scan (and inquiry)
At least 1 mindful movement practice (and inquiry)
At least 2 main sitting practices in different sessions (and inquiry)
At least 2 didactic sessions/exercises (e.g. ‘walking down the street’; teaching on
depression or stress; ‘office scenarios’)
At least 2 different breathing spaces (and inquiry)

You must teach at least two whole sessions on your own – one from the first half of the course,
but not Session 1, and one from the second half of the course, but not Session 8 – so that yourassessor can see how you manage the time, hold the group, etc. Your co-teacher can bepresent. For the remaining sessions, you must be teaching the group for a minimum of 50% of
the time.

2.3 Hire of video recording equipment
Please note that you can hire a full kit of video recording equipment, with instructions on how
to use it, from the Oxford Mindfulness Centre, for a fee of £50. There are a limited number ofkits, so if you would like to hire one, please check availability before submitting yourapplication.

73) Time-line synopsis of each session
On the application form you will be asked to upload a time-line synopsis of each session which
includes each curriculum component timed from the beginning of the recording. Here is an
example of one session:
Session 2:

Date:

Living in our heads

Duration of session: 2 hrs 10 secs

Body scan

0:00 – 31:05

Inquiry – body scan

31:05 – 41:30

Home practice review

41:30 – 1 hr 10 mins 28 secs

Thoughts and feelings exercise

1:10:28 – 1:33:10

Sitting meditation: mindfulness of breath

1:33:10 – 1:43:03

Inquiry – sitting (popcorn)

1:43:03 – 1:47:10

Home practice assignment

1:47:10 – 1:57:17

Explain pleasant experiences calendar
Short sit to end class

1:57:17 – 2:00:10

4) Participant Consent Form
All participants on your course must have given their consent for the sessions to be recorded
and assessed and you must provide evidence of their consent. It is important that you gain
their consent before the course starts and recording begins. Appendix 1 contains a sample
consent form which you can use if your teaching context does not already have a way of asking
for consent. Please ask all participants of your course to sign the participant consent form, or
provide evidence that consent has been given in a different way. The consent form includes anadditional optional consent for you and your participants to consent to the recordings being
securely filed and used for future training of new assessors.
You will be asked to upload this consent with your application form.

5) Your Consent Form
You must give your consent for the recordings to be assessed and confirm that yourparticipants have given their consent. A template for this form can be found in Appendix 2.
The consent form includes an additional optional consent for you and your participants toconsent to the recordings being securely filed and used for future training of new assessors.
You will be asked to upload the consent form with your application form.

86) Teaching Context
Please submit one A4 page describing the teaching context of the course you have recorded.
This should include a description of your participant group and any associated vulnerabilities orchallenges; the context in which you are teaching (hospital, therapy centre, school, privately,etc.) and any adaptations you have made to the MBCT curriculum with an explanation of therationale behind your changes.
You will be asked to upload the consent form with your application form.

7) Reflective commentary: 1000 words approx.
When we assess your teaching we see your observable behaviour. This piece of writing is youropportunity to reflect on your teaching process, and tell us about your actual experience while
teaching. This commentary will not be assessed, but is intended to support and inform ourassessment of your teaching. Please include any observations or reflections that you consider
to be relevant, for example:
1) Were you facing any particular internal or external challenges (e.g. illness, difficulties atwork or at home) as you taught each session of this course and if so, how did you workwith them?
2) How did you respond to any difficulties within the session (e.g. someone who becomes
angry or distressed; someone who dominates the group; someone who says nothing andappears disengaged)?
3) How has your personal practice supported or enriched your teaching?
4) Did you have any concerns about ethics or the safety of your participants? If so, how did
you work with them?
5) How did you deal with absences or drop outs?
6) What have you learned from teaching this course? Have any key issues or questions
emerged for you?
7) How will you take this learning forward?
The word limit of 1000 words is for guidance only. Please present your commentary in a clear
and concise form, and you can include lists or bullet points. Please note that you must maintainyour participant’s confidentiality at all times.
You will be asked to upload your reflective commentary with your application form.

8) Payment of the Fee
On submission of your application form you will be required to pay the fee of £595 online. If for
any reason you have not fulfilled all the requirements of the MBCT Teacher Training Pathway
and your application is not accepted, your payment will be returned to you minus a £50
processing fee.

