Annual review of progression

What is the purpose of the ARP?

Participation in the ARP is a mandatory requirement for all HSST trainees and their workplace supervisors and is intended as a supportive and facilitative process.

The purpose of the ARP is to:

1. Provide a formal opportunity for trainees and their workplace supervisors to evaluate, and indicate to the School, trainees’ progress on the programme as appropriate to their stage of training.
2. Identify any concerns/issues/barriers that need to be addressed to help with their progression.
3. Ensure that each trainee receives an independent evaluation of their progression.
4. Give confidence to trainees, workplace supervisors and commissioners that their training is being monitored, and that support and advice is being offered as appropriate.

What evidence will I need to provide for the review?

The evidence that will inform the review will comprise:

1. Trainee’s self-evaluation of engagement and development on the programme and their progress to date.
2. An evaluation by the trainee’s workplace supervisor of their engagement with the programme and their progress to date.
3. Portfolio evidence demonstrating achievement against the HSS Standards of Proficiency (SoPs).
4. Engagement and progress on the academic component, as appropriate to their pathway through and stage of programme.
5. Evidence of completion of a multi-source feedback exercise/360 appraisal recommended to inform their professional development.

The School recommends that you and your workplace supervisor schedule a meeting pre-ARP to review the training plan and discuss progress, and also a post-ARP meeting to discuss the outcome and update the training plan as appropriate.

Follow-up from the ARP

We will follow-up as informed by the review evidence, comments, concerns and issues highlighted on the evaluation reports and outcome decision.

The following list provides some examples of follow-up from the review:

• Actions from the trainee and workplace supervisor relating to the training plan and/or MSF.
• Actions from the trainee relating to the engagement/progress on the academic component/s.
• A non-compliance form is to be completed by the trainee and/or workplace supervisor if they have not engaged with the ARP. Non-compliance is viewed as a serious transgression and a justification will be required,  for review by the School and if appropriate the HEE commissioners.
• Support and advice will be provided by the School to help address any highlighted issues, concerns or barriers which have not been possible to resolve locally in discussion with the employer, HEI or other.
• Actions will be requested of the employer / training department or MAHSE, where the evidence indicates justified serious issues with the provision of workplace training opportunities or academic components of the programme.
• A request for the trainee and/or workplace supervisor to attend an ARP panel meeting, to agree actions to facilitate progression where evidence indicates serious concerns or barriers relating to the trainee’s progress. The panel will be formed as appropriate to the evidence and may comprise, but is not restricted to, representatives from the School, speciality senior scientist, MAHSE, AHCS, HEE commissioning group, lay advisor.
• In exceptional circumstances and with all possible avenues to facilitate progression exploited, if evidence demonstrates that the trainee fails to progress as necessary, they will be supported to exit from the HSST programme.