Role description
The roles of STP IACC assessor and lead assessor are a responsible position in the summative independent final assessment for the Science Training Programme, currently the Independent Assessment of Clinical Competence (IACC). The final assessment is independent from the work-based colleagues who have supervised and assessed the candidate throughout the programme.
The IACC currently comprises a 3500 word critical self-reflective narrative structured around the Academy for Healthcare Science ‘Good Scientific Practice’ standards (2021). This is supported by evidence from their portfolio, which is discussed during a 45 minute interview. Currently the assessment process is conducted online.
The STP IACC assessor will, as part of a panel of three assessors, assess the candidate to ensure that they have met the STP outcomes and developed the professional skills and attributes expected of a newly qualified, threshold Clinical Scientist.
Assessor responsibilities
- Be appointed as a member of an assessor panel in your specialty for the STP Final Assessment.
- Contribute to the assessment of candidates in your specialty at least once per year.
- Actively participate in your assessor panel by considering and assessing candidates and contributing to your panel recommended outcomes and feedback for each candidate.
- Participate in all essential pre and post assessment activities required to complete the candidate assessments.
- Participate in initial and annual refresher training for assessors.
- Contribute to ongoing consultations on the development, implementation, evaluation and review of the STP Final Assessment.
Min criteria/ experience
Details of the criteria/experience required for this role is available in the person specification information.
Typical time commitment per event or per year
The STP final assessment is held three times a year in Spring, Summer and Autumn. Not all specialties will have candidates sitting at each assessment diet. The main assessment event is held in Summer with the majority of candidates sitting their final assessment in their third and final year of the STP. Specialities range in size from 2 to 40+ candidates sitting the final assessment at this diet. Each panel assesses a maximum of 4 candidates in one day and we run simultaneous panels over a number of days for specialties with a large number of candidates.
As an assessor, you will prepare and plan for the interviews along with your fellow panel members. This involves reading the candidates’ submissions, sampling their portfolios of evidence and meeting as a panel to plan your questions for each candidate interview (1-1.5 days). On the day of the interviews, the panel meets and interviews their candidates (1 day). There is time after each interview to allow the panel to deliberate and agree provisional outcomes and feedback for that candidate and, if necessary, the panel may meet again to finalise their decisions (0.5 day).
We will provide training for all new assessors; this is usually one day’s commitment spread over two days. Assessors are also required to attend regular annual refresher assessment training following their initial training. A certificate of attendance will be issued for your records.
We ask that assessors participate in least one of the three STP final assessment events each year following training.
Compensation for time
This voluntary role is a professional activity at a high level of assessment within Healthcare Science.
Normally training and assessment panels are run virtually but travel and accommodation expenses will be covered for training and assessment events where these are face-to-face.