9The Assessment
The recordings of your teaching will be assessed by one of the OMC’s team of trainedcompetency assessors.
The assessors will rate two whole sessions for competency using the MBI-TAC. Normally thiswill be one from the first half of the course (not session 1) and one from the second half of thecourse (not session 8). Your assessor may also sample parts of any other sessions to see further
examples of your teaching – practices, didactic teaching or inquiry – if necessary. The approachto assessment of competency is set out in the MBI-TAC Manual here.
An independent moderator will moderate both the competency assessment and the feedback.
This may include further review of the recordings and discussion with the assessor. If the tapes
are in a language other than English the moderator will not review the tapes but will ask theassessor for greater detail in the moderation discussion about the observed MBCT teaching.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Competency met
A Certificate of Competency to Teach MBCT will be awarded from the Oxford Mindfulness
Centre if you meet criteria for competence on ALL six domains of the MBI-TAC. We will provide
summative feedback that highlights your strengths and areas for development.

Competency not met
If you do not yet meet competency across all the domains, we will provide formative feedback
that will highlight your strengths, areas for development and what you might need to meetcompetency. You can then come back to us to be reassessed, providing a statement of how the
feedback we have given you has informed further learning.

SecurityYour videos will be stored securely on a University of Oxford server and your USB stick will be
returned to you.
If you have given your consent for your recordings to be used for further OMC assessor
training, then they will continue to be stored securely. If you have not given this consent, yourrecordings will be deleted from the server when your assessment is complete.
Your recordings will be sent to the assessor and moderator by a secure University of Oxford filetransfer system. All the assessors have signed an agreement to store the recordings securely
and delete them after the assessment.

Complaint/appeals
If you have a concern about your assessment and it cannot be dealt with on a one to one basiswith the assessor and resolved, you should follow the OMC’s policy for handling complaints
which is on our website:
http://www.oxfordmindfulness.org/wp-content/uploads/omccomplaints-procedure1.pdf
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APPENDIX 1
Assessment of Competency to Teach MBCT
Sample Participant Consent Form
•
•
•

•

•
•
•

I understand that my MBCT teacher is applying to the Oxford Mindfulness Centre for an
Assessment of Competency to teach MBCT
I understand that sessions will be recorded and viewed by an assessor, and that the purpose ofthis is not to record the group, but to record the work of my teacher
The camera will as far as possible be focused on my teacher, and I understand that although myvoice may be recorded, it is unlikely I will be visually recorded unless I move in front of thecameraI understand that these recordings will remain confidential, and will only be seen by my teacher
and their assessors. The OMC administrative team processing the application will briefly checkthe recording for visibility and audibility
I understand my teacher may also share parts of these recordings with their professional
mindfulness supervisor during their supervision sessions
These recordings will be destroyed after they have served their educational purpose.
I have been given a copy of this information to keep

Optional Additional Consent•

I understand that these recordings of my MBCT teacher may be held by the Oxford Mindfulness
Centre and used for training new assessors. In this case the recordings will be viewed only by
those on a recognised training in competency assessment offered by the Centres for
Mindfulness at Oxford, Bangor and Brown Universities. The recordings will be stored securely
and used with sensitivity and confidentiality. I understand that giving this additional layer ofconsent will support the work of training mindfulness teachers and trainers for the future.

Continued overleaf…

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Participants’ Consent for course to
be recorded /used for training
Name

Signature

Courseto berecorded

Recordingused fortraining

Name of MBCT teacher: ____________________________________________________________________

Course Date: _____________________________________________________________________________

Signature of MBCT teacher: __________________________________

Date: _______________________

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APPENDIX 2
Your consent form

Assessment of Competency to Teach MBCT - Applicant Consent Form
I give my consent for the recordings of my teaching to be viewed by a member of the Oxford
Mindfulness Centre’s assessor team. I understand that the recordings will not be viewed byanyone other than the assessor and administrator of the programme, that the originalrecordings will be returned to me or destroyed, and that any securely shared files will be deleted
after use. I confirm that all the participants in the recorded MBCT course gave their consent ¨
Signed by:_____________________________________________________________________________
Signature: _______________________________________________

Date:_______________________

Additional consent (optional)
I give my consent for the recordings of my teaching to be securely filed by the Oxford
Mindfulness Centre and used for training new assessors. In this case the recordings will beviewed only by those on a recognised training in competency assessment offered by the Centres
for Mindfulness at Oxford, Bangor and Brown Universities. The recordings will be stored
securely and used with sensitivity and confidentiality. I confirm that all the participants in therecorded MBCT course have given additional consent ¨
Signed by:_____________________________________________________________________________
Signature: _______________________________________________

Date:_______________________

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