Support for progression

Examples of follow up from review of progression

• Actions for trainee and/or Training Officer relating to the training plan.
• Actions for trainee relating to engagement/progress on academic components.
• Support and advice provided by the School to help address highlighted issues/concerns/barriers and which have not been possible to resolve locally in discussion with employer, university or other.
• Application of School supportive policies such as Exceptional Extenuating Circumstances policy.
• Application of employer policies such as attendance, conduct, capability, Occupational Health and other supportive processes.
• Actions requested of the employer/training department or university where evidence indicates justified serious issues with the provision of workplace training opportunities or academic components of the programme.
• A request for trainee and/or Training Officers to attend a support meeting to agree actions to facilitate progression where evidence indicates serious concern/barriers relating to the trainee’s progress.
• In exceptional circumstances, with all possible avenues to facilitate progression exploited, if evidence demonstrates that the trainee is failing to progress as necessary, they may be supported to exit from the Scientist Training Programme.

Support meetings guidance

Trainees may be offered a range of support options following receipt of their outcomes, including the following:

1. Support call – where minor to moderate issues have been raised which may benefit from School advice. These are optional and do not have to be accessed if trainee or Training Officer do not feel they will be beneficial. Trainees with an outcome 1 or 2 may be offered this option.
2. Support meeting – where an outcome 3 is issued then trainees with their Training Officers will be required to meet with the School to explore the issues affecting progression in more detail. This will either be a triage meeting or a full support meeting.

Triage meeting

A triage meeting will be with a Training Programme Director or other senior member of the School depending on the issues experienced. This will last no longer than an hour with the purpose of determining the level of support and advice needed and if further follow up by the School is necessary. Outcomes may include:

• No further action – trainee can continue with support from training department/university
• Follow up desktop review (no further meeting needed) to check progress is being made
• Action plan required with timed objectives and further meeting required
• Referral for full support meeting.

Full support meeting

Where multiple moderate or major issues with progress have been identified, the trainee with their Training Officer will be invited to a full support meeting. This will be with a Training Programme Director or other senior member of the School. It may also include a representative from the university if there are issues affecting academic progress. This meeting will be longer and more in depth than the triage meeting where both trainee and Training Officer will have individual time with the School to discuss the barriers to progression in more detail. The meeting will be minuted by a member of the School’s progression support team. Outcomes may include one or more of the following:

• Follow up desktop review (no further meeting needed) to check progress is being made
• Action plan required with timed objectives and further meeting required
• Further full support meeting
• Referral to other services in the School; e.g., training support, accreditation
• Referral to School support policies such as Exceptional Extenuating Circumstances
• Referral to employer support policies such as attendance, conduct, capability, Occupation Health.

The purpose of the meetings

The meetings are intended as a facilitative and supportive measure for both the trainee and Training Officer to review and discuss the issues in more detail, with the aim of supporting both parties to identify remedial actions to improve progression.

The meeting may result in an action plan being prepared with objectives set which the trainee, with the support of their Training Officer, will be responsible for meeting within the timescales outlined. Action plans will be reviewed to ensure that the necessary progress is being made.

The School will facilitate the discussion, provide advice and guide the recommendations and production of the action plan by the trainee.

There will be no punitive measures taken as a result of the support meetings and trainees will be given every opportunity to meet the requirements of the programme. However, should the activities in the action plan not be met within the required timescales, then a further review of progression will be necessary.

Continued and sustained failure to meet the required targets may result in the trainee being referred to the School’s Training Management Panel and reported to the relevant quality and commissioning teams, at which point the feasibility of their continuation on the programme will be considered.

The review of progression processes does not replace, but can run in parallel with, any employer-related HR processes to manage and support attendance and performance at work; e.g., sickness, conduct, capability etc.

How the support meetings are conducted

Progression support meetings are conducted remotely via MS Teams. Trainees and Training Officers must respond promptly when asked for dates of their availability, so that a suitable date can be arranged as soon as possible after the review of progression outcomes are confirmed.

Trainees and Training Officers must ensure they make themselves available for the full duration of the meeting and as far as possible without any interruptions. They should identify a suitable space, in a private area, where they can participate in the discussion unhampered.

All relevant paperwork and information will be provided where applicable by the School in advance of the meeting.

Preparation for the meeting

There are a number of actions trainees and Training Officers should take to prepare for the meetings.

1. Submit a copy of the trainee’s current training plan to the School at least 5 working days in advance of the meeting. This is to enable the School to review the plans in place and to determine where further advice and support might be needed where appropriate.
2. Undertake a gap analysis of the curriculum to identify areas which have not yet been completed in line with the requirements of the review.
3. Meet with each other to discuss progress and consider any actions/solutions that could be taken to address the issues with progression so that these can be confirmed in the meeting.
4. Confirm the preferred date and mode of the meeting with the School as soon as possible.