STP trainees Exit Survey 2023 – Summary and School responses

Overall, trainees’ satisfaction with the Scientist Training Programme (STP) remains very high, reaching a peak of 85% this year. This is the highest this figure has ever been. Additionally, over 95% per cent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they were pleased they completed the STP and just over 70% cent of respondents would be likely or very likely to recommend the STP. Similarly, over 80% of respondents ranked their work-based training department as outstanding or good.

While there is a considerable amount of evidence in the survey responses about positive experiences on the STP, every year we look for key themes identified in trainees’ feedback that can be considered as areas for improvement and every year at the School we agree and publish a series of actions we have taken or will take within these areas. The key themes we have selected from the 2023 survey responses are:

1. Communication and delivery from the HEIs
2. Concerns about training quality in some centres and a perception of variability of the quality of training between centres
3. Concerns about the ‘old’ STP curriculum
4. Requests for additional guidance and support from the School

1. Communication and delivery from the HEIs

There is an increasing trend compared to previous years of the MSc element and the HEIs being raised as an issue. In response to question 5 (question: I have enjoyed my experience of the STP programme) of the 96 comments made and excluding those that made positive feedback, over 20% of the comments made discussed the university element. Overall, the percentage of respondents disagreeing that communications from the university were effective has increased by almost 10% from last year. The types of concerns raised, particularly about poor organisation and about the lateness of communications echo, very similar concerns that the School has received from Training Officers at the March and November 2023 Healthcare Science Education and Training Collaborative meetings.

2.  Concerns about training quality in some centres and a perception of variability of the quality of training between centres

Firstly, it is important to note that over 80% of respondents ranked their work-based training department as outstanding or good and over 75% of respondents felt that they received adequate support from their training officer throughout the STP. However, concerns about the quality and readiness of some training centres were raised repeatedly in responses to a number of questions in the exit survey. Additionally, there is evidence from across survey responses that there is a perception that training quality can be variable between centres. This latter point has been a recurring perception articulated in responses to the exit survey for several years.

3. Concern about the ‘old’ STP curriculum

The appropriateness of the ‘old’ STP curriculum has appeared as an issue of concern in the exit survey again this year. However, comments didn’t go into too much detail as trainees recognise that the new curriculum addresses most of the issues raised.

4. Requests for additional guidance and support from the School

Across the survey responses there are requests for additional guidance and support in a wide number of areas. Three areas that feature prominently are the IACC, OneFile competencies and the use of the £2,000 training budget.

School actions in response to key themes

We outline below actions that the School has already taken or has decided to take within the area of the themes above identified in the 2023 Exit Survey.

1. Communication and delivery from the HEIs

Actions to take

• The School’s Accreditation Team will review the comments from the Exit Survey and feedback from the Healthcare Science Education and Training Collaborative events about HEI provision and create an action plan to address concerns.
• The Accreditation Team will write content for the STP Monthly Memo about the HEI accreditation process and about how trainees can raise issues. The Accreditation Team will attend Trainee Representative Collaborative meetings to discuss HEI provision with STP trainees.
• The School will review the academic questions in the exit survey and explore the possibility of conducting a survey to gather further information from trainees currently training focussing purely on the academic element.
• The School will write to all the STP HEIs requesting that they provide university teaching block information as soon as possible to feature on the School website. (ETP providers already do this.)

2. Training quality

Actions already taken

• With the publication of the School’s work-based assessment standards in September 2023, the School has published detailed guidance for trainees and trainers about how work-based assessment should be conducted. Click this link to view the work-based assessment standards.
• In September 2023 the School published its new training standards for training officers. The training standards clearly lay out what is expected of training officers. Click this link to view the training standards and expectations.
• The School has published a growing series of online training materials to support training officers in their role. The training standards have also been used to redesign the School’s Train The Trainer offering.
• The School has published ‘how to raise concerns’ flowcharts for trainees and trainers. Click this link to view the accessing support or escalating concerns and issues guidance and flowcharts.

Further actions to take

• The School will create a ‘sharing good practice’ webinar series sharing examples of good training being delivered across the country.
• The School will run further accreditation webinars or drop-in sessions.
• The School’s Accreditation Team will write content for the STP Monthly Memo promoting the accreditation processes and the processes for raising training quality concern.
• The School’s Accreditation Team and Recruitment Team will review the information provided by host departments that features on the STP posts pages on the School website during the recruitment window. More detail from the application stage could help manage trainee expectations.

3. The curriculum

Actions already taken

• The new curricula for STP specialties were launched in September 2022. The School is confident that the repetition of competencies identified by trainees in the 2023 Exit Survey has been removed in the new curricula and that the competencies within the new curricula are more specific to the duties of the role of the Clinical Scientist.

Further actions to take

• In winter 2023-24 the School will launch a new process by which feedback on the new curricula can be submitted and captured. As this feedback is captured, the School will review it to establish whether the issues identified in the 2023 Exit Survey have been resolved.

4. Requests for additional guidance and support

Actions already taken

• New module.

Actions to take

• The School will create a ‘sharing good practice’ webinar series sharing examples of good training being delivered across the country.
• The School will publish further guidance via several modules in the Learning Hub about what makes good evidence for training activities within the new curriculum.
• The School will continue to run sessions and provide further online learning resources about reflective practice.
• The School will publish the responsibilities of trainees linked to the new training standards.
• The School will review its guidance on the use of the £2,000 training support budget.
• In 2024 all trainees taking the IACC will receive the feedback written by their assessors, whether they pass or fail.
• The Assessment Team will review the timeliness with which IACC interview dates are communicated.